UN RC Remarks at the Launch of the Suva City Council Voluntary Local Review (VLR) Report: A city of the Future: Smart, Safe, and Resilient.

It is a real pleasure to be with you today to celebrate something truly special – the launch of Suva’s Voluntary Local Review, the very first VLR in the entire Pacific region. 

That alone makes today historic.

But more than a milestone, this launch represents something deeper: Suva is showing the region what local leadership looks like. You are turning bold global commitments into practical actions that make a difference in neighborhoods, schools, and across the city. That is what sustainable development is really about.

We know that globally up to 65% of the SDG targets require action at the local level. Suva’s VLR is proof that when city leadership steps up, change happens – change that is measurable, people-centered, and rooted in community voices. 

The report tells a powerful story – one of both progress and of pressing challenges. For example:

• Under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Suva Central has achieved an impressive 96% coverage, while Samabula follows at around 90%, signalling where further investment is needed.
• Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality), women in Suva have matched – and even surpassed – men in average years of schooling. That is a milestone worth celebrating.
• Yet, the VLR also highlights some sobering truths:
  • 16.6% of Suva’s population lives in informal or inadequate housing.  
  • 78% (4/5th) of Fiji’s homeless population is in Suva.
  • And there has been a 573% increase in HIV cases in the Central Division since 2017, alongside alarming pedestrian injury rates for children. 

These are not just statistics – they reflect daily realities for too many people. And they point us toward the urgent need for inclusive urban planning, better health systems, and safer, more dignified living conditions for all.

What I admire most about this VLR is that it does not shy away from these difficult issues. It meets them head-on – and that is the foundation of real change. 

The data is clear. The progress is convincing and evidence-based, as are the gaps that are visible. And now, the path forward is clearer too.

That is why this VLR is more than a report. It is a roadmap – and an invitation. 

An invitation to collaborate across all levels of government and sectors, to align Suva’s future with the SDGs and Fiji’s National Development Plan in a way that is ambitious and achievable. 

The UN family in Fiji is proud to have supported this effort through the Joint SDG Fund and in collaboration with the Suva City Council and ESCAP. And we are equally excited that cities like Lautoka and Labasa are also stepping up to develop their own VLRs. 

What Suva has started today can set the pace for a broader Pacific movement in localizing the SDGs.

Let me close by saying this: Suva’s VLR is not an end – it is a beginning. A beginning of smarter and decentralized planning, stronger partnerships, and shared accountability. It complements Fiji’s 2023 Voluntary National Review and signals of whole-of-society commitment to delivering results that matter to people. 

Therefore, on behalf of the United Nations in Fiji, I offer my warmest congratulations to everyone who made this possible. We are proud to walk alongside you on this journey – building a city, and a region, that is not only more resilient and sustainable, but also more inclusive, just, and safe for all.

Vinaka Vakalevu, Dhanjavaad, Thank You