The publication of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs positively evaluated the innovative approaches applied in Azerbaijan to finance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and recommended that member states adopt similar practices.
The 2025 publication of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, dedicated to the preparation of Voluntary National Reviews, positively assessed the innovative approaches applied in Azerbaijan to finance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and recommended that member states consider adopting these approaches.
To bridge potential financial gaps in funding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Azerbaijan has utilized the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) and the SDG Investor Map, relying on domestic resources. Additionally, in order to align national spending with the SDGs, calculations were conducted on various categories of government expenditures. As a result of aligning the 2022 state budget with the SDGs, 82.3% of consolidated budget expenditures were matched with national SDG goals and targets, which accounted for approximately 23% of that year’s GDP.
The publication positively assessed the development of specific plans in the fields of agriculture, education, and environment within the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework. It also praised the application of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles to promote green finance.
It should be noted that Azerbaijan has already submitted four Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development—in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2024. Azerbaijan is one of only five countries globally, and the only one in its region and among CIS countries, to have submitted four VNRs to the UN.
It looks like you might have wanted to include a link, but it wasn’t provided in your message. If you'd like, you can share the link, and I can assist you further with it: https://mdgs.un.org/sdgs/files/meetings/vnr-workshop-dec2024/Handbook_2025.pdf
