Our Events

From local to global: subnational leadership driving transformation for the SDGs and the water-energy nexus

Date and Time:  15 July at 9:30–13:00 (New York Time)
Location: Flanders House New York, 620 Eighth Avenue
Organizer: Regions4, Flanders, Basque Country, Lombardy, Paraná, Local 2030 Coalition, and UN-Habitat (with additional support from VVSG and VITO)
Registrations: Register here

Regions4 official side event to HLPF 2026 highlights subnational governments as “living labs” for innovation, partnerships, and SDG localization, specifically focusing on water and energy as the critical transitions of our time. While subnational governments are already acting as driving political actors for the 2030 Agenda, they require greater recognition and support within the global governance and financial architecture. The first session reflects ten years of territorial SDG action, exploring how global goals are translated into impact through localized strategies and investments. Regional leaders will share concrete practices for accelerating progress on SDG 11. The second session explores how regions, cities, and Research and Technology Organizations (RTOs) collaborate as living labs for applied innovation to address SDGs 6 and 7.

🗓️ Tuesday, 13 July 2026

Towards a Global Stocktake on SDG Localisation – Achieving SDG 11 through a territorial approach

Date and Time:  13 July (Wednesday) at 11:30–13:00 (New York Time)
Location: Permanent Delegation of Spain to the UN, New York
Organizer: OECD, UN-Habitat

With the world significantly off track for SDG 11, this side event marks a key milestone in the Global Stocktake on SDG Localisation. While  regions are on the frontlines of climate risk and housing challenges, they often lack the essential data, financing, and governance frameworks to act effectively. The session will present early findings from the Stocktake and introduce the Global Measurement Framework, the first tool to systematically assess SDG progress at  regional and city level worldwide.

Renewing Multilateralism through Territorial Leadership: Local and Regional Governments in the Post-2030 Agenda

Date and Time:  13 July (Wednesday)  at 13:15–14:30 (New York Time)
Location: UNHQ, CR-A
Organizer: UCLG, Spain

Transforming the World after 2030: A multilevel & multi-stakeholder dialogue on the post-2030 Agenda 

Date and Time:  13 July (Wednesday) at 15:00–16:30 (New York Time)
Location: Church Center for the UN. 777 United Nations Plaza (1st Avenue) Manhattan, NY
Organizer: Catalonia

This event facilitates a critical multi-level and multi-stakeholder dialogue on the future of global sustainable development. The session brings together actors deeply involved in SDG localization to discuss the challenges of the current agenda and their expectations for future frameworks. Participants from the Independent Group of Scientists (IGS) and regional networks like Regions4 and the European Sustainable Development Network (ESDN), will examine how territorial needs and multi-stakeholder alliances can steer sustainable development policy effectively into the next decade.

Local and Regional Governments Day (followed by GTF Reception) 

Date and Time: 13 July (Wednesday) at 16:00–19:00 (New York Time)
Location: Millennium Hilton Hotel, One UN Plaza, New York
Organizer: Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments (GTF)

🗓️ Tuesday, 14 July 2026

Annual Meeting of the Partnership Platform on localizing the SDGs 

Date and Time: 14 July (Tuesday) at 8:30–11:30 (New York Time)
Location: Millennium Hilton Hotel, One UN Plaza, New York
Organizer: UN-Habitat, Italy

Registrations: Register here

The 2026 Annual Meeting of the Partnership Platform on Localizing the SDGs is the flagship event for accelerating the 2030 Agenda through National SDG Localization Frameworks (NLFs). Organized by Italy (MASE) and UN-Habitat, it consolidates the Voluntary National Review and Voluntary Local Reviews (VNR–VLR)Peer Learning Series to institutionalize local reporting within national accountability architectures. The session focuses on turning multilevel governance into investment pathways and unlocking territorial finance for place-based implementation. Its primary goal is to define 2027 priorities, such as subnational finance and data systems, to scale up global SDG localization. 

