At the National Level: Governments conduct Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to track progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These reviews, led by governments, offer civil society a chance to engage in SDG discussions and strengthen ties with policymakers. VNRs involve evaluating all 17 SDGs, discussing challenges and opportunities, and are presented at the UN's High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). 

At the Regional Level The UN Regional Commissions bolster the review mechanism by organizing annual regional workshops for VNR participating countries. These workshops provide a platform for sharing practices and lessons learned specific to their region. The findings from these regional reports feed into the global discussions at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). Regional meetings, like the African Union Summit and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, also offer platforms for leaders to exchange best practices and coordinate on SDG achievements at the regional level. 

At the Global Level The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), held every year in New York, is the principal platform for reviewing the 2030 Agenda and SDGs, involving all stakeholders globally. The HLPF reviews all 17 SDGs over a four-year cycle, deeply analyzing a subset each year. Every year, a number of UN Member States volunteer to present their VNRs, which occurs following thematic discussions during the HLPF's three-day ministerial segment. To complement the HLPF, a high-level meeting – the SDG Summit – is organized every four years, for reviewing progress and reinforcing commitments to the SDGs. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) also monitors SDG implementation through its committees and resolutions, focusing on various aspects like poverty and sustainable development.  

Advocate for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and inclusion in national plans and strategies. VNRs provide a unique opportunity for CSOs to engage with governments. This process opens channels for regular exchange and dialogue about the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). CSOs can also use the VNR process to influence national plans and strategies, making decision-makers more receptive to issues aligned with the 2030 Agenda. The VNR process involves continuous national dialogues, crucial for advancing the 2030 Agenda effectively. 

Ensure no one is left behind. Advocate for an inclusive and participatory approach. Civil society organizations have a key role to play in ensuring the voices of the most vulnerable segments of the population and of all those who are often muted or left aside are heard and reflected in the design, planning and implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The 2030 Agenda advocates for a participatory and inclusive implementation and review process, making the involvement of various stakeholders, including CSOs, essential. 

Advocacy for comprehensive implementation. Civil society has a key role to play in reaffirming that all 17 SDGs and their targets are integrated and indivisible and that governments are responsible to deliver on all their commitments by 2030. 

Encouraging national participation. Although a great number of countries have already volunteered to present a VNR, some countries are still reluctant to commit. CSOs have a role to play in pushing for a national VNR process. If your country has not yet engaged, your first step will be to encourage your government to participate.  CSOs can contribute to the formation of new institutional structures for SDG implementation, ensuring these are collaborative and inclusive. 

Coordinated efforts and strengthening networks. Through VNRs, CSOs can enhance coordination at the national level, building or strengthening networks focused on tracking and advocating for SDG implementation. The VNR process allows CSOs to work beyond their specific areas of focus, promoting integrated approaches to sustainable development. 

Global Visibility for Local Challenges. Participation in the VNR process enables CSOs to bring local and national challenges to the global stage, particularly during presentations at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). 

Accountability and Constructive Solutions. CSOs can use the VNR process to hold governments accountable for their commitments under the 2030 Agenda and present constructive solutions for challenges in programmatic delivery. 

Contextual analysis. Assess the political and social landscape to tailor advocacy strategies. Develop contingency plans to mitigate potential risks in restricted environments.

Understand how your government is organizing itself for the VNR process and find out about engagement opportunities. 

Has your government already begun the preparation of its VNRs?

Do you have the name and contact details of a person in the government who has responsibility for the preparation of the VNR process?

Is your platform aware of a timetable for public consultations on the preparation of VNRs?

What will be the process to engage with the government on the VNR? National consultations vary considerably. Will there be joint workshops where you can plan together and/or provide oral feedback? Will there be an option for online engagement and/or to provide written feedback to the commission working on the VNR in your country? 

Identify existing coordination structure for CSO coordination and assess current capacity to engage. Before launching yourself with big advocacy plans to engage around the VNR in your country, understand the civil society landscape in your country to see if there is already a national structure coalescing civil society organizations around the VNR in your country. If there is no existing structure, assess whether your organization has the capacity to coalesce to coalesce civil society organizations and grassroots activists and communities around the VNR process, and to engage them with decision-makers. If you are not sure whether you have sufficient capacity, you could maybe look at sharing roles and responsibilities with other partner organizations and/or one of your member organizations.

Check the data already available in your country regarding the implementation of the Sustainable Development Golas. Think about any data sets you and your civil society partners may be able to contribute or highlight as relevant. 

Resource allocation to cover the cost of writing the review, stakeholder meetings, travel for officials, etc. 

