Options for the HLPF Review Mechanism

The document identifies five critical areas for designing the HLPF review mechanism: the entities to be reviewed and frequency, the scope of what is reviewed, incentives for voluntary participation, the methodology for national and systemic reviews, and the integration of outputs with other global sustainable development frameworks. It argues that the mechanism should focus on positive learning and scalability rather than finger-pointing, and must assess both goals and the means of implementation together.

• The HLPF review mechanism should be designed as a constructive tool for positive learning and scalability, rather than a process for finger-pointing, and must include measures for accountability and transparency.
• The review process must simultaneously evaluate progress toward sustainable development goals and the means of implementation.
• Designers must determine the scope of the review, specifically whether to focus on a broad range of commitments or a standard subset, and whether to prioritize impact indicators or effort indicators.
• Because reviews are voluntary, the mechanism's design must create incentives for participation by framing reviews as valuable learning opportunities and ensuring a 'two-way street' that reviews both national efforts and the support provided by funding and technology entities.
• There are significant trade-offs regarding the frequency and rigor of reviews, as more frequent or detailed assessments increase costs and demand higher secretariat capacity.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2014). Options for the HLPF Review Mechanism. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/options_hlpf_review.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Options for the HLPF Review Mechanism. 2014. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/options_hlpf_review.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Options for the HLPF Review Mechanism |date=15 May 2014 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/options_hlpf_review.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2014options, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Options for the HLPF Review Mechanism}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/options_hlpf_review.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }