UN World Data Forum 2021
The Swiss Confederation organised, in cooperation with the UN, the third edition of the United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF) 2021, held from Sunday 3rd to Wednesday 6th October 2021 in Bern.
The UNWDF is an event of global importance directly related to data for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda). It provides a space for discussion between different communities of data producers and users. Bringing together these communities and harnessing the power of technology and other innovative tools are both essential to fulfil the data demands of the 2030 Agenda. Also open to representatives of the economy, science, media, national statistical offices, as well as other administrations and fields, this community can engage in a productive dialogue and identify ways to mobilise the necessary resources for data development. The purpose of the forum is therefore to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda with disaggregated, high quality data. These must be accessible, timely and reliable in order to objectively assess the situation in the various countries and to allow all data producers, including those outside the traditional statistical systems, to present innovative approaches for data compilation, processing and communication.
Road to Bern
As host country for the third forum, Switzerland seized this opportunity by developing the “Road to Bern” programme, which launched the debate for the United Nations World Data Forum. The “Road to Bern Concept” developed by the Swiss Confederation in cooperation with relevant stakeholders describes how the UN World Data Forum can be supported by discussions. Within the framework of Road to Bern, the Confederation will participate in existing conferences organised by external partners, and both at national and international level organise its own events, to discuss the topics of the UNWDF.
In 2020 and 2021, Road to Bern had two main goals:
- to support the debate of topics that will be discussed at the UNWDF 2021;
- to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Switzerland.
More precisely, Road to Bern aimed to achieve the following goals:
- To highlight the added value of official statistics for evidence-based policy-making and democratic debate;
- To promote and consolidate the dialogue between private and official data producers and data users;
- To highlight and reinforce the role of official statistics in monitoring the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and public policies in Switzerland;
- To share and build expertise in measuring sustainable development both in Switzerland and also with other countries and all institutional, private and associative stakeholders;
- To raise awareness and prepare the producers and users of statistical data for the aims of the UNWDF.
