Kathmandu. National Planning Commission (NPC) Vice-Chairman Prof Dr Shivaraj Adhikari has underlined the need to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the basis of local needs, knowledge and priorities.

Adhikari, who was the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals Localization Partnership Forum 2025 held in New York, said sustainable and sustainable change would be possible only through integrated and coordinated local efforts as issues such as education, health, employment and poverty alleviation were interlinked.

Stating that there are three tiers of government at the federal, provincial and local levels under the federal structure, Adhikari said that the local governments are the closest to the citizens and they can understand the needs of their communities, respond quickly and build trust directly.

The National Planning Commission is working to formulate, guide, monitor and enhance capacity at all levels for the implementation of the SDGs.

He shared that tools such as ‘Sustainable Development Goals Localization Implementation Guide 2021’ and ‘Sustainable Development Goals Coding Resource Book 2022’ have been brought into operation to make the local level more effective and Nepal has already shown its commitment by presenting it in the Third Volituary National Review 2024 (VNR).

Describing the Voluntary Local Review (VLR) recently prepared by Chandra Giri Municipality (UN Habitat) with technical support as a special achievement, Adhikari said it has helped the local governments to measure the SDG progress, prepare a blueprint and formulate investment plans by improving the challenge identification policy.

He said that more training, strong implementation at the local level, adequate financial resources, strengthening the statistical system and technology transfer are needed to meet the new challenges.

Stating that the ‘Partnership Forum’ needs to be further strengthened to bring all these efforts under one umbrella, he said it would not only link Nepal’s national vision with local action but also with global cooperation and solidarity.

The Annual Meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals Localization Partnership Forum 2025 was held in New York with the message of ensuring real progress at the local level.