DANE hosts Lessons from the Power of Data
On September 9, 2025, Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) hosted Lessons from the Power of Data in Bogotá, bringing DANE leadership together with the Global Partnership for a forward-looking discussion on inclusive data and the final stretch of the SDGs. The program featured opening remarks by Director General Piedad Urdinola Contreras and the Global Partnership’s outgoing CEO, Claire Melamed, a panel on Make Inclusive Data the Norm that drew in voices from government, civil society, and health agencies, and a closing focused on next steps as the SDGs mark ten years.
A highlight of the event was a moment of mutual recognition. DANE presented Claire with a plaque in appreciation of the Global Partnership’s long-standing collaboration in Colombia, and the Global Partnership presented a plaque to DANE’s Director General, Piedad Urdinola Contreras, to celebrate the Colombian statistical office's commitment to the Power of Data.
South-South Cooperation Day centers on innovation and AI
Colombia marked the International Day for South-South Cooperation with a multi-day program in Armenia, Quindío, convening public, private, and territorial actors from across the Global South around innovation in South-South and triangular cooperation. The 2-day agenda featured dialogues on financing, monitoring and evaluation, and data systems that enable collaboration and evidence-based results.
Claire moderated A Digitalized South-South Cooperation: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Optimize Results, a session that explored ethical AI governance, public-private collaboration, and the institutional capacities needed to ensure AI reduces inequalities rather than deepening them. Speakers included Luciana Sabbatine, Elianne Elbaum of Microsoft’s AI Co-Innovation Lab, and Sebastián Adasme of Chile’s CENIA. The interactive format invited participants to share priorities for closing AI gaps across the South.
Why this matters
Together, the Bogotá and Quindío engagements underscored Colombia’s leadership and the Global Partnership’s role in connecting evidence, institutions, and communities. From strengthening inclusive data practices with DANE to shaping practical cooperation on AI, the week’s discussions advanced shared priorities for resilient, people-centered development across the Global South.
What is next
As partners carry these conversations forward, the Global Partnership will continue to support collaboration that links national priorities with global learning, building momentum toward future milestones and collective action.
