Launch of the European Handbook for SDG Voluntary Local Reviews at the 10th World Urban Forum

The Handbook presents policy makers, researchers and practitioners with an innovative framework specifically designed for conducting Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) in European cities. Initially introduced to recognise the key role of cities for promoting sustainable development, VLRs have become an important means to track the progress of local SDG implementation. To aid this process, the Handbook provides guidance to European cities by presenting useful examples of official and experimental indicators to devise effective local SDG monitoring systems tailored to local circumstances. The Handbook is divided into three parts. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of VLRs and outlines the main challenges for local authorities concerning their design. The second part of the Handbook features examples of harmonised and locally collected indicators for each of the 17 SDG Goals. This allows local actors to compare themselves and their progress with other cities and to keep track of their own specific needs and challenges. Part three reflects on the current state of affairs concerning past implementation of VLRs and presents considerations concerning a number of issues relevant to local SDG monitoring. The Handbook concludes by setting forth aspects to be considered for the future implementation and development of the VLR process.

The Handbook can be accessed here.