On the margins of the 51st session of the UN Statistical Commission, the Thematic Research Network on Data and Statistics (TReNDS) held a discussion on the role of data for sustainable development. The discussants highlighted the lack of data on sustainable development goals (SDGs) indicators in terms of represented geographies and data timeliness. That said, citizen-generated and satellite imagery data were proposed as possible solutions that could help monitor the SDGs.
Speaking on the emergence of public-private data partnerships, discussants noted that they need to be managed carefully and that institutional frameworks should be established in order to manage data sharing.