Advancing sustainable urban development and accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were at the heart of the participation of ESCWA in the 2026 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) held from 7 to 15 July in New York, through a series of events that brought together government and cities officials, as well as regional and international partners.
ESCWA co-organized the 5th edition of the Voluntary Local Review (VLR)-Voluntary Subnational Review (VSR) Days where the cities of Amman and Ramallah presented their VLRs in support of SDG localization.
HLPF 2026 also marked an important milestone for the Arab region and for global efforts to strengthen SDG localization. During Jordan's official VNR presentation, the Greater Amman Municipality presented its second VLR alongside Jordan's third VNR in the plenary session, a powerful demonstration of effective multilevel governance, with national and local representatives sharing the podium to present a unified vision for sustainable development. With this joint presentation, Amman became again a regional and global pioneer in advancing SDGs localization and local-national development dialogues by aligning its 2nd VLR with Jordan's 3rd VLR. This builds on Amman's pioneering role as the first Arab city to have developed a VLR in the Arab region back in 2022. Amman's second VLR was led by ESCWA, and UN-Habitat, in close collaboration the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), and was officially launched in early July 2026 before being presented alongside the national review at HLPF.
In addition, ESCWA joined the five UN regional economic commissions and the Regional Commissions New York Office (RCNYO) in organizing a high-level side event titled "Building Resilient Urban Futures: Regional Pathways to Achieving SDG 11," which explored how regional cooperation could help bridge policy, capacity, and financing gaps and support cities in translating resilience priorities into practical, investment-ready initiatives. The event brought together representatives of the Regional Commissions, the Secretaries-General of UCLG-MEWA and UCLG-ASPAC, and local government leaders from across the world, with the Arab region represented by the Greater Amman Municipality and the Al Madinah Region Development Authority, showcasing regional leadership and good practices in advancing SDG 11.
