The Philippines and Morocco co-chairs the 2nd meeting of the Group of Friends of the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs)
4 March 2022
The Philippines and Morocco led the second meeting of the Group of Friends on the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) focusing on progress made and the strategies employed in the VNR process of the reporting members, in preparation for the 2022 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July.
Ambassador Luis Enrique Austria Manalo, the Philippines’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, reaffirmed during the opening session the importance of the work of the Group of Friends in building knowledge and sharing strengths and lessons in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In the same meeting, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) presented the Philippines’ mechanism for SDG implementation and its twinning program with Tuvalu. In the spirit of international cooperation and mutual support for the SDGs, the Philippines has agreed to partner with Tuvalu for one of only two twinning programs in the Asia-Pacific. The Philippines and Tuvalu has since held a VNR workshop together in 2021 and has recently met to discuss mechanisms and techniques on data and statistics. The Philippines is the only country in the Asia-Pacific that will be presenting its third VNR during the 2022 HLPF. It has presented its first VNR in 2016, and its second in 2019.
Other countries which also presented their collaborations on the VNR were Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and Switzerland and Finland. Regional commissions of the United Nations such as the United Nations Economic and Social Commission or Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) which were present also showcased the different ways they have supported member states in their VNR process, such as through the twinning programs, regional events, and technical advice.
The Group of Friends was created in 2019 and is composed of UN member states that have agreed to help one another and support countries that will be presenting their VNRs.
The HLPF occurs annually in July under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In the HLPF, member states are encouraged to present their VNRs to discuss their progress in implementing the SDGs.
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