Final List of Countries Presenting SDGs Voluntary National Reviews 2021 Announced

As we enter the sixth year of the implementation of the Agenda 2030 in the Decade of Action and Delivery while facing major impacts caused by the global health crisis… great to see the following countries committing in presenting their progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals:

Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Azerbaijan**, Bahamas*, Bhutan*, Bolivia, Cabo Verde*, Chad*, China*, Colombia**, Cuba, Cyprus*, Czech Republic*, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark*, Djibouti, Dominican Republic*, Egypt**, Germany*, Guatemala**, Indonesia**, Iraq*, Japan*, Lao People’s Democratic Republic*, Madagascar*, Malaysia*, Marshall Islands, Mexico**, Myanmar, Namibia*, Nicaragua, Norway*, Pakistan*, Paraguay*, Qatar**, San Marino, Sierra Leone**, Slovakia*, Spain*, Sweden*, Thailand*, Tunisia*, Uruguay** and Zimbabwe* (countries with one asterisk * are second timers and those with two asterisks ** are third timers).

There is a significant danger in misinterpreting the 17 SDGs as separate disciplines that need to be dealt with one by one and in isolation. Our academic disciplines, government departments and international institutions operate in a siloed expert-lead fashion that makes such whole systems thinking and collaborating problematical to achieve. It is a particular challenge for policy makers organised and represented by sectorial ministries to capture the systemic nature of the SDG framework. Yet, it is in the true systemic perspective of the framework that lies the promise of systems change.

The final list of counties was announced by the President of the Economic and Social Council.