The 2030 Agenda has significantly increased the demand for high-quality and timely data needed to address the complex, interconnected policy challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals across the economic, social, and environmental dimensions, which aim to include the most vulnerable groups and those that are more difficult to reach and count. This has increased the importance of transformation of national statistical systems so that they are more agile in responding to the increased and rapidly changing data demands.
To respond to these needs, the Data for Now initiative was launched in 2019, co-led by four core partners 1, with the aim to help develop countries' capacities to respond to the urgent data needs for local and national policy and decision-making to achieve the 2030 Agenda. It supports members of the national statistical systems in participating countries to collaborate more effectively with local, national, and global partners from intergovernmental organizations, academia, civil society, and the private sector in the use of new data solutions.
Since its launch, the four core partners have carried out activities in more than 24 countries under the initiative. Activities are focused on leveraging innovative sources, technologies, and methods, ranging from the use of mobile positioning data to the use of natural language processing techniques, for the streamlined production and dissemination of better, more timely, and disaggregated data for sustainable development.
This side event, jointly organized by the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, SDSN TReNDS, WB and UNSD, aims to bring together representatives from countries, international agencies, donors, civil society and private sector to:
- Take stock of the work done so far on innovative partnerships and solutions as part of the initiative.
- Hear from countries on the challenges faced and their plans for sustainability in implementing innovative approaches.
- Discuss upcoming plans, including expansion to involve more countries and partners.
