Training and Peer Learning workshop on SDG Localization, Voluntary Local Reviews and Infrastructure Asset Management for local and central government officials in South Africa

Background

A national “Training and Peer Learning workshop on SDG Localization, Voluntary Local Reviews and Infrastructure Asset Management for local and central government officials in South Africa” is being organized by the Division for Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DSDG/UNDESA) and the Economic Commission for Africa, the National Planning Commission of South Africa, the South Africa Local Government Association, and the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and the United Nations Development Programme in South Africa. The workshop will be held from 21-24 October 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Local, regional, and sub-national governments are crucial to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the National Development Plan 2030 and the AU Agenda 2063. These mutually reinforcing agendas support the achievement of sustainable development. As they localize the 2030 Agenda, local and regional governments are increasingly engaging in subnational reviews of SDG implementation, also known as Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), and are undertaking post-VLR planning to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs. In this context, the overarching objectives of this workshop are to enhance local governments’ capacities in South Africa to: 1) carry out and monitor the localization of the SDGs, AU Agenda 2063 and National Development Plan 2030; and 2) to develop and operationalize SDG-related infrastructure asset management plans. To this end, the Workshop will bring together representatives from the National Planning Commission, relevant line ministries, local authorities, experts, practitioners, and representatives of United Nations entities.