The Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an initiative by Social Watch, Third World Network, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), the Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) and Global Policy Forum with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. It was initiated during a meeting in Madrid, Spain, in December 2015 and builds upon a previous initiative under the name "Civil Society Reflection Group on Global Development Perspectives" (2010 to 2015).
The previous Civil Society Reflection Group on Global Development Perspectives worked together for several years to look beyond conventional development concepts and goals, to rethink the models and measures of sustainable development and social progress – in the North and the South, and to address some formidable barriers, such as the fragmentation of policy processes, the lack of policy coherence, and the influence of corporate vested interests.
In light of the need for independent CSO monitoring and advocacy in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, a new 2030 watch initiative, based on the experiences and analyses of the Reflection Group, was proposed to enhance concerted action in the 2030 process. The new initiative will concentrate on inequalities, sustainable production and consumption, means of implementation and systemic issues, the resolution of which are necessary (though not sufficient) conditions for implementing the 2030 Agenda.