The Launch of the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue for the Development of the Voluntary Local Review of Irbid City

In collaboration with the Greater Irbid Municipality and under the umbrella of the global project on “Fostering COVID-19 recovery and SDGs implementation through local action in Asia-Pacific, Arab and African countries”, funded by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund,, UN-Habitat and UNESCWA launched a multi-stakeholder dialogue to develop the Voluntary Local Review (VLR) for Irbid City. Over two days, stakeholders discussed local development priorities and mapped them to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the city's first VLR assessment. The event facilitated collaboration between international, regional, national, and local institutions on sustainable urban development and addressed challenges and opportunities in data collection and analysis. Additionally, the event hosted the first "VNR-VLR Studio" in the Arab region, focusing on strengthening capacities of governments in the VLR process and emphasizing the importance of aligning national and local reviews to support policy coherence dialogue. During the opening session, Mayor Nabil Kofahi highlighted the value of partnerships and localizing the SDGs, emphasizing Irbid's commitment to this effort. Deema Abu Thiab, UN-Habitat Jordan Office's National Programme Coordinator, underscored the importance of participation and coordination for sustainable development, stating, “Achieving sustainable development can only be realised through localising the Sustainable Development Goals and enhancing national-local dialogue on policies.”