Switzerland involved in global action plan on role of statistics in sustainable development

The first UN World Data Forum was held in Cape Town, South Africa on 15-18 January. It concluded with the presentation of a global action plan in which Switzerland has been actively involved. Switzerland was represented by a mixed delegation from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

Neuchâtel/Bern, 20-Jan-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — The main theme of the forum was the role of official statistics and data in the implementation and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were adopted by the UN member states in September 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Cape Town Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development Data was presented on the last day of the event which brought together over 1400 participants from more than 100 countries. It covers a total of six areas in which substantial progress is to be targeted in the coming years. These areas include the innovation and modernisation of statistical systems and the development of partnerships. Actions were defined for these areas to set out their implementation over the next few years. The action plan highlights the importance of statistics in the implementation process and during regular monitoring. It was developed in active cooperation with Switzerland and is expected to be officially approved by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2017.

The Director of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), Prof. Dr. Georges-Simon Ulrich and Ambassador Michael Gerber, Special Envoy for Global Sustainable Development, both played an active role in the event, which reinforced Switzerland’s international commitment and profile in connection with the implementation of 2030 Agenda.

The FSO and the FDFA have been working in close cooperation since the development and negotiation of 2030 Agenda. This has enabled Switzerland to take a key role in international discussion concerning the implementation and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals from the outset.

SOURCE: Swiss government

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