During the July 2022 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), 44 countries presented their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Montenegro presented its second VNR. This year’s VNRs show the continuing international commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There has been continuing progress in efforts to implement and integrate the SDG into national policies and plans, including those aimed at the recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The VNRs reflect on progress towards the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs. They add valuable data to inform the HLPF on the successes and barriers to implementation.

The Head of the Montenegrin delegation, Minister of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism Ana Novaković Đurović pointed out that Montenegro's VNR shows an in-depth view of the state of the country's progress within 17 SDGs. The VNR shows that progress has been achieved, but also warns of numerous challenges that we have to face as individuals, communities and states in achieving the SDGs. Despite the current global crisis caused by the COVID- 19 pandemic, she pointed out that Agenda 2030 represents the best roadmap for the future.

The Minister said that representatives of NGOs active in the field of environment protection contributed to the review. Montenegro must respond to the identified challenges and act quickly. Bearing this in mind, we all need to focus on the demanding work ahead of us, believing that in 2030 we will be able to show great success in achieving the SDGs, said Novaković Đurović.