An International Implementation Scheme (IIS) has been elaborated by UNESCO. The IIS is a strategic document focusing on what should be achieved through the DESD at national level and under UNESCO's leadership. It summarizes the goals and objectives of the Decade and its relationship to other key education movements, and emphasizes the importance of partnership.

In pursuing education for sustainable development, a holistic understanding of sustainable development, based on international debates and initiatives of previous years, has been developed. Three key areas are integral parts of this understanding: society, environment and economy, with culture as an underlying dimension. Education for sustainable development aims at education of high quality which is interdisciplinary, values-driven, multi-method, locally relevant and leading to critical thinking, problem solving and participatory decision-making.

As the DESD is firmly rooted in a holistic perspective of life-wide and lifelong learning, a series of UIL's activities are carried out in support of the Decade. Concretely, an international symposium is planned on applied concepts and practices of education for sustainable development with regard to literacy, non-formal education, adult and lifelong learning. It is expected that CONFINTEA VI will take up a range of issues with regard to adult education for sustainable development. Moreover, UIL supports the "Northern German Partnership in support of DESD."

UIL Cluster on Lifelong Learning
CONFINTEA VI
UNESCO Website on DESD
UNESCO's DESD Implementation Scheme