Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

The UN General Assembly Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG) had 30 seats which were shared by a group of 70 Member State representatives. The creation of the OWG was mandated by the Rio+20 Outcome Document, tasked with preparing a report containing a proposal on a set of SDGs which address the three dimensions of sustainable development (social, environmental, economic) in a balanced way. The OWG's final report was completed in July 2014.

The below diagram provides a timeline of OWG’s Programme of Work:

OWG member states

The Open Working Group was formally established in January 2013 – four months later than the deadline set in the Rio+20 outcome document – by Resolution 67/555 of the UN General Assembly. The delay was due to the difficulties in reaching agreement on the 30 representatives that should comprise the Group. Member States eventually decided to institute a innovative, constituency-based system of representation comprised of 70 Member States who share 30 seats.  

Each of the 30 seats of the OWG were shared by 1 to 4 countries, usually with these countries coming from the same UN regional group.  It was the responsibility of each grouping to decide how they would be represented during each of the meetings. It was common practice for members of each grouping to rotate for each meeting.

It is worth noting that although the OWG had the official task of preparing the report on SDGs; representatives of other Member States – those with no seat in the OWG – could still participate and speak on behalf of their countries at the meetings of the OWG.

Member states were represented in different groups within the Open Working Group:

OWG Meetings