This event invites the NGO and CSO community in Africa to engage with the Power of Data initiative and discuss how they can contribute to its objectives. It will also provide an opportunity for the PoD governments and co-leads to speak directly to the NGO and CSO community to communicate their objectives and vision for engagement with them and jointly outline paths forward.
Time: 1pm UTC / 4pm EAT / 8am ET
The event will be held in English and French with live translation for both languages available.
Background
Data is the fuel that powers progress across all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Analysis by Dalberg of past investments has shown an average return of US$32 for every dollar invested in data systems, spread across sectors.
Stronger data systems will revolutionize decision making, accelerate countries’ digital transformation agendas, and open up economic opportunities, for a more equal and sustainable world. Countries and their development partners need to act now if they are not to be left behind.
One of the key vehicles for this transformation is the ‘Power of Data: Unlocking the Data Dividend for the SDGs’, one of twelve High Impact Initiatives launched alongside the UN SDG Summit in September 2023. At the heart of this initiative are cutting-edge national data partnerships in 15 countries. These partnerships – driven by strong political leadership at a national level – are bringing together governments, tech companies, civil society, donors and others to build on existing strategies and plans to strengthen the use of data and drive progress on the SDGs and other national priorities. The Power of Data is co-led by the World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDESA, CCS-UN and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data.
It will not be possible to achieve these goals by governments and the co-leads alone. Engaging civil society will be essential to fully operationalize the National Data Partnerships. Civil society organizations have extensive programs in many of the National Data Partnership countries that will be fundamental partners in the collection and use of data for the SDGs. Civil society is also leading the charge on advocating for the importance and impact of data in achieving the SDGs and harnessing the power of this advocacy will be essential in the success of the initiative.