Guidance Note: Ensuring Children are Not Left Behind

Children are central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the key to sustaining progress beyond 2030. In line with the principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the 2030 Agenda) that follow-up and review processes at all levels will “be open, inclusive, participatory and transparent for all people” and “have a particular focus on the poorest, most vulnerable and those furthest behind”, children – including those from marginalized and vulnerable groups – must be considered and included in Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports and processes.

This Guidance Note provides specific technical recommendations to UN Member States on how to report on SDGs progress on children, including children’s participation, in VNR reports at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). An example of progress is reporting on measures to end child hunger and malnutrition, such as school meal programs and food and cash assistance.

It follows the general structure of the Secretary-General’s updated voluntary common reporting guidelines for VNRs (the Guidelines), which were most recently updated in January 2025. It also provides examples of good practices from other VNR reports from 2017 to 2024. In line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this paper defines “children” as people below the age of 18.