Voluntary Local Review - Buenos Aires Adaptation of the 2030 Agenda (2020)

Since their adoption in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals have become the main guidelines for cities to work with all sectors to build a sustainable future. The City of Buenos Aires has been committed to the SDGs from the beginning and in 2019 became one of the first cities in the world to present its Voluntary Local Review at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

This report constitutes a new milestone in the commitment of the City of Buenos Aires to the 2030 Agenda. Globally, cities are taking the lead in the fight against COVID-19 and in addressing the health, social and economic consequences of the pandemic. At the same time, in recent months, mayors and local officials around the world began to share their responses, successes and failures to the pandemic without restriction. The unprecedented global urban cooperation we are experiencing shows how important the international institutions and forums that bring together the world's major cities are to discuss coordinated responses to global challenges.

For years now, cities have been agreeing on joint commitments to key challenges of enormous impact. It is possible to say that their joint action at the international and regional level anticipates a world where more cities define common objectives and goals that will have an impact on the construction of sustainable and resilient communities. The local adaptation of the SDGs is an example of this.

In this sense, the City of Buenos Aires adopted a rapid response to the COVID-19 crisis that was made possible by a decade of having a rigorous management method, based on planning and monitoring, which allowed for the rapid organization of task forces and the adoption of a multiplicity of measures in a very short period of time. The City was able to prepare to face the emergency and strengthen the health system, continue with education in virtual mode and count on the participation of citizens to assist the most vulnerable population.

This report sets out the initiatives taken in response to the crisis that lead to significant progress on SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing; SDG 4 Quality Education; SDG 5 Gender Equality; SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities; SDG 13 Climate Action and SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.