Collect data and research to support your policy recommendations. Review official reports. Examine government reports, statements, and data related to the subject matter. Compare this information with the goals and objectives outlined in international agreements.  For this, you could contact your national statistics office to find out what data sources are available, check past VNR reports, consult the Sustainable Development Report’s assessment or UNDP’s SDG Integration unit reports/assessments on 90+ countries or the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ Statistics Divisions country profiles or regarding the data they have on your country’s progress towards achieving the SDGs, review think tanks and partner websites. 

Collect best practices and data from your peers and member organizations. Learn from and share detailed narratives of successful advocacy initiatives on the implementation of the SDGs. 

Conduct field research and engage with affected communities for case studies and stories that will strengthen your advocacy positions.  Gather data through surveys, interviews, or case studies to provide real-world context and evidence, highlighting innovative approaches and tangible outcomes. Include the voices and experiences of the communities impacted by government policies. This adds depth and authenticity to your report. 

What SDGs or SDG targets do you want to focus on? Is it related to a particular government program or policy? 

Set a clear purpose: What is the goal of your joint action? Are you aiming to highlight gaps in policy, assess the impact of government actions, or propose recommendations for improvement?  

Identify the name and contact details of a person in the government who has responsibility for the preparation of the VNR process. Also check if your parliament is involved in the preparation of the VNR. If your parliament does not want to be involved, you can consider advocating for its engagement in the process (See Together 2030’s handbook on engaging parliament on the SDGs). 

Consult with your national CSO coalition to make a plan that details when you will approach your government and parliament, who you will target, what you will tell them and how. Insist on regular dialogue on the VNR process, that helps build the relationship and ensure they know you are monitoring their engagement on the 2030 Agenda. 

CSOs should also make sure the VNR conversation is brought to the sub-national level. 

Take part in national consultations related to the SDGs and VNR process. You can use VNRs to address the needs and challenges of your communities and showcase their contributions to SDG implementation. You can provide input to national VNR reports, participate in government-led VNR workshops to ensure community concerns are addressed. 

Review the VNR report your government has developed. Countries are encouraged to submit a concise VNR report by mid-May before the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) and a full report without a fixed deadline. These reports should cover all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and be based on tangible government actions, focusing on progress and challenges at the national and sub-national levels, supported by evidence. The reports are publicly available on the HLPF website. The United Nations has voluntary common reporting guidelines and a handbook for VNRs, offering a framework with flexibility for countries to adapt to their specific circumstances. These guidelines aim to ensure consistency and comparability between reviews. The Progressing Implementation report Forus publishes each year, jointly with other partners, provide insights into VNR characteristics, good practices, and lessons learned for countries conducting VNRs.

Develop your own analysis on the implementation of the SDGs in your country, and publish shadow/parallel/spotlight reports alongside official VNRs to highlight marginalized voices, identify implementation gaps, and suggest improvements. While there is no official mechanism for parallel Civil Society Organization (CSO) reports at the HLPF, some countries choose to develop such reports alongside their government's VNR. Decide how, when, and where you'll release the shadow report. Consider press conferences, social media, or collaboration with other CSOs.

Plan your dissemination strategy. Design a media outreach plan that includes traditional media, online platforms, and social media to broaden message reach. Train advocates in effective communication techniques to ensure clear and persuasive messaging. Integrate storytelling to your communications to strengthen your advocacy positions. Feature stories and case studies to give a "face" to the importance of SDG implementation. (See our tipsheet on Media – How to engage with the media to amplify your policy messages).

Consider digital advocacy. Utilize social media analytics to target and engage stakeholders effectively. Develop digital campaigns that resonate with broader audiences for greater impact. (See our tipsheet on Social Media – How to amplify your policy messages through social media).

Hold your government accountable for their SDG commitments through participation in HLPF discussions on VNRs, leveraging your engagement with the media and your presence on social media and other platforms to raise awareness on your government's commitments, and advocate for action for a prompt implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Seek inclusion in the official delegation at the HLPF and speaking opportunities during presentations. (see more details below in our section on regional and global engagement)

Monitor your advocacy efforts and re-evaluate tactics according to progress and challenges. Keep track of government actions in response to your report. Adapt your strategy if you meet any hurdles and/or if you identify better outcomes through other tactics. 

Assess the impact of your advocacy actions and engagement. Determine how your messages / statements / shadow report influenced policy changes, public awareness, or government actions.  Share success stories: Communicate the outcomes of your advocacy and the changes that resulted from your efforts.

Ensure follow-up discussions and progress on the implementation of the SDGs. Regular reviews of SDG implementation are vital, and it's important for civil society to engage in discussions about future steps. Countries should conduct debriefings at national and sub-national levels following global discussions, and VNRs should not only look back but also outline a clear follow-up process with a specified next VNR date. This dialogue between civil society and government provides an opportunity to assess and address gaps, challenges, and achievements.