Page 153 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 1

IPS124 Misha B. et al.
1. Introduction
From 2000-2015, the UN system was guided by the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs centered around eight goals, twenty
one targets and 60 indicators. The goals were focused primarily on affecting
change within developing countries and had ambitions such as halving
extreme poverty. The indicators primarily focused on challenges faced by
developing countries. The indicators came from well-established indicators
produced through national statistical systems. Despite these indicators being
well defined, there were still challenges around the accuracy, timeliness, and
precision of the indicators. However, the data challenges were around data
collected by national statistical offices, primarily using national household
surveys or well-established tools.
Beginning in 2012, the UN began a process to identify a new agenda for
2015-2030 with an Open Working Group. The Open Working Group involved
nearly sixty member states from all regions of the world. These groups
identified a desire to keep some of the key issues embodied in the MDGs
around social indicators but sought to expand the agenda to focus more on
environmental indicators, peace and security, and inclusive development
(Open Working Group 2012).
In parallel with the Open Working Group, the UN Secretary General formed
a High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons to discuss the post-2015 agenda. This
panel had senior officials from government, the private sector, think tanks and
academia. They issued a call for “a data revolution for sustainable
development.” Such a data revolution would focus on filling gaps in data to
improve monitoring of progress, the allocation of resources, and to boost
accountability for governments and private sector actors. On data from the
private sector, the panel wrote, “Only a few progressive, large businesses try
to account for their social and environmental footprint. The Panel proposes
that, in future – at latest by 2030 – all large businesses should be reporting on
their environmental and social impact – or explain why if they are not doing
so.” (United Nations, 2013, p. 24). Such a framework for international statistics
provides a significant shift from the MDG approach to data.
Following the recommendations of the High-Level Group, the UN
Secretary General created the Independent Expert Advisory Group on a Data
Revolution for Sustainable Development. This group produced a report on the
data revolution. The report makes several points about the role of private
interests. The private sector can be one of the key sources of innovations and
the governments can occupy a key role in balancing public and private
interests (United Nations, 2015).
In response to the Independent Expert Advisory Group, the Global
Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) was created. The
GPSDD, currently hosted by the UN Foundation, boasts nearly 300 members,

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