The 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) Report produced by the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments found that approximately 40% of countries submitting Voluntary National Reviews included local governments in the process recognizing their critical contributions to sustainable development. However, in about one-third of these countries, local and regional governments were not involved at all, underscoring a persistent governance gap nearly a decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals.