Global Ambitions powered by Local Action

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a monumental global endeavor, yet at their heart they are made up of local missions. Approximately 65% of SDG targets are directly tied to the responsibilities of local and regional governments. Investing in and empowering these entities is critical to achieving the 2030 Agenda. 
 
To bridge global aspirations with on-the-ground realities, the Joint SDG Fund and the Local2030 Coalition have joined forces to channel investments toward SDG localization. This extends from raising community awareness, integrating policymaking and financing solutions, to building coherent SDG monitoring and reporting at the regional and local levels.  
 
By leveraging the expertise of UN Resident Coordinators, UN Country Teams, and a broad ecosystem of partners, these initiatives are not only bridging the gap between global goals and local realities but also inspiring transformative change in six critical areas: food systems, energy access, jobs, digital connectivity, education, and climate resilience. With a US$17.8 million investment, the Initiative spans 30 countries with 177 local governments involved, and 12.4 million people benefiting directly.

Honduras: Local Reviews Empower Communities

Under this collaboration, Honduras is taking a pioneering approach by embracing Voluntary Local Reviews, a tool that tracks SDG progress at the local level and empowers communities to lead their own development efforts. With the support of the UN Country Team and the leadership of the Resident Coordinator’s Office, the municipalities of San Nicolás and Intibucá are preparing their first reviews.

Led by the Government, this process involves engaging local leaders, community members, and representatives from various sectors through a series of open dialogues, which help to identify local challenges and priorities, gather crucial data, and create tailored strategies to achieve the SDGs. Importantly, the dialogues identified key SDG accelerators that can have a catalytic and multiplier effect unlocking a wide range of benefits. For example, the project will invest in developing digital applications for small landholders and indigenous farmers to boost efficient, sustainable production, which creates a ripple effect of positive change across multiple SDGs, including poverty (SDG 1), health (SDG 3), and gender equality (SDG 5).

Building on this, the UN is also working with the Government and the Association of Municipalities of Honduras (AMHON) to expand these reviews to 15 additional municipalities. By equipping local governments with data-driven strategies, Honduras is aligning its local and national policies with the SDGs and creating a roadmap for sustainable development.

Informed by the Review, the UN in Honduras is addressing the significant challenges in achieving quality education, with over 1 million children out of school and some of the lowest education quality indicators in the region. The Fund’s programme addresses these issues by enhancing local capacity, fostering governance, and promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration. By incentivizing municipalities to expand school access, reduce gender disparities, and strengthen climate-resilient infrastructure, these efforts aim to boost school enrollment, particularly for girls, improve learning outcomes for 125,000 children, and optimize education financial resources. The Resident Coordinator’s Office has played a pivotal role in mobilizing resources and convening diverse groups, including development partners, civil society, and local authorities, ensuring better decision making.

Chile: Digital Transformation for Inclusion  

Another example of localization in action is Chile’s digital transformation. In Chile, vulnerable communities in Ñuble and La Araucanía face a complex reality. The lack of access to digital infrastructure and training in technological skills has perpetuated socioeconomic inequalities, marginalizing women, small farmers, and indigenous people. 
  
To address this, the Fund and Local2030 have partnered with the Chilean government to launch a project that guarantees digital connectivity in rural territories with the aim of improving the quality of life of the most vulnerable populations. The project promotes public and private investments in digital infrastructure, develops applications for small landholders and indigenous farmers to boost efficient, sustainable production, and trains vulnerable groups to use digital tools to improve their access to health services and economic development opportunities.  

 
The project will directly benefit more than 8,500 people with access to community broadband internet and nearly 4,000 people in rural areas with digital skills, electronic commerce, and digital financial services training.  It will also enhance access to health services in rural areas by expanding access to telehealth and telemedicine through the implementation of teletriage facilities, ensuring equitable care for over 25,000 people in the most vulnerable communities.  
 
Finally, public-private partnerships will combine resources and expertise to ensure the programme’s success and sustainability. The project’s key efforts include incentivizing private investments in digital connectivity, piloting agritech projects, and creating mechanisms to mobilize public capital through sub-national investment plans.

The Resident Coordinator of UN Chile, María José Torres, emphasized the significance of this project as “a multi-sectoral effort led by Chile at both the central and local levels, with the support of several UN agencies. We hope to see tangible results in the lives of people in these areas as a result of transforming food systems and increasing economic opportunities by leveraging digital connectivity, thereby expanding employment options, health, and social protection.”

From Honduras’ community-driven reviews to Chile’s digital transformation efforts, these initiatives demonstrate that global ambitions are achieved through local action. It leverages UN system expertise, mobilizes the broader ecosystem, facilitates learning across countries, and helps secure larger and more predictable funding for the local level. By prioritizing community-led solutions and fostering partnerships, SDG localization turns global goals into actionable, life-changing outcomes—ensuring no one is left behind on the road to sustainable development.

For more information about the UN's work in Honduras, visit honduras.un.org. For more information about the UN's work in Chile, visit chile.un.org