December 15–16, 2025 | UCLG ASPAC, in collaboration with the National SDGs Secretariat of the National Development Planning Agency (Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional/Bappenas), Association of Indonesia Municipalities (Asosiasi Pemerintah Kota Seluruh Indonesia/APEKSI) and Association of All Indonesian Regency Governments (Asosiasi Pemerintah Kabupaten Seluruh Indonesia/APKASI), organised a Workshop on Strengthening Local Government Capacity for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Implementation and the Preparation of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) in Jakarta.
The workshop brought together 60 participants, from local government officials, SDGs Centres from universities, and national stakeholders, to strengthen understanding of how SDGs can be integrated into local development planning and reported through VLRs.
During the opening session, UCLG ASPAC Secretary General Dr. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi highlighted the critical role of local governments as key drivers of SDGs implementation. She emphasised that VLRs serve as strategic tools to showcase local SDGs best practices, including both achievements and challenges in implementing the SDGs at the local level. Meanwhile, Mr. Arifin Rudyanto, Expert Coordinator of the National SDGs Secretariat, underscored the importance of strong collaboration between local governments, the central government, and development partners to ensure effective and coherent SDGs implementation.
The workshop highlighted the need to align SDG indicators and metadata with national policies to maintain consistency between national and local development planning, particularly in the context of ongoing regulatory updates. The workshop also emphasised the value of collaboration between local governments, central government institutions, and non-government stakeholders in developing VLRs, underlining how partnerships with academia, the private sector, and philanthropic organisations can help address capacity gaps and support more inclusive SDGs implementation and the VLR process.
On the second day, participants explored the concept and methodology of VLRs as tools for tracking progress, sharing lessons learned, and showcasing local SDGs achievements. Practical insights were shared through examples from local governments that have developed VLRs, including Jakarta Province and Samarinda City, offering inspiration for other regions planning to initiate the process.
The workshop featured presentations delivered by resource persons from Bappenas, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) of Indonesia, and UCLG ASPAC, who shared policy perspectives, technical guidance, and practical insights on SDGs implementation and VLR development. The discussions were further enriched by insights on the role of the University of Indonesia and Tanoto Foundation as representatives of non-state actors, who have been supporting both national and local governments in the SDGs localisation process, including strengthening the preparation of Local Action Plans (Rencana Aksi Daerah/RAD) for SDGs. These presentations were complemented by interactive discussions that allowed participants to explore how SDG indicators can be applied in their respective local contexts as well as foster peer learning and enhance participants’ understanding of the technical steps involved in preparing a Voluntary Local Review. By the end of the workshop, participants were encouraged to establish dedicated teams for SDGs and VLR preparation in their respective regions and to strengthen collaboration with SDGs Centres and other relevant stakeholders. In this context, Bappenas highlighted its target to support at least 15 local governments in preparing VLRs in 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen local-level SDGs reporting and learning. At closing, most of the local governments represented at the workshop expressed their interest in developing the VLRs. The workshop, therefore, marked an important step toward more integrated, data-driven, and visible SDGs implementation at the local level, while contributing to the national roadmap for advancing VLRs across Indonesia.
