Following the spirit of the 2030 Agenda, civil society engagement and consultations with public and private institutions were central in defining the NSDS in 2017, from the context analysis measuring the distance to the SDGs achievement to the identification of main strengths and weaknesses to be addressed, leading to the definition of widely shared national objectives.

The Government involved a number of national public research institutes (namely the CNR, ISPRA, ENEA) in the definition and implementation of policies to ensure an approach based on scientifically founded information. More than 400 stakeholders including Universities, research centres and NGOs contributed through their factual and prospective inputs to the NSDS.

To ensure continuity in the engagement of civil society and stakeholders, the MoE, in accordance with Delibera CIPE 108/2017, launched a National Forum for Sustainable Development. The Forum is divided in 5 working groups (People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Vectors for sustainability) coordinated by a steering committee composed of representatives of civil society networks. This represents a unique coordination mechanism that gives voice to stakeholders allowing for increased accountability through a strengthened participation in the NSDS implementation and review processes.

The MoE signed an agreement with some Italian Universities that provide technical and scientific support to the implementation process of the SNSVS, in particular to the coordination mechanism of the Forum, in close cooperation with the steering committee and the coordinators of the working groups.

Regions and Autonomous Provinces are currently establishing the Regional Fora for sustainable development in synergy with the National Forum and the consultation activities and mechanisms developed by the metropolitan cities.

In addition, Italian Law 125 provides for a National Conference on Development Cooperation that strongly encourages engagement with civil society and other key stakeholders. The first Conference took place in 2018.

In the 2030 Agenda young people are identified as “critical agents of change” that “will find in the new Goals a platform to channel their infinite capacities for activism into the creation of a better world”. In line with this spirit, young associations have been invited to participate into the steering committee and in the working groups of the National Forum for Sustainable Development. Regional centres for environmental and sustainable development education have been appointed in some regions as sustainability pivot to localize the SDGs and they are actually working with schools and cultural centres to spread sustainability towards young generations.

In addition, in the framework of the COP26 UN climate change conference, Italy, with the support of the MoE, will host the preparatory session "Pre-COP26" and the event dedicated to young people "Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition". The event will offer young people from all over the world the opportunity to develop concrete proposals for Pre-COP26 in Milan and COP26 in Glasgow.