Local governments play an indispensable role in the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with more than 65% of the 169 targets underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) depending on their effective engagement. Guided by the principle of “Leaving no one and no place behind”, UNDP Egypt in Collaboration with Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, supported three pilot Egyptian governorates; Port Said, Fayoum, and Beheira in developing their Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). The reports were presented during the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2023.

The initiative of developing the VLRs complements a number of localization efforts that the Government of Egypt (GoE) embarked on to identify the progress and current gaps in implementing the SDGs at the local level by 2030. The VLRs aim to inform policy making on the local level, help improve public service provision while enhancing the efficiency of public expenditures by aligning funding with local citizens' priorities and needs.