National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-up 2 The 2030 Agenda sets out a clear imperative that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must aim to “realize the human rights of all” , and reaffirms that the development agenda is “grounded in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international human rights treaties and other instruments, including the Declaration on the Right to Development”. Member States committed to ensure that development is implemented “in a manner that is consistent with the… obligations of states under international law”, which includes ensuring consistency with their existing obligations under human rights law. Additionally, all Member States committed to “engage in systematic follow up and review of implementation” of the Agenda, including through establishing a “robust, voluntary, effective, participatory, transparent and integrated follow-up and review framework” at national, regional and global levels. The Agenda encourages Member States to “conduct regular and inclusive reviews of progress at the national and sub-national levels, which are country-led and country-driven”. It suggests that this can be built as far as possible on existing national and local mechanisms and processes, but should ensure broad multi-stakeholder participation, and be based on a review of high-quality data that is accessible, timely, reliable and disaggregated. Meeting this imperative will mean that SDG implementation should be consistent with human rights, and that SDG follow-up and review builds on existing mechanisms, including in the area of human rights. Seven of the nine core human rights treaties have been ratified by more than 160 States with an obligation to report every four to five years to the Treaty Bodies, which in turn make recommendations. In addition, within the human rights architecture, the Universal Periodic Review and the Special Procedures generate recommendations. The data generated in engaging with all three United Nations human rights mechanisms could contribute important evidence into the SDG implementation and follow-up processes. And the recommendations made by the human rights mechanisms can give substance to the analysis of national progress under each SDG target, including with respect to ensuring that no one is being left behind. Additionally, many States are adopting national strategies and national review mechanisms or processes for implementation and follow-up of the SDGs including how to consult with other stakeholders in these processes. At the same time, many States have already established some form of national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up (NMRFs) on human rights treaties. It will be important to build synergies and linkages between these different follow-up and reporting mechanisms, procedures and processes for SDGs and human rights including to improve coherence, minimize the reporting burden on national administrations and to ensure meaningful participation by rights-holders. 23