Main concepts

Italy is involved in several initiatives concerning global processes. Although there is no specific definition of a "global issue", the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale – MAECI) has a Directorate General specifically dedicated to the management of global issues. Its responsibilities include, among others, matters of global governance, environment and sustainable development.

The Universal Civic Service, and in particular the Framework Program of the Environmental Civic Service is an implementation tool of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development related to sustainability, education, training, information and communication. Furthermore, the experimentation of the Agricultural Civic Service, inspired by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, officially began in September 2024 and is currently in its second iteration, following a call launched in September 2025 and closed on October 15, 2025.

Italian strategy for global citizenship education – drafted in 2017 by a working group composed by both public and non-governmental actors and approved in June 2020 by the Interministerial Committee for Development Cooperation (CICS), it represents the Italian version of the Global citizenship education, a concept developed by UNESCO. This concept concerns the dissemination of the principles of citizenship, peace, sustainability, equity, human rights and diversity. It is the basis for the coordinated formulation of multi-year action plans, which promote practices in formal, non-formal and informal learning processes, as well as information and awareness campaigns. NGOs play a fundamental role in this area, carrying out several global education projects.

Youth interest in global issues

According to a research conducted by IPSOS in 2022, in addition to environmental issues and climate change, young Italians born between 1997 and 2012 (Generation Z) identify as priority actions the redistribution of wealth, the entry of women into the labour market, the increase of interpersonal solidarity and a better work-life balance. Equity, inclusion and respect for diversity are the main elements sought by young people. According to 83% of Generation Z, the consolidation of a green economy and eco-sustainable industries is right or even necessary. Moreover, 60% of them are willing to bear short-term economic limitations in favour of more sustainable practices in the long term, a higher percentage than in other European countries such as Germany (47%), France (44%), Spain (46%) and England (41%).

Based on another IPSOS report from 2025 “La parola ai giovani,” Italian youth aged 18-30 demonstrate awareness of global and social issues, with 16-19% prioritizing climate justice, pacifism, and social equality as guiding values. However, their engagement with these concerns follows a clear pattern: they favor low-barrier digital activism over traditional civic participation. While 50% discuss politics and current affairs with peers, only 27% attend protests or community initiatives, whereas 37% follow activist influencers and 34% share political opinions on social media. Notably, 66% have engaged in or currently engage in volunteer work, representing the strongest form of direct civic commitment in the report. This suggests that Italian youth perceive global challenges and express solidarity through both hands-on volunteering and online platforms, but their commitment to institutional or street-level activism remains more limited. Participation varies significantly by employment status, with NEET youth showing minimal political interest (scoring 5.2 out of 10), indicating that economic precarity correlates with civic disengagement. This trend is possibly related to the continuous evolution of the global context in recent years, which has seen a rapid escalation in the three years separating the two reports.