Regions4 and UN-Habitat launched their new partnership agreement to support SDG implementation at the regional government level. The Memorandum of Understanding sets up a three-year collaboration, and was officially signed on September 20, 2024, by Regions4 Secretary General, Natalia Uribe, and the Chief of Urban Practices at UN-Habitat, Shipra Narang Suri, in the context of the event “Global challenges, regional solutions – Regions leading on Future-proof policymaking,” co-organized by Regions4 and the Governments of Flanders in the context of the UN Summit of the Future in New York. The primary aim of the Regions4-UN Habitat collaboration is to further empower regions in SDG implementation through the joint initiative. 

The project takes off at a crucial moment. As the UN Secretary General reported in 2023, only around 12% of the SDGs are on track to be achieved by 2030, a figure so alarming that Mr. Guterres called for a dedicated SDG rescue plan to put the Agenda 2030 back on track. Reigniting the commitment and political momentum for the Goals was among the aims of the Summit of the Future, as the Pact for the Future clearly states. 

At the same time, the international community shows a growing consensus on the pivotal role played by local and regional governments if there is any hope of achieving the 2030 Agenda. As reported by OECD, 65% of the Agenda’s targets are directly tied to local and regional action. Through the delivery of public services, the involvement of civil society, and the close planning of the transition of productive and energy systems, cities and regions are front runners in the pursuit of a new model of prosperity. 

The Summit of the Future saw a mighty activation of cities and regions advocating for stronger recognition within the UN multilateral system. Their efforts are backed by a growing number of collaborative initiatives such as SDG Cities and Cities Countdown to 2030. In light of such powerful initiatives dedicated to the city-level, it is essential to consider the highlight strategic role of states and regions as well. Regional governments have been delivering impactful actions since well before 2015, with Regions4 Members among some of the top global leaders in SDG action. While Wales has been a pioneer in legislating for the well-being of future generations, Catalonia and Flanders have set benchmarks for monitoring systems, and the Basque Country has led the way by submitting seven consecutive voluntary reviews to the UN and showcasing outstanding practices such as regional green bonds. Lombardy has followed the example of Sao Paolo in aligning its budget to the Goals, while Rio de Janeiro has excelled in empowering its 92 municipalities for localizing SDGs. 

Ms Natalia Uribe, Regions4 Secretary General, and Dr. Shipra Narang Suri, Chief of Urban Practices Branch, at UN Habitat, sign the Memorandum of Understanding, marking the beginning of the joint partnership ‘Regions4SDGs’. ©Regions4

Besides the pioneers, SDG action remains an open chapter in many regions, with a largely untapped potential for increased delivery on the Goals. That’s why Regions4 has decided to turn the hard-earned experience of its Members into a framework that will provide guidance to virtually any region in the world. The project won’t stop at the paperwork: the aim of the Regions4SDGs initiative is to create a living model, able to include best practices as they emerge and, with the support of UN-Habitat, provide technical assistance to regions willing to adopt it. 

The advantages of a regional framework for SDG capacity are multiple. Regions4SDGs will constitute a platform to collaborate, learn, and receive guidance to manage the high complexity of intertwined issues. The technical tools and opportunities for capacity building will be fundamental to consolidate the know-how gained over eight years of research on implementing Agenda 2030 and will allow regions from all over the world to achieve progress much more efficiently and effectively than each having to develop an independent methodology. 

On the technical side, administrations will access knowledge and tools to quickly set up the key enablers of SDG implementation, following several tracks: the management of data to assess priorities and monitor progress; strategic planning and policy coherence to align policies with the Goals; institutional capacity, to better manage resources and design bankable projects; the involvement of civil society to ensure action is backed by citizens and responsibility is shared, as well as finance for action, to allow for improved bankability of SDG action projects and access to viable funding sources and financial mechanisms. 

Following the case built by UN-Habitat’s SDG Cities initiative, the initiative will also help regions connect their projects with potential investors and donors, after greater trust has been built by adopting the measures suggested by the Regions4SDGs model. The SDGs are, in fact, not only a way to improve quality of life, but also a resource and risk management framework. Their implementation creates resilience and improves security, increasing the attractiveness of territories for investments, possibly reflected in a higher financial rating of regions. By creating value through development, the SDGs should ultimately be able to “pay for themselves”. 

Having formalized the collaboration with UN Habitat, the joint initiative is ready to start its initial phase of implementation. A group of founding partners will collaborate to design the guiding framework, to then allow technical assistance and fundraising support to be activated. Regional governments that join as founding partners will benefit from their own work on SDG localization being globally recognized as a reference, giving them the opportunity to widely amplify the impact of their action and consolidate their leadership. In the context of a global advocacy effort to increase subnational governments’ involvement in UN decision-making, the availability of a UN-supported framework of reference to measure progress and evaluate commitments will be key to strengthen the advocacy of regional government political leaders in dialogues with the international community. Founding partners will be the first to benefit from the learning, improvement, and financing opportunities that the initiative will generate, and the possibility to create step-change by sending regions to the rescue of SDGs and leveraging the untapped potential that states and regions possess to deliver on the most ambitious goals and agendas of our time. 

Our joint initiative is looking for financing partners. If you want to support the project, download the call for donors here.