Dr.

Fernando ORTIZ-MOYA

This article explores how genuine stakeholder engagement can drive sustainable development by fostering trust, empowering communities, and strengthening governance. Drawing on experiences from Santa Rosa City in the Philippines and Shimokawa Town in Japan—two places facing vastly different challenges—it illustrates how meaningful participation can...

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the 2030 Agenda) and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were intended to motivate governments to transform conventional development patterns (United Nations, 2015). However, the lack of progress on the SDG suggests the national institutions and processes supporting this transformation may not be...

筆者らは環境研究総合推進費【課題番号1MF－2203】の助成を受けて「いかなるFURが変革をもたらし得るのか？」という問いのもと、特にガバナンスの役割に着目して理論的・実証的検討を行ってきた。本ペーパーは、これまでの研究で得られた知見を基に、日本におけるSDGsのFURについて、改善の方向性を提起することを目的としている。筆者らは、実施した調査分析と文献レビューに基づきFURの方法論を構築しており（Amanuma et al. 2025）、本ペーパーは、それを踏まえつつ特定した日本のFURにおける7つの主要課題と、具体的かつ実行可能な提言をまとめたものである。それらの提言は、2030年に向けた短期的な行動と、2030年以降の枠組みを見据えた中長期的な制度設計の両面を視野に入れて構成されている...

Local-level follow-up and review (FUR) is essential for realising the 2030 Agenda, given municipalities' crucial role in delivering SDG targets. However, Japanese municipalities face significant challenges, including capacity constraints, demographic shifts, financial limitations, and the absence of mandatory national SDG directives. This policy...

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) depends on well-designed and implemented follow-up and review (FUR) processes to monitor progress, review policies, and adjust strategies. However, despite the critical role cities play in implementing the SDGs, they lack official recognition in the FUR architecture of the 2030 Agenda. To engage...

This presentation examines how Japanese municipalities are responding to long-term population decline, contrasting Yubari City’s failed growth-centric approach with Shimokawa Town’s efforts to ‘shrink gracefully.’ It highlights how local governments can move beyond pro-growth planning by adopting sustainable, community-oriented strategies better...

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hinges on well-designed and implemented follow-up and review (FUR) processes. Cities lack official recognition in the FUR architecture of the 2030 Agenda. This is a notable shortcoming, as cities are responsible for implementing at least two-thirds of their targets. To engage with the 2030 Agenda...

This presentation explores how Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) are transforming local follow-up and review (FUR) processes . It highlights the importance of FUR for local governments, showcases Santa Rosa’s VLR as a model of peer-to-peer collaboration, and frames VLRs as powerful tools for policy integration, continuous learning, and inclusive...

​​Introduced in 2015, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with their 169 specific targets, provide a comprehensive roadmap for nations to address urgent global challenges, from eradicating poverty and hunger to fostering sustainable communities and combating climate change. Since 2016, Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) have provided a...

This article examines the implications of demographic decline for local governments, with a focus on small Japanese municipalities that are already navigating the challenges of population loss. Drawing on examples like Yubari, Suzu, and Manazuru, it explores how some towns are rethinking growth-oriented planning and experimenting with alternative...