Leaving no one behind (LNOB) is one of the underlying principles of sustainable development. While the world continues to grapple with the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that the needs of those further behind are addressed first. The pandemic has significantly affected sustainable development progress, and in the context of meeting the commitment to a Decade of Action and Delivery and the United Nations Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda, heads of state and government urgently need to accelerate actions and promote transformative change to achieve a just recovery. Our independent civil society-led review of the 42 Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports presented at the United Nations’ High-level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF) in 2021 analyzed countries’ actions towards progressing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).1 This policy brief focuses on the topics of LNOB and COVID-19, contains examples of case studies in good practice, and lists recommendations.