Belgrade Open School (BOS), together with UNEP, UNICEF and UN-Habitat, will provide expert support to local self-government units in planning local sustainable development, with a strong focus on initiatives that improve environmental protection and energy efficiency, with additional benefits in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

BOS will provide support to local self-government units in the process of preparing Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The activities will be focused on identifying priority goals and collecting relevant data necessary for monitoring indicators at the local level. This support is of particular importance since, in the coming period, reporting on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda will become mandatory for all local self-government units in Serbia.

One of the expected results of the Program is enhanced capacities of local self-government units for preparing Voluntary Local Reviews on the implementation of the SDGs, with a particular focus on the environmental dimension of sustainable development, including energy efficiency.

Activities to be carried out in the upcoming period include:

   1.  Assessment of the current state of SDG localization in selected local self-government units

BOS will conduct an assessment of the current state of SDG localization in selected local self-government units and prepare a simple overview of the fulfillment of environment-related indicators at the local level.

   2.  Practical capacity building at the local level

Through this activity, BOS will provide support to local self-government units through practical work in determining priority development areas, monitoring progress of the set localized SDG goals, and using data for monitoring.

The mentioned project activities are implemented by BOS from July 15, 2025, to January 15, 2026.

The activities are carried out within the program “Green Futures, Brighter Beginnings: Localizing the SDGs for Climate Resilience and Children’s Rights in Serbian Municipalities”, implemented by UNEP, UNICEF, and UN-Habitat. At the same time, this is a continuation of the expert support activities for local self-government units that BOS initiated with UNEP within the program “PRO – Local Governance for People and Nature.” The program is jointly implemented by United Nations agencies in Serbia (UNOPS, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNEP), in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Serbia and with the financial support of the Government of Switzerland. As an implementing partner of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), BOS provided expert support to local self-governments with the aim of strengthening their capacities for environmental management.