Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) has announced the country’s preparation to present its Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the July 2024 UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York.

This review follows Sierra Leone’s submission of the SDGs Acceleration Roadmap during the September 2023 UN SDGs Summit. The roadmap details national strategies to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

The July 2024 HLPF, themed “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises,” will serve as Sierra Leone’s fourth comprehensive SDG progress review. Significantly, this review coincides with the launch of the country’s new Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) for 2024-2030.

MoPED has initiated consultations with stakeholders and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on the 2024 VNR Report. This collaborative approach will ensure a comprehensive picture of Sierra Leone’s SDG implementation progress.

Minister Kenyeh Barlay, alongside representatives from Parliament and CSOs, emphasized their commitment to using the VNR platform to showcase the new MTNDP to the international community. This review will also serve to identify any remaining gaps that need to be addressed to achieve sustainable development goals.

This marks Sierra Leone’s fourth VNR since 2018, demonstrating the country’s ongoing commitment to monitoring and accelerating progress towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.