Connecting the Dots: Integrating VLRs and VNRs for SDG Reporting

Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 2026 Friday, 27 February 2026

A Voluntary Local Review (VLR) is a process through which sub-national governments undertake a voluntary review of their progress towards delivering the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Localising the SDGs or translating the Global Goals into relevant, actionable and attainable priorities at the local level is a vital first step in leveraging action for addressing the multiple interlinked crises and promoting sustainable urban development. The Asia-Pacific Regional VLR Guidelines propose the concept of VLR-VNR integration, i.e., the vertical integration of the two processes around the follow-up and review of the SDGs.
The session will be a dialogue between local and national government representatives, NGOs and UN agencies featuring experiences from cities, implementing agencies, and development partners to identify pathways for institutional integration of VLRs in VNR processes at the national level. It will focus on harmonisation among local and national government agencies for better alignment and integration between VLRs and VNRs. It will explore how Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) can systematically inform and strengthen Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to accelerate SDG localisation and advance multi-level governance that supports the global stock-take of SDG goals.
The session will be led by CDKN Asia in partnership with ICLEI South Asia, UNESCAP, and Male City Council. It will showcase the challenges and opportunities of local governments to develop VLRs that are backed by data and driven by national, local and community priorities. It will highlight the need for national government encouragement for preparation of such VLRs and their possible contributions to national SDG reporting frameworks under ESCAP’s VNR framework.

For any questions or clarification regarding the session, please write to Bedoshruti Sadhukhan at [email protected]

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Advocacy

ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability seeks to build an international policy environment that strengthens local government and supports local sustainability. To facilitate this, ICLEI coordinates local government representation in several UN organizations. Our contributions in the form of side events, publications, verbal interventions and official background papers have been a consistent, major source of international attention to local initiatives and opportunities to enhance sustainability.

Examples of our advocacy work can be found under news and events.

To know more, click here

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ICLEI helps strengthen the capacity of local government officials and leaders to drive a process of change towards sustainable development. ICLEI’s Global Capacity Centre (formerly the International Training Centre) organizes seminars, workshops, and conferences, and offers distance training, study tours, and exchange programs. Regular conferences focused on capacity building and exchange take place globally and regionally.

ICLEI South Asia offers local governments a range of services that support training and capacity building on a number of topics such as carbon emission inventorisation, vulnerability assessment, resilience strategy development, integrated water management, holistic waste management, urban mobility and local biodiversity planning. These trainings are sometimes included in programmes and projects, but could also be designed as stand-alone initiatives.
Conferences organized by ICLEI South Asia also provide opportunities for peer exchanges and capacity building, such as the Asia LEDS Partnership Forums and the Resilient Cities Asia Pacific Congresses.

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Key areas where we provide research and consultancy services are as follows:

  • Assessment of existing energy mix and potential for integration of local renewables
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ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, over the last 20 years, has built considerable in-house research capacity drawing on inter-disciplinary teams of experts and practitioners across its offices worldwide. Links and transfers on research and projects have been continuously extended with partners and relevant actors. The results have supported the development of guidelines, manuals and policies, built capacity, furthered partnerships, as well as ICLEI’s advocacy work, especially at the global level.

Key areas where we provide research and consultancy services are as follows:

  • Assessment of existing energy mix and potential for integration of local renewables
  • Energy efficiency in municipal services and facilities
  • Energy efficiency in the built environment
  • Renewable energy and Energy efficiency technologies
  • Climate Action planning : baseline GHG emission quantification, forecasting and target setting, Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) formulation and implementation
  • Financing for RE deployment and climate mitigation solutions
  • Integrated Urban Water management
  • Integrated Municipal Solid Waste management
  • Decentralized solutions for sanitation
  • City Sanitation Plans
  • Urban Climate vulnerability assessment and planning
  • Urban Environmental Management action planning
  • Smart City Action plans
  • Heritage City Action plans
  • Non-motorised Transport (NMT) plans
  • Non-motorised Transport (NMT) assessments
  • Integrating biodiversity management into urban planning
  • People’s biodiversity register
  • Biodiversity index of urban areas
  • Pictorial Biodiversity handbooks, calendars and other publications for cities
  • Policy analysis for urban built environment
  • Parking policies and strategies
  • Helping cities assess capacity to implement Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC)
  • Urban Transport status assessments
  • Pre-feasibility studies
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HARNESS the power of the ICLEI Network! " Governments need to give (the sense of) direction, as Business leaders we don't make the wind, we sail the boats. So policy should set the winds in the right directions if you want the boat going fast to the right harbor." Philippe Joubert Senior Advisor, World Business Council
on Sustainable Development
Click here to view a full list of our associate partners
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Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

Associate Partnership
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Associate Partnership is available to non-governmental organizations, universities, state and national government agencies and not-for-profit research institutions. The purpose of Associate Partnership is to facilitate dialogues between local governments and these partners, to provide knowledge transfer in line with ICLEI’s Mission and Charter, and an avenue for which partners can support ICLEI’s work and mandate.

