Participation for sustainable development

"We the people" is the famous incipit of the United Nations Charter. "We the people" are today on the journey towards 2030 and, as stated by the 2030 Agenda, “our journey will involve governments and parliaments, the United Nations system and other international institutions, local authorities, the indigenous peoples, civil society, business and the private sector, the scientific and academic community – and all people. Millions have already committed to this Agenda and will make it their own. It is an Agenda of the people, by the people and for the people – and this, we believe, will ensure its success.” (Paragraph 52 of 2030 Agenda).

Participation needs to be at the core of the definition and implementation of public policies, especially in the implementation of the framework given by the 2030 Agenda and in the related national strategic frameworks for sustainability policies, in Italy the National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS).

Since the early stages of the development of the 2030 Agenda, civil society, the world of associations and all stakeholders, demonstrating unprecedented commitment and dynamism, actively contributed to the intergovernmental process which led to the adoption of 2030 Agenda by Member States, giving substance to the idea of an agenda "of the people, by the people and for the people", to be implemented with the participation of "all countries, all stakeholders and all people".

Italy fully supports this vision and, since the very beginning, has established an articulated process aimed at the involvement of institutional subjects and civil society at different territorial levels, to actively contribute to the definition and the revision of the contents of the NSDS, outlining the so called "NSDS system".

During the NSDS revision process, ended in 2023, it was therefore natural to recognize participation as a fundamental and transversal “Sustainability vector”, an enabler condition to facilitate a full participation of all the actors for the integration of sustainability in policies, plans and projects. Therefore, participation is a core element for triggering authentic transformative paths throughout the institutions and to integrate sustainability into every citizen daily life.

Vector 3 - "Participation for sustainable development" promotes the collaboration as an overall working method for the implementation of sustainable development. It includes two areas of action.

• The first area of action is dedicated to the Mapping and formalization of existing actors and processes, to support and strengthen lasting and dynamic institutional networks for peer learning and exchanges, and to encourage a process aimed at listening and continuously dialoguing with civil society, including youth. Within this area of action, the Vector 3 wants, on one side, to support and enforce the institutional mechanisms established for ensuring a permanent and multilevel dialogue and collaboration between central and territorial administrations. This action wants to contribute to the definition of a common vision and of a framework shared at all levels of government, ensuring the integration and the coherence between public policies towards sustainable development. On the other hand, the Vector 3 aims to strengthen the participatory mechanisms and the role of civil society and non-state actors, ensuring the maximum representativeness of sustainability actors, both at a territorial level with the Territorial Fora and at a national level with the national Forum for Sustainable Development. The national Forum, in its relation with the National Council for Development Cooperation, (CNCS), is the permanent platform to ensure the dialogue with civil society and non-state actors, supporting in the same time the integration between the internal and external dimensions of policies.
• The second area of action is dedicated to the theme of Collaborations and partnerships and is aimed at strengthening the interactions and the synergies between all sustainability actors, institutional, non-state actors and civil society, by promoting co-planning, co-design and the development of collaborative integrated tools. The creation of innovative partnerships for sustainable development, involving institutions, universities, research centers, the school system and the entrepreneurial reality, are fundamental for promoting research for innovation and supporting the process of transforming society towards the achievement of sustainability objectives, through the valorization of the skills and knowledge of all the actors involved, with particular attention to youth.