Introduction

Facing continuing uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of subnational governments (SNGs) during this “Decade of Action” becomes even more important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) than before. Developing countries in Asia and the Pacific need to tackle four dimensions of an enabling environment (functions, political participation in national SDG agendas, vertical integration of planning and budgeting processes, and locally disaggregated data systems) if they want to mobilize the contributions of SNGs in achieving the goals of the main global agendas, such as the 2030 Agenda, the New Urban Agenda, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.