Held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 22-24 October, the United Nations World Data Forum gathered 1,500 data experts from more than 100 countries, including national statisticians, data scientists from the private and academic sectors, international organizations and civil society groups, seeking to advance innovative solutions for sustainable development. Cepei, as a member of the Forum’s Programme Committee, was present in Dubai.
The Forum, held in Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, and organized by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority of the United Arab States (UAE), with support from the Statistics Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, brought together the main producers and users of data to collaborate and launch innovative initiatives that provide better data on health, migration, refugees, education, income, environment, human rights and other aspects of sustainable development.
In more than 80 sessions, ranging from interactive data labs to more traditional discussion panels, participants had the opportunity to produce innovative and collaborative ideas.
Core themes
Other plenary sessions and dozens of round tables focused on central issues in six main areas agreed upon by the organizing committee, which included:
- New approaches to create and finance national capacity to obtain better data;
- Gather data sources and promote the integration of non-traditional data sources;
- Take advantage of data and statistics to ensure visibility and voice for all, without leaving no one behind;
- Increase information and literacy and statistical communication, including through data journalism;
- Review how much progress we have made in the implementation of the Cape Town Global Action Plan agreed upon at the first UN World Data Forum, and in addressing the emerging challenges.
Cepei, as a member of the Programme Committee, joined the Forum to discuss about how to close the gap between data producers and data users; the technical and institutional capacity of the National Statistical Offices; the potential of South-South cooperation and peer learning to generate better data in the Global South (Big data for Development Network); and to present the data reconciliation pilot on the use of data from the private sector for the SDGs, carried out in Colombia by Cepei, the Bogota Chamber of Commerce and SDSN.
Text source: undataforum.org
Cepei at the UNDataForum
The Director of Cepei, Philipp Schönrock, participated in 1 plenary session, and 3 thematic sessions of the Forum:
- TA4.05 Bringing statistics where opinions and decisions are made | Monday, 23 October, 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (local time) | Dewa Hall
- Role of private sector in supporting the United Arab Emirates government achieve goal 8 ‘Decent work and Economic Growth’ and goal 12 ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’ | Monday, 23 October, 2:40 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. (local time) | UAE Pavillion
- Plenary Session: TA1.01 Who wants to know? The Political Economy of Statistical Capacity | Tuesday, 23 October, 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (local time) | DP World Hall
- TA1.02 Leveraging South-South Cooperation to harness the power of the new data sources | Tuesday, 23 October, 10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.. (local time ) | Abu Dhabi Stat Hall
