The official inter-governmental negotiations on the 2030 Agenda took place in monthly sessions between January and July 2015. Unlike the preceding Open Working Group (OWG) (see "WHAT - History - Open Working Group") member states were now represented not by their New York Ambassadors, but by officials from their capitals, which gave the negotiations a more political dynamic. There was less external input at this stage, too. In December 2014, the Secretary-General submitted a synthesis report to capture the full range of inputs ahead of the negotiations. The report addresses peace, justice and inclusion, including in paragraphs 31, 50 and 55. The Secretary General also suggested in his report six elements to frame the 2030 Agenda which included Dignity and Justice (paragraph 66). During the intergovernmental negotiations, these elements became the five Ps (People, Planet, Prosperity, Partnership and Peace) in the preamble of the Agenda.

Moreover, different stakeholders continued to organise side events to highlight remaining issues. While the negotiations did not change the structure of the draft 2030 Agenda produced by the Open Working Group, a few significant substantive changes were made, including on SDG 16. The decision-making process during the negotiations is much less documented than in the OWG. However, some key issues of discussion on SDG 16 targets are reflected in member states statements and side events.