VNRs are country-led assessments of SDG implementation at the national level. Progress is shared and discussed during the annual Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) in Bangkok, providing a regional platform for discussion and peer learning to support countries presenting their VNRs at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York. The VNR helps connect national priorities with ASEAN’s progress and align regional goals with global SDG efforts. Local governments contribute through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), helping to bridge local realities with national priorities. This multi-level alignment ensures that local and national voices are reflected in the regional and global discussions.

To support this, ASEAN is working to strengthen VNR cooperation at the subregional level through the ASEAN Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Sustainability, utilising the Southeast Asia platform of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Most recently, the Forum convened on 28–29 August 2025, bringing together governments, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders from across the subregion. The event included a dedicated session on VNRs, where ASEAN Member States shared their latest experiences and reflected on how subregional cooperation can help amplify national reviews and strengthen their collective voice in regional and global discussions. ESCAP will continue to serve as a key partner in this effort by providing technical guidance, facilitating peer learning, and supporting capacity development throughout the preparation of VNRs, to delivering and presenting the final report.

National commitment and ESCAP support throughout the VNR preparation

Across ASEAN, governments have shown a strong commitment to the VNR process, using it not only as a reporting mechanism but also as a means of implementing the SDGs. Indonesia and the Philippines, with four VNRs each, demonstrate strong institutional ownership and integration of the SDGs into national strategies. As the Philippines emphasised in its 2025 VNR presented in New York this year, “Goal localisation and the establishment of the Stakeholders’ Chamber on the Goals ensured that all hands are on deck for the country to achieve the 2030 Agenda.”

To support countries throughout the preparation process, ESCAP provides a range of advisory and technical assistance. This includes tailored training sessions and resource materials to guide Member States in planning, analysis, drafting, and finalising their reviews. In Thailand, for example, ESCAP supported the VNR Inception Workshop in November 2024, helping to familiarise relevant partners from national institutions with Thailand’s process for its 3rd VNR and present key milestones, approaches, and technical tools for data analysis as well as key elements of the report.

Peer learning is another key part of this support. The ESCAP VNR Twinning Programme, connects countries preparing VNRs, collaborating with UN Resident Coordinator offices, UN Country Teams, and national and local counterparts and stakeholders. The programme facilitates knowledge sharing among VNR focal points, across the government and among stakeholders, enabling them to share experiences, challenges, and solutions through activities that may include a study tour, online platforms, peer review of VNR drafts, and joint activities at the APFSD and HLPF.

ESCAP also supports the preparation of the VLRs, which allow local governments to assess SDG progress in their own contexts and contribute directly to national reporting. Localisation of SDGs is not only essential for achieving the 2030 Agenda but also enriches the VNR process by connecting community-level outcomes to high-level reporting. Countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines have shown leadership in this by integrating VLRs and subnational reviews into their VNRs, helping to ensure that local-level data and priorities are reflected in the national narrative. These countries have empowered local government to align local development plans with national SDG targets, ensuring vertical coherence and community relevance.

By highlighting these localisation efforts in their VNRs, ASEAN Member States are demonstrating how sustainable development is most impactful when it is rooted in local contexts and driven by the participation of local actors.

VNRs as catalysts for data-driven and inclusive development

Across the ASEAN region, Member States have increasingly embraced the VNR as a tool for inclusive dialogue, data-driven policymaking, and regional collaboration by strengthening national planning, coordination, and accountability to advance the SDGs. This commitment is also visible in the way ASEAN Member States are harnessing data to strengthen the VNR process. Indonesia, for instance, has utilised a data platform grounded in the principle of “Leave No One Behind” to identify and address the needs of vulnerable and marginalised groups. This platform supports more targeted policymaking and has informed Indonesia’s national SDG reporting. The Philippines and Brunei Darussalam have also made significant strides in enhancing transparency and accessibility through data dashboards and visualisation. Both countries, in collaboration with ESCAP, have used the National SDG Tracker and have launched interactive dashboards that present disaggregated SDG data in intuitive, user-friendly formats. These tools not only support evidence-based government decision-making but also empower civil society and the public to track progress and advocate for change.

ESCAP’s peer learning platforms enabled the sharing of these innovations. The Philippines’ Stakeholders’ Chamber on the SDGs, a formal structure for engaging civil society and other non-state actors, has been showcased as a regional good practice in various peer learning platforms. Malaysia’s recent trilateral exchanges with Bhutan and Kazakhstan show how dialogue builds trust and spreads ASEAN practices. As Fahrul Nizam bin Rusly, Deputy Director of Malaysia’s National SDG Centre, remarked: “Peer learning turns individual knowledge into shared wisdom. It adds value, broadens horizons, and helps uncover blind spots by learning from others. We strongly recommend this approach to other countries.”

These peer learning opportunities go beyond idea-sharing—they can also help build regional coherence and strengthen ASEAN’s collective voice. Insights shared among ASEAN Member States feed into subregional forums, which in turn inform Asia-Pacific regional dialogues such as the annual APFSD and peer learning across the region. From there, the shared priorities and perspectives of Asia-Pacific countries are brought to the global stage at the UN High-Level Political Forum.

Through this multi-level process, the VNR serves as a critical link connecting local voices to global conversation and aligning national progress with regional and international commitments. With ESCAP’s continued support, ASEAN Member States are not only strengthening their own reviews but also contributing to a more coherent and coordinated SDG journey for the Asia-Pacific region.

Strengthening ASEAN’s collective voice

The VNR has proven to be more than a reporting tool—it is shaping how ASEAN Member States collaborate and innovate together. By amplifying ASEAN’s collective voice at the global stage, it ensures that the priorities and perspectives of Southeast Asia are reflected in international policy dialogues. As the region moves forward, partnerships between ASEAN and ESCAP will be critical to ensuring that the momentum behind the VNR process translates into meaningful, measurable progress for all.

The views and opinions in this article are solely those of the authors and do not represent the policy or official position of ASEAN.