In the past, data capabilities across the United Nations were often an isolated concern – confined to statistics or information technology departments. Today, data permeate every aspect of our work.
Modern methods in statistics, analytics and machine learning help us to understand not just what happened but also why it happened, what may happen next and how to respond. If we learn to harness data responsibly, we can accelerate every agenda we serve.
Farmers in the global South face low crop yields, and up to 900 million people suffer from severe food insecurity. With modern data expertise, for example, United Nations entities can support Member States in combining satellite imagery and data on weather and soil conditions to help subsistence farmers – most of whom are women – to select better crops.
Nurturing modern data capacities is about making shifts in expertise, processes and technology so that entities improve how they collect, handle, govern and use data from more diverse sources to generate deeper insights for better decisions – powered by advanced analytics, machine learning and visualization techniques.
“At the core of our Strategy is a simple idea: We start with data action that adds immediate value for our organization and the people we serve.”
The Strategy was designed with a coalition-based and overarching approach to help everyone in the UN family deliver more value from data, in a responsible manner.
Despite progress, we are only at the beginning of the necessary changes in the UN family to unleash our full data potential. Read more from the policy brief chapter on how to drive internal changes and support us in this journey.
How UN leadership, colleagues and youth from across the globe are getting inspired by and sparking action around UN 2.0
We have to work hard together to make the most of all data sources – and to do so safely – to increase our impact for children.
We have to work hard together to make the most of all data sources – and to do so safely – to increase our impact for children.
In this era, new sources of value creation are emerging based on knowledge, big data, and intelligent systems, and with them new ways to enhance productivity, social well-being, and sustainability.
In this era, new sources of value creation are emerging based on knowledge, big data, and intelligent systems, and with them new ways to enhance productivity, social well-being, and sustainability.
Data powers progress across the SDGs by helping us see who is being left behind, where they are, why they are vulnerable and how to respond.
Data powers progress across the SDGs by helping us see who is being left behind, where they are, why they are vulnerable and how to respond.
Reducing the human costs of weapons requires collecting authoritative data on arms and their impacts on civilians, sustainable development, and gender equality.
Reducing the human costs of weapons requires collecting authoritative data on arms and their impacts on civilians, sustainable development, and gender equality.
Through three functional pillars—intergovernmental support, analysis and capacity development—UN DESA will continue to help Member States build a sustainable future by providing the vital data, policy guidance and other resources they need to shape global discourse, make informed decisions, and support intergovernmental processes so that they can better respond to the multi-dimensional, systemic risks facing today’s increasingly interconnected world.
Through three functional pillars—intergovernmental support, analysis and capacity development—UN DESA will continue to help Member States build a sustainable future by providing the vital data, policy guidance and other resources they need to shape global discourse, make informed decisions, and support intergovernmental processes so that they can better respond to the multi-dimensional, systemic risks facing today’s increasingly interconnected world.
Using data-driven inputs to create better and longer-lasting change in the world and usher in a new era of data will solve the outstanding issues we are all currently facing. This has a ripple effect on policy and framework formulation, the effective and efficient use of resources, and the creation of better solutions across the board.
Using data-driven inputs to create better and longer-lasting change in the world and usher in a new era of data will solve the outstanding issues we are all currently facing. This has a ripple effect on policy and framework formulation, the effective and efficient use of resources, and the creation of better solutions across the board.
In a time of unprecedented global challenges, UN 2.0 is inspiring because it offers a way forward. By embracing a data-driven, innovation-focused approach, the UN can become more agile and adaptive in responding to the world’s most pressing problems. UN 2.0 is helping to shape a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future for all!
In a time of unprecedented global challenges, UN 2.0 is inspiring because it offers a way forward. By embracing a data-driven, innovation-focused approach, the UN can become more agile and adaptive in responding to the world’s most pressing problems. UN 2.0 is helping to shape a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future for all!
UN 2.0 is about leveraging our connections across the globe, with teams and projects active in over 160 countries. Click on the map to learn more.
The location indicators on this map are illustrative and do not necessarily show where entities are based. The depiction and use of boundaries, geographic names and related data shown on maps are not guaranteed to be error free, nor do they imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
In collaboration with Google, WFP’s SKAI model leverages AI and satellites to quickly assess disaster impacts, streamlining humanitarian responses and significantly reducing costs and time.
An AI model, built in collaboration with Dataminr, extracts information about attacks against human rights defenders with the goal of improve situational awareness and safety measures.
The Data For Now initiative (Data4Now), aims to develop countries’ capacities to deliver the information needed by local and national policy and decision makers to design effective development strategies and policy programmes to achieve the 2030 Agenda and make a positive difference in people’s lives. To this end, it supports members of the National Statistical Systems in participating countries to leverage innovative sources, technologies, methods and partnerships for the streamlined production and dissemination of better, more timely and disaggregated data for sustainable development. In this context, it also supports effective collaboration between members of the National Statistical System, local, national, and global partners from intergovernmental organizations, academia, civil society, and the private sector. Visit our website for more information: https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/capacity-development/data-for-now/
Data Insights for Social & Humanitarian Action, also known as Disha, is a multi-partner initiative that aims to accelerate ethical and responsible access to data and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to unlock social impact at scale.
Unlock the world’s demographic secrets with UNFPA’s Population Data Portal, your comprehensive source for up-to-the-minute population and development data.
The Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) collects and analyzes data on mobility, vulnerabilities, and needs of displaced populations. It tracked over 97.7 million people in 2022, informing humanitarian response plans in 86% of cases.
UNESCO is committed to processing personal data in an accountable, non-discriminatory, and gender sensitive manner.
The Centre for Humanitarian Data enhances the utilization and influence of data in the humanitarian sector, providing free data services, promoting data literacy, ensuring data responsibility, and enabling predictive analytics to enable informed decision-making in humanitarian situations.
The Handbook highlights the benefits of non-traditional data and innovative methods in understanding migration, while addressing ethical data issues.
The World Food Programme has unveiled its inaugural data strategy, marking a significant milestone in leveraging data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
By 2025, UNHCR aims to be a trusted leader on data and information related to refugees and other affected populations, thereby enabling actions that protect, include and empower.
To operationalize its Data Principles, UNDP is developing a corporate data strategy to accelerate its transformation into a data-driven organisation.
Design more data-driven programmes and projects and develop advisory capacities to assist Member States in building data ecosystems for impact.
Learn along real use cases that create immediate value for those we serve and deepen our core strengths in data collection and analytics, while investing in responsible advanced analytics and data sharing.
Empower teams with data literacy training, data-savvy cultures and scaled up centres of excellence, engage all UN leadership, integrate data expertise across job profiles, leverage technology, and align governance and metrics.
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