Coinciding with Algeria’s participation in the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 7 to 15 July 2026, and the presentation of its 2026 Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, SHOAA for Human Rights has issued an independent analytical report assessing the extent to which the report complies with the United Nations Guidelines for Voluntary National Reviews.
The analysis concludes that the Voluntary National Review presents a positive picture of Algeria’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. However, an independent assessment of its content reveals a clear gap between the official narrative and the reality of implementation across several key areas. The report is largely descriptive, focusing on government policies and projects while giving only limited attention to the institutional and human rights challenges that directly affect the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The analysis finds that the report provides insufficient information to verify the meaningful participation of independent civil society in its preparation. It neither discloses the consultation methodology nor the outcomes of the consultations, nor does it explain how comments and recommendations from stakeholders were taken into account. This limits the ability to assess compliance with the principle of partnership and participation, which lies at the heart of SDG 17.
The report also reveals shortcomings in the quality of the data used. It relies on 2011 data to state that the extreme poverty rate does not exceed 0.5%, while simultaneously reporting a 4.67% poverty rate based on the updated international poverty line, without publishing recent national data that would allow an accurate assessment of current poverty trends. This undermines the evaluation of progress towards SDG 1.
Regarding gender equality, the report highlights several sectoral achievements but overlooks indicators reflecting persistent challenges, particularly the sharp decline in women’s parliamentary representation from 31.6% to 11.2%, and most recently to 5.65% following the latest legislative elections. It also fails to adequately assess women’s participation in the labour market and gender-based violence, resulting in an incomplete assessment of SDG 5.
The analysis further identifies significant shortcomings in the report’s treatment of freedom of expression, press freedom, freedom of association, judicial independence and civic space, despite their direct relevance to building effective, accountable institutions under SDG 16. It also notes that the case of economist Djelloul Slama, who was detained after publicly commenting on the Gara Djebilet mining project, raises serious concerns regarding the extent to which experts are able to participate freely in public debate on development policies and strategic projects.
Furthermore, the report does not adequately assess the situation of migrants, asylum seekers, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, nor does it rely on disaggregated data that would enable a meaningful assessment of compliance with the “Leaving No One Behind” principle, one of the cornerstones of the 2030 Agenda.
SHOAA for Human Rights emphasizes that sustainable development cannot be measured solely by the number of projects or the volume of investments. It must also be assessed through respect for human rights, the rule of law, transparency, accountability, independent institutions, an open civic space, and meaningful public participation. Voluntary National Reviews cannot fulfil their intended purpose if they merely highlight achievements while failing to provide an objective assessment of challenges and shortcomings.
The organization calls on the Algerian authorities to adopt a more transparent and inclusive approach in preparing future Voluntary National Reviews by ensuring the effective participation of independent civil society, publishing up-to-date and verifiable data, respecting fundamental rights and freedoms, expanding civic space, and embracing constructive criticism, so that future reviews become genuine tools for evaluation, accountability and public policy improvement, in line with the spirit and objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- Click here: Analytical Review of Algeria’s 2026 Voluntary National Review on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals
- Click here: VNR 2026 Algeria Report EN
