Participation Process for the German VNR and Global VNR Peer Learning

Under the 2030 Agenda, countries are encouraged to present regular voluntary national reviews (VNRs) to assess their progress toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their targets. In the run up to presenting its third VNR at the 2025 High-level Political Forum, the Federal Government of Germany is applying national stakeholder participation and international peer learning with selected other countries presenting a VNR in 2025.  

National participation strengthens review, dialogue and implementation processes while considering synergies with national strategy processes on the environment, biodiversity and climate efforts. It also enhances VNRs as a tool for integrated SDG implementation. In Germany, this includes a series of  forums to allow participation and critical input throughout the development of the VNR and a "national HLPF" prior to the forum in New York to review the final version of the VNR with German stakeholders, defining common goals for Germany’s engagement at the HLPF in New York.  

To facilitate exchanges of experiences and peer learning with other countries, the German government is hosting a series of peer exchanges on success factors, challenges, and lessons learned in honest and integrated national SDG implementation and reporting—all with a view to increasing ambition among the participating countries. Through a series of demand-driven events, the peer learning exchange seeks to enhance communication and collaboration during VNR preparation and thus contribute to accelerated SDG implementation.  

The following countries are participating in the exchange: Finland, Guatemala, Indonesia, Nigeria, Thailand, and South Africa. The Initiative is open to other countries and could extend beyond the 2025 HLPF session to discuss follow up in the participating countries.  

The first two sessions of the peer learning took place virtually and under Chatham House rule to allow for an open exchange of views. The first session on 30 January 2025 focused on: ensuring honest reporting, including the role of different types of data; stakeholder participation; and how to address changes in governments and reporting frameworks during reporting periods. At the second session on 17 March 2025, participants shared experiences on monitoring, tracking and evaluating data, and stakeholder engagement.  

The third session was held in person on 7 April in Berlin, Germany. Participants discussed SDG financing, accelerating SDG implementation through ambitious VNR reporting and comparative VNR analysis. 

The national participation support and peer learning exchanges complement a series of global workshops to support evidence-based VNRs organized by the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). The first Global Workshop, held in December 2024, aimed to facilitate practical exchange of experiences and knowledge among countries and to explore specific issues and challenges related to the VNR preparations. The second Global Workshop, hosted by the Federal Government of Germany and held in April 2025 in Berlin, focused on supporting a new generation of VNRs that deepen the analysis of progress toward the 2030 Agenda, shifting from assessments of the current situation to an examination of the root causes of challenges.