An outcome of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development that might have a major impact on the Post-2015 Development Agenda is the decision to establish an Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (See Future We Want, paragraph 248) This Working Group, which is designated by the five UN regional groups to be made up of six countries per group, should have been set up at the beginning of the 67th General Assembly session.
The Open Working Group, in addition to ensuring is that it be open
“…to the participation of and contribution by all Member States and to the presentation of proposals by them; it shall also ensure the participation, in accordance with applicable rules, of observers having received a standing invitation to participate in the work of the General Assembly, as well as ensure the full involvement of relevant stakeholders and expertise from civil society, the scientific community and the United Nations system in its work in order to provide a diversity of perspectives and experience;
It should, moreover, reflect contributions from and interact with the whole membership in the process of preparing its report containing a proposal for sustainable development goals for consideration and appropriate action by the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session.
A novel response
The 30 seats on the Open Working Group have been hotly contested which has meant that the Group has not yet met. A solution has, however, been found by sharing many of the positions on the Group between up to four countries, thereby expending its membership to 70 countries. (As contained in Resolution A/67/L.48. )
Its importance and ‘what next?’
Insofar as this Open Working Group is the only part of the Post-2015 process, which is ‘governmental’, as opposed to being steered by the UN Secretary-General, Secretariat and UN Agencies and Bodies, it is in a unique position. As far as Civil Society is concerned, our ‘full involvement’ and ‘expertise’ should be included. It is important therefore to make contact with friendly Governments as soon as possible to urge them to support our full involvement in the process.