Inter-Agency Policy Brief: Accelerating SDG Localization to deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The Inter-Agency Policy Brief on Accelerating SDG Localization to deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is now available. This policy brief was prepared by UNDESA, UN Habitat and UNDP in close collaboration with the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments and United Cities and Local Governments, with input from the United Nations Regional Commissions: UNECA, UNECE, UNECLAC, UNESCAP, and UNESCWA.

This policy brief examines critical issues pertaining to local implementation of SDG action to achieve the 2030 Agenda. SDG localization is the process of adapting and customizing the SDGs and translating them into local development plans and strategies that fit the needs, context, and priorities of a particular region or locality, in coherence with national frameworks. With at least 65 per cent of SDG targets linked to the work and mandates of local and regional governments (LRGs), LRGs are critical agents of change in recalibrating to course of global development to better address the challenges of the future. 

In an ongoing initiative to advance SDG localization, UNDESA in collaboration with an inter-agency taskforce of UN entities and other relevant stakeholders will issue a compilation of policy briefs providing evidence-based recommendations for SDG localization. Some of the topics will include data, monitoring, and reporting; multilevel governance; SDG localization and climate action synergies; and waste and resource circularity. 

For more information about the current and forthcoming research on SDG Localization, please, check here: https://sdgs.un.org/topics/voluntary-local-reviews#background