Launch of Policy Brief on Localizing the Six SDG Transitions to Accelerate the 2030 Agenda 

Date and Time: 14 July (Tuesday) at 13:15-14:45 (New York Time)     

Location: UNHQ, Dag Hammarskjöld Library
Organizer: Local 2030 Coalition

Local and Regional Governments Forum (LRGF) 

Date and Time: 14 July (Tuesday) at 15:00–18:00 (New York Time)
Location: Conference Room 2, UNHQ, CR-2
Organizer: Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments (GTF)

This Forum serves as a strategic political space for local and regional governments (LRGs) to move from global recognition to the practical implementation of the SDGs by establishing concrete mechanisms, partnerships, and financing solutions. By facilitating an action-oriented dialogue between subnational authorities, national governments, and UN leadership, the Forum aims to strengthen multilevel governance and subnational financing frameworks to ensure that global agendas are translated into tangible outcomes for communities.

🗓️ Wednesday, 15 July 2026

Local2030 Coalition Special Event (Advancing SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda: Local Action for Global Acceleration”)

Date and Time: 15 July (Wednesday) 15:00–18:00 (New York Time)
Location: UNHQ, CR-11
Organizer: Local 2030 Coalition

This high-level special event serves as a primary platform to take stock of progress on SDG 11 and mark the ten-year milestone of the New Urban Agenda. The program will showcase concrete results from the High-Impact Initiative on SDG Localization and explore how to strengthen enabling environments for territorial action.  

🗓️ Thursday, 16 July 2026

Transformation from the ground up: Acting at local level 

Date and Time: 16 July (Thursday) at 15:00–17:00 (New York Time)
Location: ECOSOC Chamber
Organizer: ECOSOC

Building on the momentum of 400+ Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), this session demonstrates how local action drives national progress. It serves as a final high-level exchange before the official adoption of the Ministerial Declaration, ensuring that territorial leadership is central to the global push toward 2030. Participants will explore thorugh an interactive session the enabling conditions necessary to scale these efforts. Especially subnational financing, territorial planning, and localized data.

🗓️ Monday, 13 July 2026

Cities that Work for People: Connecting Social Policy and Infrastructure for Resilient Communities 

Date and Time: 13 July (Wednesday) at 13:15–14:30 (New York Time)
Location: ECOSOC Chamber
Organizer:: Permanent Mission of Canada

🗓️ Tuesday, 14 July 2026 

From Urban Law to the Right to the City: Equitable, Innovative and Coordinated Actions for Sustainable Development  

Date and Time: 14 July (Tueasday) | Time: TBC
Location: Fordham Urban Law Center
Organizer: National Ministry of Cities  (Brasil)

🗓️ Wednesday, 15 July 2026

From Resilience to Action/Sustainable Financing: Accelerating SDG Delivery through Integrated Reporting and Local Action  

Date and Time: 15 July (Wednesday) at 13:15–14:30 (New York Time)
Location: UNHQ, CR-1
Organizer: Permanent Mission of Egypt

Mexico, from Territory to Action: The Role of Voluntary Local and Sectoral Reports 

Date and Time: 15 July (Wednesday) at 13:15–14:30 (New York Time)
Location: UNHQ, CR-8
Organizer: Ministry of Economy of Mexico

Multiple Dimensions of Brazil’s Implementation of the 2030 Agenda: Connecting the Global to the Local Through People 

Date and Time: 15 July (Wednesday) at 13:15–14:30 (New York Time)
Location: UNHQ, CR-C
Organizer: National Commission for the SDGs (CNODS), Secretariat-General of the Presidency of Brazil

🗓️ Thursday, 16 July 2026

Local Action, Global Impact: Achieving SDGs through Safe Cities for Women and Girls 

Date and Time: 16 July (Thursday) at 13:15–14:30 (New York Time)
Location: UNHQ, CR-2
Organizer: UN Women, The government of Spain

Building Resilient Urban Futures: Regional Pathways to Achieving SDG 11 

Date and Time: 16 July (Thursday) at 13:15–14:30 (New York Time)
Location:  UNHQ, CR-3
Organizer: UN Regional Commissions (UNECE, ECLAC, UNECA, ESCWA, and ESCAP)