The outcome document of the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO+20) set out a mandate to establish an open working group to develop a set of sustainable development goals that should be coherent with, and integrated into, the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015. This proposal, published in 2014, lays out 17 goals covering a wide range of themes, each with several sub-goals and priorities. The proposal positions the overarching objectives of, and the essential requirements for, sustainable development as being poverty eradication, changing unsustainable and promoting sustainable consumption and production, and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development. The document recognises and reaffirms several concepts, including: the need to live in harmony with nature; that all cultures and civilisations can contribute to sustainable development; and that further effective measures are needed to remove the obstacles to the full realisation of the right of self-determination of peoples living under colonial and foreign occupation. The 17 goals proposed in the document are:

Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation
Reduce inequality within and among countries
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development