Side Event at the High-Level Political Forum 2026 organized by the Permanent Missions of Singapore, Rwanda, and Jamaica to the United Nations, in partnership with the DESA's United Nations Statistics Division under the Data for Now initiative.
This high-level side event will bring together ministers, Permanent Representatives, countries presenting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and key partners to explore how stronger data ecosystems can enable better decisions and accelerate SDG delivery. The discussion will focus on: How robust data ecosystems support effective policymaking, institutional trust, and integrated SDG delivery. The importance of adopting a multi-stakeholder, multi-sectoral, and inclusive approach to address national development needs. Lessons and challenges in digitizing large and diverse data sources, transforming them into official statistics, and building capacity for responsible use of AI to inform policymaking. Priority investments in infrastructure, skills, governance, and partnerships to prepare data systems for now and the future.
