New York, USA and Nairobi, Kenya – 29 June 2017
The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (the Global Partnership) has named the 17 members of its newly established Board, with Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed, among them. Established in 2015, the Global Partnership is a growing network of more than 250 organizations drawn from governments, charities, businesses, and UN agencies. Partnership member organizations act as data champions working around the world to harness the data revolution for sustainable development. A focus is on data for the achievement and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“I have long been committed to the data revolution cause and today I am pleased to have been selected as the Honorary Chair of the Board of the Global Partnership. To achieve the Global Goals, every region needs to bring together its brightest minds, its best ideas, and its data, to help people facing poverty, hunger and humanitarian emergencies,” said Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed.
The Board is drawn from Civil Society, Private Sector, UN and Governments. Board Members include: Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO of Plan International, Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of Ghana, Bob Collymore, CEO of Safaricom, and Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, MIT Professor. A full list of Board members can be found below. A Technical Advisory Group (TAG) will provide sectoral and working level expertise on areas including open data, statistics, citizen voices, earth observation technologies and remote sensing.
“I am immensely grateful that this stellar group of individuals are lending their considerable expertise and experience to guide the Global Partnership in achieving the political commitment, collaboration and concrete action that will make the data revolution a true reality. I am particularly pleased that both the Board and Technical Advisory Group are gender balanced and regionally representative,” said Claire Melamed, Executive Director of the the Global Partnership.
The Board’s inaugural meeting will take place during the UN General Assembly in September 2017, where the group will choose its own Chair and Deputy Chair. Early actions will include approving the direction of the Global Partnership's overall strategy, its annual workplan, and budget. Additional governance responsibilities include making major policy decisions, choosing new Board members or a replacement Executive Director if there is a need, and contributing individually to advocacy and resource mobilization to advance the Global Partnership's mission.
The announcement was made at a High-Level Meeting on ‘Data for Development in Africa’, on June 29th in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted by the Global Partnership, the Governments of Kenya and Sierra Leone, and Safaricom.
Press enquiries: Jennifer Oldfield JOldfield@data4sdgs.org +1 347 327 6568
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About the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (the Global Partnership) is a growing network of more than 250 organizations that act as data champions working around the world, harnessing the data revolution for sustainable development. Among these champions are governments, charities, businesses, and UN agencies. Since it was created in 2015, the Global Partnership has elevated data issues at a political level, launched a multi-million-dollar Collaborative Data Innovations for Sustainable Development funding initiative, and supported the advancement of country-led Data Roadmaps for Sustainable Development in: Colombia, Kenya, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and elsewhere. Learn more at: http://www.data4sdgs.org.
The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data is hosted by the United Nations Foundation.
About the United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by philanthropic, corporate, government, and individual donors. Learn more at: www.unfoundation.org.