The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) collaborated with the African Peer Review Mechanism to hold a workshop on Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and Domestication of Agenda 2063 in Durban, South Africa from 15-17 March 2023. This was their second joint continental workshop on the topic and it was organized by the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG), Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG), and Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development (OISC). 

Mr. Li Junhua, the Under-Secretary-General of UN DESA, inaugurated this regional workshop that brought together 25 African countries to share their experiences of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and AU Agenda 2063.  

Seven of the participating countries, namely Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia, are scheduled to present their VNRs at the 2023 HLPF. Meanwhile, 18 countries had already presented their VNRs in 2022 and engaged in a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas on the challenges and best practices related to preparing a VNR. 

The objective of the workshop was to assist African countries with enhancing their national capabilities to plan and report their progress towards implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and AU Agenda 2063 through the VNR process. The workshop's focus was on effective localization and reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) and their connections with national VNR processes. Moreover, the workshop aimed to help countries establish robust institutional and governance frameworks, aligning with the UN Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development, which were formulated by the Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) in 2018. These principles offer expert guidance to interested countries on various governance challenges related to executing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Since 2018, UN DESA has collaborated with APRM to organize various joint activities and programs aimed at achieving inclusive and sustainable development in Africa under Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda. These initiatives serve as a basis for developing, implementing, and monitoring Africa's long-term development objectives. 

In the post-workshop survey, participants suggested arranging additional workshops, study tours, and digital platforms to promote peer learning, training, and capacity-building activities targeting policymakers, civil society, youth, and other stakeholders in Africa.