Guidelines for the drafting of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) in Italy

Elaborating guidelines for the drafting of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) at a national level aims at spreading a culture of sustainability, through the involvement and awareness-raising of local authorities, associations and young people to implement the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a local level. The Local Development Unit – in the context of the project “Local authorities and young people for the drafting of the Voluntary Local Review in Italy” financed through the call for initiatives to support the implementation of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development – Vector “Culture of Sustainability” by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security – will draw up a document to guide the SDGs and 2030 Agenda Localization that will be disseminated as a reference for the entire national territory. The project also involves the drafting of the first Youth Local Review.

What are Voluntary Local Reviews?

Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) are voluntary reviews conducted at the local level to assess and present progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing on the experience in supporting the drafting of the VLR of the Metropolitan City of Florence and the Metropolitan City of Rome, the Local Development Unit is developing specific guidelines for the drafting of VLRs adapted to the Italian context.

Guidelines will provide guidance and useful tools for local administrations that want to assess the situation of their territories and their public policies with respect to the 2030 Agenda goals. Through the analysis of international guidelines and the comparison with an advisory board, composed of experts on SDG localisation, ARCO is drafting these guidelines taking into account the specificities of the Italian context, guaranteeing a customised and adaptable approach for each local body.

Italian guidelines for VLRs

The Guidelines are intended to be a contribution to the dissemination of the Voluntary Local Review tool among local governments and administrations in Italy, providing governments and local administrations with detailed guidance on how to embark on the challenging path of drafting a Voluntary Local Review.

The Guidelines will therefore provide information on the international and national context, on the approaches and tools that can be used, on the data sources available and on the structure and content of the VLR itself, providing concrete examples and practical suggestions.

These guidelines will contribute to the promotion of sustainable development at the local level and to the achievement of the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the National Strategy for Sustainable Development.