Local and Regional Governments as Key Actors in Advancing Human Rights and the SDGs

Event

jcomp/Freepik

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More information on the panel and agenda for this evet will follow shortly.

Co-organizers

• Permanent Mission of Paraguay (sponsor)
• Permanent Mission of Italy (co-sponsor)
• Geneva Human Rights Platform
• Global Cities Hub
• Università di Bologna

Introduction and objectives

Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) play a vital role in turning international human rights commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into concrete local actions. As the level of government closest to communities, they are uniquely positioned to address inequalities, strengthen access to essential public services, and promote inclusive and participatory decision-making. Yet, despite their growing responsibilities, LRGs remain underrepresented in UN human rights mechanisms, with reporting, monitoring, and implementation processes largely centered on national governments.

This side event will explore how LRGs can be further recognized and empowered as key human rights actors, building on recent Human Rights Council (HRC) resolutions, particularly HRC Resolution 57/12 on Local Government and Human Rights and HRC Resolution 51/33 on National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRFs). It will also reflect on insights from the Bologna Expert Roundtable on Data Planning and Collection by NMIRFs: the Role of LRGs, which underscored the need for greater policy coherence between local, national, and international human rights frameworks.

A key focus will be the potential of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) as a tool for bridging governance gaps and ensuring accountability. VLRs provide a structured way for LRGs to integrate local perspectives into global human rights monitoring and SDG implementation, reinforcing their role as essential contributors to national and international reporting efforts. In this context, LRGs can provide disaggregated data that captures local realities often overlooked in national assessments, improving both policy implementation and oversight. Their engagement with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)—a state-led process where central governments report on their human rights commitments—could further strengthen the accuracy of national reporting and enhance follow-up on UPR recommendations in key areas such as housing, education, and social inclusion.

All these key reflections—on LRGs' role in human rights governance, their contributions to SDG and human rights reporting, their integration into UN mechanisms, and the potential of VLRs—are examined in depth in the new Geneva Academy Briefing No. 25, Localizing Multilateralism: The Role of Local and Regional Governments in Advancing Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals. This side event will serve as the occasion to officially launch the publication, offering a space to discuss its findings and explore their implications for policy and practice.

By bringing together policymakers, UN officials, academics, and LRG representatives, this event will identify strategies to strengthen LRGs’ collaboration with NMIRFs and international human rights mechanisms. The discussion will also highlight best practices, data collection innovations, and institutional partnerships that can enhance LRGs’ contributions to human rights and sustainable development governance.

Access

Registration

This event will be open to those with access to the UN in Geneva and registration will be available though their system.