UN World Data Forum 2023 China Plenary Session Held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang
On April 25, the National Bureau of Statistics of China hosted the United Nations World Data Forum 2023 China Plenary Session in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, under the theme “New Opportunities and Challenges: Data for Decision, Governance, and Innovation”. Kang Yi, Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Commissioner of the National Bureau of Statistics, attended the session and delivered a keynote speech. In attendance was Li Junhua, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Lin Tao, Member of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Deputy Director of the National Bureau of Statistics, also attended the session, while Mao Shengyong, Member of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Deputy Commissioner of the National Bureau of Statistics, presided over the session.
Kang Yi pointed out that data, as a fundamental strategic resource, an important productive force and crucial production factor, have fundamentally changed the global economic operation mechanism, social production and the way people live. It has expanded the space and injected new impetus to improving national governance and promoting global sustainable development, while also bringing opportunities and challenges to government statistical work. The utilization of data for decision-making, governance, and innovation has progressively emerged as a shared consensus and positive action in many countries.
Kang Yi emphasized that the National Bureau of Statistics of China has been keeping up with the digital trend and making persistent efforts to advance the modernization reform of statistics, optimize statistical monitoring and analysis, accelerate the digital transformation of statistics, and actively engage in international statistical exchanges. The Bureau has conducted a series of beneficial explorations and practices aimed at supporting data-driven decision-making, deepening data governance, promoting data innovation, and fostering data cooperation. These efforts have made a positive contribution to advancing the global statistical undertaking. In the future, the Bureau will further strengthen the integration, convergence, sharing, as well as development and utilization of data resources, enhance the monitoring of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations, and contribute intellectual strength to the global data and statistical capacity building.
At the China Plenary Session, Stefan Schweinfest, Director of the United Nations Statistics Division, provided commentary on the keynote speech and commended the achievements of National Bureau of Statistics of China in data innovation and cooperation. He also expressed appreciation for the proactive efforts made by the Bureau. Other reports were presented by Wu Shengfeng, Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Statistics, Liu Tanren, Deputy Manager of SF Technology Co., Ltd., Fu Haishan, Director of the World Bank’s Development Data Group, Rachael Beaven, Director of the Statistics Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Guo Huadong, Director General of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, and Liu Qiao, Dean of the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. Their report are titled “Digital Transformation of Government: The Zhejiang Experience”, “Leveraging Big Data to Drive Enterprise Transformation and Development”, “China’s Poverty Monitoring and Poverty Alleviation: Implications for Developing Countries”, “Statistics for Happiness and Development: Monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals in the Asia-Pacific Region”, “Earth Big Data Driving the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals”, and “‘Beyond GDP’: Monitoring and Evaluation Indicator System for United Nations Sustainable Development Goals based on the New Development Concept.”, respectively. Corresponding comments were made by Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, Ayache Khellaf, Secretary-General of the High Commission for Planning of Morocco, Wang Xiaojun, Dean of the School of Statistics at Renmin University of China, Jiang Xiheng, Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Development Research Center of the State Council, He Xuming, President-Elect of the International Statistical Institute and Chair of the Department of Statistics at the University of Michigan, and Lay Chhan, Deputy Director General of the National Institute of Statistics of Cambodia.
Around 800 representatives from international organizations such as the United Nations and its agencies in China, statistical and data management departments of governments from around the world, academic institutions at home and abroad, Chinese government sectors, and business communities attended the session.