Using Digital Participatory Platforms for Deliberation Aimed at Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Public administrations increasingly use digital participatory platforms (DPPs) to enhance citizen engagement, support informed dialogue, and improve decision-making aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper examines the role of DPPs in deliberative processes by conceptualizing them as socio-technical systems that combine technological affordances with institutional and procedural conditions. It aims to answer three research questions: 1. How can DPPs support effective deliberation? 2. What is the current level of implementation of DPPs in deliberation worldwide? 3. How do DPPs engage citizens in achieving the SDGs? Drawing on a conceptual-analytic approach and international comparative evidence, the study identifies how DPPs influence representativeness, access to information, deliberative quality, and the co-creation of public value. It highlights the uneven adoption of DPPs worldwide, the risks associated with digital divides, algorithmic opacity, and the potential of emerging AI tools to reshape digital deliberation practices.