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The APRM–Pathfinders VNR Lab will be convened during the 2026 High-level Political Forum as an in-person roundtable bringing together African Union Member States, international and regional organisations, civil society, and academia. The session will offer a focused space to consider how Voluntary National Reviews, Voluntary Local Reviews, APRM processes, and related review mechanisms can be used more effectively to support governance, peacebuilding, and development outcomes on the Continent.

The discussion will reflect on the relationship between Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063, particularly where governance, access to justice, and developmental rights intersect with delivery priorities such as clean water, energy, and infrastructure. These issues are directly relevant to the SDGs under review in 2026 and to the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063.

Background

Africa is positioned at the centre of significant global shifts, including rapid urbanisation, energy transitions, and a more unified continental voice in global governance. These opportunities are unfolding alongside persistent pressures such as conflict, debt distress, democratic backsliding, and climate change. In this context, the strength of governance systems will play a decisive role in determining whether national visions and policy commitments translate into sustained development, peace, and security.

Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want – has entered its second decade through the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan, which gives renewed attention to economic transformation, clean water, infrastructure connectivity, clean energy, youth and women empowerment, and well-governed public institutions. These priorities are closely linked to Agenda 2030 and depend on capable institutions, clear accountability, and implementation systems that deliver measurable benefits to citizens. Governance and public institutions are reflected in both frameworks, particularly through SDG 16 and Agenda 2063 Moonshots 3 and 4. Yet progress on governance-related targets remains uneven. In many contexts, the gap lies not in the absence of commitments, but in the ability to translate them into concrete policies, aligned budgets, and accountability mechanisms that support delivery.

African countries have made important progress in strengthening reporting on Agenda 2063 and the SDGs, including through VNRs and APRM processes. These reviews provide a valuable assessment of progress and reform priorities. The central challenge, however, remains implementation: ensuring that recommendations move beyond reporting cycles and contribute to practical initiatives, stronger public institutions, and tangible improvements in people’s lives.

This VNR Lab builds on the APRM sixth Annual Technical Engagement on VNRs and the Domestication of Agenda 2063, the 12th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, and previous Pathfinders VNR Labs, including those convened in partnership with the APRM. It will provide a focused platform to examine how review processes can better reinforce African agency, leadership, and responsive governance in a changing multilateral context.