Voluntary National Reviews 2026: Securing Feminist Accountability in SDG Reporting

As the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approaches, the disparity between official state reporting and the lived realities of marginalised communities remains a significant challenge. The Voluntary National Reviews 2026 (VNRs) represent a pivotal opportunity for civil society to bridge this gap.

Conducted during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, these reviews are the primary mechanism through which governments report on their national SDG implementation progress. However, for these reports to be truly representative, they must be subjected to rigorous feminist analysis and grounded in community-led data.

The 2026 VNR Cohort: 36 Nations Under Scrutiny

In 2026, thirty-six countries from across the Global North and Global South will present their progress. This diverse list includes nations facing complex humanitarian crises, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and major global economies:

• Africa: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Togo, and the United Republic of Tanzania.

• Asia-Pacific: Bahrain, Jordan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Saudi Arabia, Tonga, and the United Arab Emirates.

• Europe: Albania, Estonia, Italy, Norway, Republic of Moldova, and Switzerland.

• Americas & Caribbean: Brazil, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Uruguay.

• Middle East & North Africa: Tunisia.

For feminist organisations within these borders, the VNR process serves as a strategic entry point for continuous dialogue and coordination around the 2030 Agenda.

Why Feminist Engagement is Non-Negotiable

Official narratives often lean toward "overly positive" or incomplete data that masks the structural barriers faced by women, girls, and marginalised groups. Broad participation from feminist movements is essential to:

1. Enforce Accountability: Use the VNR platform to hold governments to their promises, highlighting where progress has stalled or regressed.

2. Elevate Grassroots Data: Introduce unofficial, community-led data that provides a more accurate reflection of the human rights situation on the ground than state-led registries.

3. Reflect Lived Realities: Ensure that global policy discussions are informed by the actual experiences of those at the intersections of gender, poverty, and climate vulnerability.

The Major Groups and Other Stakeholders (MGOS) and the Women’s Major Group (WMG) are currently coordinating civil society statements for each of these countries. These statements are high-impact documents read aloud during the official UN sessions, providing a rare moment of direct global advocacy.

Closing the Data Gap: A Call to Action

The VNR Task Group has already initiated the drafting process, with focal points established for each participating nation. However, current reports indicate that several countries still lack sufficient feminist engagement.

Without a strong civil society presence, national reports risk becoming performative exercises rather than tools for transformation. If your organisation operates in one of the 36 countries listed, your voice is a requirement for a just and inclusive review.

How to Get Involved

If your country is undertaking a review in 2026, you can join your national drafting team to help shape the collective feminist analysis of SDG progress

Official Sign-up Form: Join the VNR 2026 Drafting Team.