Zimbabwe will undertake its fourth Voluntary National Review (VNR) of progress towards the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and present its findings at the 2027 United Nations High-Level Political Forum.
Speaking during yesterday’s Post-Cabinet Briefing, with Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Zhemu Soda, said the review would provide an important assessment of the country’s progress, challenges and priorities in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and is the global blueprint for eradicating poverty, protecting the planet and promoting inclusive and sustainable prosperity by 2030,” Dr Soda said.
He said the review was being undertaken as part of Zimbabwe’s international multilateral obligations.
“Zimbabwe will undertake its Fourth Voluntary National Review on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and present the progress Review at the 2027 United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council,” he said.
Dr Zhemu said VNRs were critical in enabling countries to measure progress towards the SDGs while identifying obstacles that could undermine implementation.
“Regular and inclusive Voluntary National Reviews assess progress in implementing the SDGs, identifying challenges and emerging priorities, sharing lessons learnt and strengthening Policy implementation,” he noted.
He added that Government was calling on citizens and stakeholders to actively participate in the process, in line with the Whole-of-Society Approach.
“In the spirit of the Whole-of-Society Approach, all citizens are called upon to accord the Voluntary National Review process priority as the country’s principal national reporting mechanism on implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“The review will therefore provide an opportunity for Zimbabwe to take stock of progress made towards national and global development commitments while identifying areas requiring accelerated intervention before the 2030 deadline,” Dr Soda added.
The 2030 Agenda, adopted by United Nations member states in 2015, sets out 17 SDGs covering areas including poverty eradication, health, education, gender equality, decent work, environmental sustainability and inclusive economic growth.
Zimbabwe’s fourth review comes as the country continues implementing its National Development Strategy 2, which seeks to align national development priorities with broader global and regional commitments and accelerate progress towards an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
