In a decisive step toward evidence-based planning, the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has simultaneously launched its second Voluntary National Review (VNR) and a groundbreaking national SDG data portal. This dual initiative, supported by the Joint SDG Fund, is a key step towards transparency and data-driven decision-making.
The 2025 VNR, presented at the UN in July and already recognized as a regional best practice, provides a comprehensive and honest assessment of the national development landscape.
“This is more than a report: it's our collective story, a living document,” said Mr. Koney Samuel, Secretary of the Department of National Planning and Monitoring (DNPM). He emphasized its practical application, noting that it must serve as a catalyst for investment in the “remaining five years of [SDG] implementation.”
A central finding of the VNR was the urgent need to close significant data gaps, a challenge directly addressed by the new SDG data portal. Developed in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the platform centralizes data on the country’s progress towards the Goals and enables stakeholders to follow the country’s progress.
Hailing the portal as a “landmark achievement,” Hon. Sir Ano Pala, Minister for National Planning, stated it will “make our development data publicly accessible, track and communicate SDG progress, and support policy and planning across sectors.”
For Secretary Samuel, the two milestones are deeply connected. He framed the VNR and Data Portal as “national milestones” in the government's broader 'Reset' agenda, designed to “drive accountability across government agencies and strengthen evidence-based decision making.” Echoing this forward-looking vision, Minister Pala issued a rallying cry for collaboration: “Let us reset, refocus, and reimagine our development path for a brighter future.”
Together, these initiatives provide Papua New Guinea with both a definitive assessment of its present and a dynamic tool to navigate its future, ensuring the final stretch toward the 2030 Agenda is guided by evidence and a renewed sense of shared purpose.
Read the Papua New Guinea 2025 VNR Report: https://hlpf.un.org/countries/papua-new-guinea/voluntary-national-review-2025
Visit the Papua New Guinea SDG Data Portal: https://png-sdg.github.io/site
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
