The ECOSOC Partnerships Forum Side Event “Evaluating Our Common Framework from the Local Perspective: Time to Ask the Questions” was held on February 27 in New York, convened by UCLG, the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations, the Local2030 Initiative, and the Kingdom of Morocco.
The event brought together representatives of the UN system, permanent missions, cities, local and regional governments, and key stakeholders to reflect on how the 2030 Agenda is being implemented on the ground — and what must change as the world moves forward.
Opening the session on behalf of UCLG, who could not travel to New York, Diana López welcomed the constituency of local and regional governments, thanking the co-organizers and setting a clear tone for the discussion.
“We are in 2026, framed by the 2030 Agenda and the commitment to leave no one behind. This is the moment to reflect on what has worked, what has not, and what we need to adjust our way forward.”
She emphasized that the past years have been a deeply transformative process, reshaping how governments, the private sector, and civil society work together and form partnerships.
“It has changed the way governments, the private sector and the third sector collaborate — and now the question is: what’s next?”
Diana also highlighted the importance of working multilaterally from the local level, bringing mayors and local leaders into global conversations and demonstrating how cities are already delivering solutions.
“Cities are showing how local governments are bringing the new essentials — the commons — to life,” she noted, referencing initiatives such as Cities Countdown, with 15 cities demonstrating tangible local action.
Mexico: local action at the core of national policy
As co-sponsor of the event, Daniel Galicia, from the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations, shared Mexico’s experience in advancing the New Urban Agenda through coordinated action with local governments.
He highlighted a wide range of policies developed at the territorial level, including housing strategies coordinated with municipalities that have enabled the formalization of hundreds of thousands of homes, expanded equitable access to basic services, and strengthened local infrastructure for those most in need.
Mexico’s approach also includes water access plans for communities, programmes to modernize irrigation districts, and efforts to strengthen local water management, particularly for Indigenous communities.
“Nearly half of our national budget is linked to SDG indicators,” Galicia explained, underlining how this approach strengthens accountability and empowers local governments to deliver services.
He stressed that partnerships across all levels of government are essential to truly leave no one behind, and that local knowledge is a critical asset for sustainable development.
Local governments: key partners and first responders
From UN-Habitat, Remy Sietchiping, Deputy Director of the New York Liaison Office, reinforced the central role of local governments in the global agenda.
“Local governments are key partners for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda,” he stated. “They are also on the frontlines of every crisis we face — they are the first responders, finding solutions for citizens.”
Sietchiping emphasized the importance of ensuring that local governments are not only implementers, but active participants in international policy discussions, including Financing for Development, the upcoming World Urban Forumin Baku, and the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF).
Cities translating global goals into real action
Representing a global city of more than 8 million people, Aissata M.B. Camara, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs of the City of New York, offered a strong urban perspective.
“For cities, the 2030 Agenda has never been abstract,” she noted.
She highlighted how cities are where global challenges are confronted daily — from supporting migrants to ensuring access to essential services — and how the SDGs have provided a shared language to turn global commitments into concrete action.
“Cities have worked to translate these concepts into action,” she said, noting that New York City collaborates with more than 330 local governments worldwide.
Looking ahead, Camara outlined three essential conditions if cities are to be fully supported in the next phase of the global sustainable development agenda:
- City voices must be included from the beginning, throughout agenda-setting, framework design and monitoring.
- Dialogue with cities must be predictable and structured, not ad hoc, with clear and sustainable pathways.
- Local tools, such as Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), must be recognized and integrated into global reporting.
“This session is about asking the right questions about what comes next,” she concluded. “Cities are ready.”
Youth: from consultation to decision-making at the local level
The role of youth was highlighted by Elizeu de Oliveira Chaves Junior, Chief of Staff of the United Nations Youth Office, who stressed that supporting young people at the territorial level is key to innovation.
“When young people are recognized and supported locally, we unlock innovation,” he said, pointing to youth contributions across climate adaptation, health programmes, and SDG implementation.
At the same time, he highlighted persistent challenges, including the fragmentation between global commitments and local decisions, which continues to leave young people behind.
“Too often, youth participate in events, but not in decision-making or governance.”
He emphasized the need to translate youth priorities into local action, co-design solutions, and ensure that young people are part of decision-making processes, supported by genuine accountability to youth.
Tools, learning and scaling what works
From the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General, Catalina Santamaría highlighted how local and regional perspectives have helped build a strong people-centered agenda.
She pointed to opportunities emerging from the Secretary-General’s 2025 Report, which offers recommendations to strengthen engagement between the UN system and local and regional governments, and proposes practical models to deepen collaboration in support of the 2030 Agenda.
She also highlighted tools developed through the Local2030 Coalition, such as the SDG Localization Marker, designed to bridge global frameworks with local implementation.
Building on the above, Naiara da Costa, Senior Sustainable Development Officer and Stakeholder Engagement Programme Coordinator at UNDESA, reflected on successes, challenges, and remaining gaps.
“SDG interlinkages are most visible at the local level,” she noted, “where working in silos is often not possible.”
She emphasized that the SDGs have become a shared language and that local governments are not passive actors. With more than 300 Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) produced by cities worldwide, she highlighted how national governments are increasingly bringing local experiences into Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).
“For national governments, local governments are becoming more and more strategic partners.”
She also underscored the importance of the Local and Regional Governments Forum at the HLPF as a space to make these voices visible, while raising key questions about how to make innovation and good practices more visible, transferable and systematic — especially as those implementing the Agenda locally are often the ones facing crises most directly.
Looking ahead
As the discussion made clear, this moment is not only about evaluating the past, but about shaping what comes next. The message resonated across all interventions: local and regional governments, cities and youth are not only implementing the 2030 Agenda — they are essential to defining its future.