GoL Holds Consultation on Voluntary National Review

Monrovia, Liberia - The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning has held a two-day stakeholder’s consultation meeting on Voluntary National Review (VNR) 2022 in Monrovia.

Speaking during the consultation meeting, Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning, Hon. Tanneh G. Bruson said the meeting was intended to internally review, assess contributions made towards achieving the target set by the Government of Liberia in meeting the goals of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).

 

She furthered that Liberia conducted its first voluntary National Review of the SDGs. purposely to demonstrate visible and tangible results, share experience, challenges encountered and lessons learned during the four (4) years of the SDG implementation, but said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Liberia was unable to provide information or report on its contributions towards the achievements of the SDGs.

 

She revealed that Liberia intends to report for the second time in 2022, by drawing from its experience, challenges and lessons learnt to produce a well-documented evidence based report that focuses on integrated, alignment, achievement, programs, multi stakeholder’s participation implementation challenges and best practice.

 

She urged the participants to fully participate in the consultation process which she said ultimately led to the development of Liberia's status report.

“Let us consider this gathering as one of experience sharing, dialogue, exchange of lessons we have learnt during these years of working together to do better in the future in fulfilling the task projected in making our contributions to these goals for the benefit of our country”, she added.

Since 2017, countries have been reporting on the implementation of the sustainable development Goals (SDG) through the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process.

 

The VNR is an annual process through which countries assess and present progress made in achieving the SDGs and the pledge ‘to leave no one behind’. It is presented at the UN high –Level Political Forum (HLPF) usually held in July each year under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

 

It represents the country's progress report to its peers and other stakeholders at the global level on the implementation of the Agenda 2030.

The VNR is a country-led process that serves as a valuable exercise for demonstrating how sustainable development is being realized across social, environmental and economic sectors and takes into account national realities recognizing that “country’s ownership” is central to the implementation of the SDGs.

 

The two-day consultation meeting was attended by stakeholders from government, development partners, academia, Private Sector, CSOs, youth & religious groups, NGO’s, disadvantaged groups, amongst others.