Local and regional governments play a pivotal role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Since 2015, metropolises, small cities, regional authorities have been working actively on localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), bringing them closer to the people they serve and using the global framework as a tool for local planning and implementation.

Local and regional governments are increasingly carrying out sub-national reviews of SDG implementation, known as voluntary local reviews (VLRs). Even though they hold no official status in the formal follow-up and review process of the 2030 Agenda, the VLRs can be a powerful accelerator for SDG implementation - contributing to the collection and analysis of timely, accurate and disaggregated data; bringing stakeholders closer to decision-making processes; strengthening multilevel governance; and fostering integration of the SDGs into local planning.

Through a systematic overview assessment of the contents of the 48 VLRs released in 2021, this discussion paper highlights interesting approaches taken by some sub-national authorities to implement the SDGs and report on their progress, including on one of the fundamental principles of the 2030 Agenda, namely leaving no one behind. It also provides evidence of good practices and other valuable experiences to share lessons learned and facilitate mutual learning.