The Interim Steering Group of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (Global Partnership) is pleased to announce that it has selected Dr. Claire Melamed as the organization’s first-ever Executive Director.
In her new role, which she is expected to assume in October 2016, Dr. Melamed will lead an unprecedented, open, global network of public, private and civil society institutions working to harness the data revolution for sustainable development.
Dr. Melamed has worked throughout her career to elevate the importance of data for understanding and addressing development challenges. She currently serves as Managing Director at the Overseas Development Institute (“ODI”), heading the U.K.-based think tank’s work on the post-2015 global sustainable development agenda, focusing on measuring poverty and inequality and on using these insights to improve policy and outcomes. ODI is an Anchor Partner of the Partnership.
Dr. Melamed has been involved with a number of “data revolution” initiatives, including as lead author and editor of “A World That Counts,” an influential report commissioned by the United Nations Secretary-General on the importance of data to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”). She also helped to convene the Cartagena Data Festival and co-led the My World survey, which gathered 9.7 million responses from participants around the world about their development priorities.
“The Global Partnership is stronger, more influential and catalyzing greater impact than anyone could have imagined when we announced its formation just over a year ago,” said Professor Sanjeev Khagram, who will transition out of his role of coordinator, convener and architect of the Global Partnership's start-up phase. “Dr. Claire Melamed has a proven track record of global leadership in the data for sustainable development ecosystem. I am confident she will help the Partnership succeed in achieving its ambitious goals in the coming years."
Kathy Calvin, President and CEO of the United Nations Foundation, the Partnership's institutional host, said: "Under Professor Sanjeev Khagram’s leadership, the Global Partnership team has built an unprecedented network of Data Champions working together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. As institutional host of the Global Partnership, the United Nations Foundation welcomes Dr. Claire Melamed, whose strategic vision and leadership will build on that early momentum to drive impact around the world.”
Dr. Melamed said: “I am honored and excited to be joining the Global Partnership as Executive Director. Data is the raw material for so many good changes we want to see in the world. Thanks to the incredible energy and enthusiasm of the Partnership’s Champions, of Sanjeev Khagram, and of the Interim Secretariat, the Partnership is a thriving, exciting and dynamic organization, already making a difference to how data is produced and used for sustainable development. I look forward to working with all current and future Data Champions to ensure that the opportunities of the data revolution are available to all and are harnessed for the benefit of all people and the whole planet.”
Since its political launch in September 2015 at the UN General Assembly, the Global Partnership has convened, connected and catalyzed innovative collaborations and bold commitments to harnessing the data revolution for sustainable development from more than 150 institutions. Earlier this month, the Partnership announced a new multi-million dollar funding initiative supported by the World Bank’s Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building to support collaborative data innovations for sustainable development, and it unveiled the Data4SDGs Toolbox to help countries craft and implement Data Roadmaps for Sustainable Development.