2025 Voluntary Local Review (VLR):Getting the Global Goals Done for New Yorkers

Building on New York City’s pioneering Voluntary Local Reviews in 2018 and 2019, the 2025 Voluntary Local Review (VLR), Getting the Global Goals Done for New Yorkers, reflects the City’s continued leadership in localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advancing subnational diplomacy. As the host city of the United Nations and home to one of the world’s most diverse populations, New York City understands that global commitments must be implemented where people live, work, and experience government. Released during the 80^th anniversary of the United Nations and the 400^th anniversary of the founding of the City of New York, the 2025 VLR underscores the central role of cities in delivering sustainable development through grounded, people-centered action.

The 2025 VLR marks an evolution in New York City’s approach to SDG reporting. This iteration reflects a more mature phase of SDG localization, one rooted directly in agency-level implementation and outcomes. Led by the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Operations, the review was developed through close collaboration with City agencies whose daily work advances the goals under review. This approach reinforces the VLR as both a governance tool for transparency and accountability and a diplomatic instrument that connects local innovation to global policy dialogue.

This VLR focuses on the five SDGs of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum: Good Health and Well-Being (Goal 3), Gender Equality (Goal 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (Goal 8), Life Below Water (Goal 14), and Partnerships for the Goals (Goal 17). Together, these goals reflect New York City’s priorities at a pivotal moment, advancing health equity, embedding gender equity into systems, promoting inclusive and resilient economic growth, strengthening coastal and marine ecosystems, and elevating partnerships as a core strategy for sustainable development. Across all five goals, the 2025 VLR demonstrates how New York City continues to translate global ambition into measurable local impact, while sharing lessons and leadership with cities around the world

Download the 2025 Voluntary Local Review: Getting the Global Goals Done for New Yorkers