Voluntary national reviews
Friday, 10 July 2020
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Virtually (held New York time)
Official meeting
As part of its follow-up and review architecture, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development encourages Member States to “conduct regular and inclusive reviews of progress at the national and sub-national levels, which are country led and country driven” (paragraph 79). These national reviews are expected to serve as a basis for the regular reviews by the HLPF, meeting under the auspices of ECOSOC. As stipulated in paragraph 84 of the 2030 Agenda, regular reviews by the HLPF are to be voluntary, state-led, undertaken by both developed and developing countries, and involve multiple stakeholders.
The voluntary national reviews (VNRs) aim to facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned. With a view to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The VNRs also seek to strengthen policies and institutions of governments and to mobilize multi-stakeholder support and partnerships for the implementation of the SDGs.
47 countries will conduct VNRs at the 2020 HLPF.
Chair:
- H. E. Ambassador Mher Margaryan, Armenia, Vice President of ECOSOC
Remarks:
- Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, key messages from the voluntary national reviews
- H.E. Ambassador Juan Sandoval, Mexico, Vice President of ECOSOC, in his capacity as Chair of the Group of Friends of the Voluntary National Reviews and Follow-up and Review of the 2030 Agenda
Panel: Armenia, Samoa
Ecuador, Honduras, Slovenia
H. E. Ambassador Mher Margaryan
Armenia, Vice President of ECOSOC
H.E. Mr. Mher Margaryan is the Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council. In 2019, he was elected Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women for the sixty-fourth and sixty-fifth sessions. He was appointed Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations in 2018. Before that, from 2017 to 2018 Ambassador Margaryan was his country’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. From 2015 to 2017, he was Minister Plenipotentiary to the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva. He worked as Head of the European Union Division at Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2015. With Government experience exceeding two decades, he has served his country in many capacities at Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at Missions abroad.
H.E. Mr. Juan Sandoval Mendiolea
DPR of Mexico Mission, Vice President of ECOSOC and Former Co-Chair of the STI Forum
Ambassador Juan Sandoval-Mendiolea has been Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations since February 2015. He was appointed co/chair of the Science Technology and Innovation Forum by the President of ECOIOC in December 2017. He was a co-chair with Japan for the 2018 STI Forum. Prior to this assignment, he served as Director General for United Nations Affairs. In this capacity, he was promoted to the rank of Ambassador of Mexico in October 2014.
Ambassador Sandoval served as Legal and Human Rights Counselor at the Mexican Embassy in France, and as Deputy and Interim Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) from 2001 until 2006, where he oversaw legal issues and hemispheric security, including drug enforcement, transnational organized crime, terrorism and corruption. In the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has also been Deputy Director General of the Directorate for Inter-American Regional Organisms and Mechanisms (2006-2007), and during this time he also served as Deputy National Organizer of Summits. He was Director of Cabinet of the Under-Secretary of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights from 2007 until 2013. He led the process for Mexico’s admission to the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Australia Group and the Nuclear Supplier's Group.
Ms. Amina J. Mohammed
Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
Ms. Amina J. Mohammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment.
Ms. Mohammed first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning. She led the process that resulted in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ms. Mohammed began her career working on the design of schools and clinics in Nigeria. She served as an advocate focused on increasing access to education and other social services, before moving into the public sector, where she rose to the position of adviser to three successive Presidents on poverty, public sector reform, and sustainable development.
Ms. Mohammed has been conferred several honorary doctorates and has served as an adjunct professor, lecturing on international development. The recipient of various global awards, Ms Mohammed has served on numerous international advisory boards and panels. She is the mother of six children and has one grandchild.
