Abstract

The data world has witnessed dramatic changes owing to the digital revolution; not least the concept of data has changed and broadened. UN Members States are part of a much more complex data world comprising NSOs and systems, civil society, the private sector and international organizations. The 2030Agenda for Sustainable Development, the first global social contract ever, dramatically expanded the boundaries of official statistics, demanding a huge amount of statistical and conceptual development. To meet this challenge, the statistical community came together in an independent process to develop global indicator framework, harnessing both traditional and novel data sources, with a particular focus on leaving no one behind. Together, elements have highlighted the importance of data management and data governance. The 2030Agenda has passed the half point, and it is clear the SDGs are off track. The world needs to accelerate progress; a key element of this acceleration is the digitalization of data. This transition will need to be supported by good data architecture and good data governance. Only with properly governed data can we safely inform individual decisions and address major global challenges.

The UN Statistical Commission discussed the topic “Data Governance – are we really concerned? – A try to create a common understanding of this topic and to understand what the role of NSOs might be” at the high-level Seminar on Friday (23 February 2024). This topic is being discussed by IO as well as by UN Member States. The CCS-UN paper International Data Governance – Pathways to Progress endorsed by the High-level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) and the UN CEB provides an interesting start point. It is noteworthy that the that CCS-UN agreed at their October 2023 meeting to develop a generic UN Data Governance Framework to assist agencies putting in place better data governance.