UN Statistics Group Meeting In Riyadh Advances Data Integration For Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations High-Level Group for Partnership, Coordination and Capacity Building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (HLG-PCCB) continued its 40th meeting at the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in Riyadh. Heads of national statistical offices and representatives from regional and international statistical organizations participated. Discussions focused on enhancing integration among international statistical systems, strengthening national capacities, and exploring innovative data use to support decision-making and achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

In conjunction with the meeting, GASTAT organized a panel discussion titled "Utilizing Advanced Technologies and Methodologies to Enhance Statistical Organizations and Enable Sustainable Development." This event was part of the "Road to Riyadh" program. Participants included GASTAT President Fahad Al-Dossari, Bulgaria National Statistical Institute President Atanas Atanasov, Swiss Federal Statistical Office International and National Affairs Unit Head Benjamin Rothen, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics President Ola Awad, Chinese National Bureau of Statistics Deputy Commissioner Ruan Jianhong, Singapore Department of Statistics Policy Planning Director Tang Hsiu Chin, and PARIS21 Executive Head Johannes Jütting.

Speakers emphasized the crucial role of national statistical offices in advancing data methodologies. They highlighted leveraging modern technologies to improve statistics quality and support evidence-based decision-making. The rapid advancement of emerging technologies contributes to integrated digital data ecosystems capable of delivering timely indicators within national statistical systems.

Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the sixth United Nations World Data Forum in November 2026. The "Road to Riyadh" program includes workshops and panel discussions at local, regional, and international levels. These initiatives aim to highlight Saudi Arabia’s statistical, developmental, and economic advancements.

Sustained international cooperation is essential for advancing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Strategic partnerships can improve quality and coverage, accelerate data delivery, and promote resource efficiency by reducing reliance on traditional survey methods. Strengthening national statistical offices requires progress on regulatory frameworks for data governance.

Expanding secure cloud-based solutions is vital for linking administrative records across key sectors such as health and labor markets. Adopting predictive analytics methodologies can broaden data use while ensuring privacy and security. Producing synthetic data also drives tangible progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

In his opening remarks, GASTAT President Fahad Al-Dossari highlighted Saudi Arabia’s preparations through the "Road to Riyadh" program. This year-long initiative includes various workshops aimed at enhancing statistical capabilities at multiple levels.

The discussions underscored that strengthening readiness involves clear regulatory frameworks for data governance. It also requires expanding secure cloud-based solutions and linking administrative records across key sectors like health and labor markets.

The meeting concluded with a focus on adopting predictive analytics methodologies to broaden data use while ensuring privacy and security. This approach aims to drive tangible progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

With inputs from SPA