Stronger education and competence are prerequisites for achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda. By means of education, research, cultural, youth and sport policies, it is possible to participate in the promotion of all goals of the 2030 Agenda. This means equal realisation of educational rights, high-quality early childhood education and care, higher levels of competence and education, continuous learning, access to information, cultural rights, well-being and participation. Measures taken in the Ministry's administrative branch can promote a cultural change, which is a prerequisite for a change towards comprehensive sustainable development.

In 2017, the Ministry set up a working group on sustainable development with the intention of promoting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in its administrative branch. In accordance with its mandate, the working group has drawn up a policy, the preparation of which was preceded by an open consultation process implemented in 2018. The consultation process consisted of workshops and online consultation and was aimed at actors and stakeholders in the Ministry's administrative sector.