ABSTRACT
Each year since 2016, some United Nations (UN) Member States have chosen to report at the global level on their national progress related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They do so through Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) within the framework of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). This chapter discusses the role and effectiveness of the HLPF as a mechanism for follow-up and review of SDG implementation. It outlines initiatives taken by some South Asia countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) to implement the SDGs as well as the challenges each government has faced as reported in their VNRs submitted to the HLPF. The chapter also notes the upcoming review of the HLPF that is scheduled to take place during the 74th session of the UN General Assembly beginning in September 2019 and discusses proposals that have been made so far to improve the efficiency of the Forum.