HARNESS the power of the ICLEI Network! " Governments need to give (the sense of) direction, as Business leaders we don't make the wind, we sail the boats. So policy should set the winds in the right directions if you want the boat going fast to the right harbor." Philippe Joubert Senior Advisor, World Business Council
on Sustainable Development
Click here to view a full list of our associate partners
  • First benefit point

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Rates and Dues

Application Form

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

Associate Partnership
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Associate Partnership is available to non-governmental organizations, universities, state and national government agencies and not-for-profit research institutions. The purpose of Associate Partnership is to facilitate dialogues between local governments and these partners, to provide knowledge transfer in line with ICLEI’s Mission and Charter, and an avenue for which partners can support ICLEI’s work and mandate.

HARNESS the power of the ICLEI Network! " Governments need to give (the sense of) direction, as Business leaders we don't make the wind, we sail the boats. So policy should set the winds in the right directions if you want the boat going fast to the right harbor." Philippe Joubert Senior Advisor, World Business Council
on Sustainable Development
Click here to view a full list of our associate partners
  • First benefit point

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Rates and Dues

Application Form

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

Associate Partnership
Tabs Opener

Associate Partnership is available to non-governmental organizations, universities, state and national government agencies and not-for-profit research institutions. The purpose of Associate Partnership is to facilitate dialogues between local governments and these partners, to provide knowledge transfer in line with ICLEI’s Mission and Charter, and an avenue for which partners can support ICLEI’s work and mandate.

HARNESS the power of the ICLEI Network! " Governments need to give (the sense of) direction, as Business leaders we don't make the wind, we sail the boats. So policy should set the winds in the right directions if you want the boat going fast to the right harbor." Philippe Joubert Senior Advisor, World Business Council
on Sustainable Development
Click here to view a full list of our associate partners
  • First benefit point

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Rates and Dues

Application Form

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

Associate Partnership
Tabs Opener

Associate Partnership is available to non-governmental organizations, universities, state and national government agencies and not-for-profit research institutions. The purpose of Associate Partnership is to facilitate dialogues between local governments and these partners, to provide knowledge transfer in line with ICLEI’s Mission and Charter, and an avenue for which partners can support ICLEI’s work and mandate.

HARNESS the power of the ICLEI Network! " Governments need to give (the sense of) direction, as Business leaders we don't make the wind, we sail the boats. So policy should set the winds in the right directions if you want the boat going fast to the right harbor." Philippe Joubert Senior Advisor, World Business Council
on Sustainable Development
Click here to view a full list of our associate partners
  • First benefit point

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Rates and Dues

Application Form

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

ICLEI membership application

To join ICLEI means joining a global network of over 1,750 diverse cities, towns and regions with a strong group of Partners. ICLEI Members actively engage with their peers through conferences, workshops, webinars and online platforms and take advantage of our connections with businesses, financial institutions and other implementation partners that help strengthen innovation and resourcing.

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

ICLEI membership application

To join ICLEI means joining a global network of over 1,750 diverse cities, towns and regions with a strong group of Partners. ICLEI Members actively engage with their peers through conferences, workshops, webinars and online platforms and take advantage of our connections with businesses, financial institutions and other implementation partners that help strengthen innovation and resourcing.

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

ICLEI membership application

To join ICLEI means joining a global network of over 1,750 diverse cities, towns and regions with a strong group of Partners. ICLEI Members actively engage with their peers through conferences, workshops, webinars and online platforms and take advantage of our connections with businesses, financial institutions and other implementation partners that help strengthen innovation and resourcing.

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

ICLEI membership application

To join ICLEI means joining a global network of over 1,750 diverse cities, towns and regions with a strong group of Partners. ICLEI Members actively engage with their peers through conferences, workshops, webinars and online platforms and take advantage of our connections with businesses, financial institutions and other implementation partners that help strengthen innovation and resourcing.

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

ICLEI membership application

To join ICLEI means joining a global network of over 1,750 diverse cities, towns and regions with a strong group of Partners. ICLEI Members actively engage with their peers through conferences, workshops, webinars and online platforms and take advantage of our connections with businesses, financial institutions and other implementation partners that help strengthen innovation and resourcing.

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

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Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

Want to be a model?
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Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

Want to be a model?
  • First benefit point

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Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

Want to be a model?
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Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

Want to be a model?
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Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

ICLEI membership online application form
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Fee Structure

Benefits

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

ICLEI membership online application form
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Error: Contact form not found.

Fee Structure

Benefits

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

ICLEI membership online application form
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Error: Contact form not found.

Fee Structure

Benefits

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

ICLEI membership online application form
Tabs Opener

Error: Contact form not found.

Fee Structure

Benefits

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org

ICLEI membership online application form
Tabs Opener

Error: Contact form not found.

Fee Structure

Benefits

Eva Madeira Head of ICLEI Global Membership & Governance

Got any questions? I will be happy to assist. Please contact me at iclei(at)iclei.org