Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Aldossari, President of the General Authority for Statistics, led the Saudi delegation at the Fifth United Nations World Data Forum, held in Medellín, Colombia, from November 12 to 15, 2024. The event brought together representatives from 193 UN member states, during which Saudi Arabia was officially awarded the right to host the forum's sixth edition in Riyadh in 2026.
During the forum, GASTAT President attended the official meeting of the High-Level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity Building in Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (HLG-PCCB). The meeting focused on the group's expectations for the sixth edition of the forum, which will be hosted in Riyadh in 2026, and discussed the key topics to be addressed as preparations begin. Aldossari reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's readiness to host the forum, ensuring all necessary resources are provided to make it an exceptional event that underscores the importance of statistical work. He highlighted the Kingdom's advanced capabilities to host the forum and expressed hope that the event would help advance efforts to deliver high-quality data and statistical indicators, contributing to more informed assessments of progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in member countries.
On another hand, Aldossari participated as a keynote speaker in the forum's sessions, where he shared Saudi Arabia's experience in statistical work. He highlighted the role of the General Authority for Statistics as an independent entity in producing statistical data, which has been developed based on the solid foundations of the official national statistical system established over 65 years ago as the official source of data. He also emphasized GASTAT’s contribution to supporting decision-makers and policymakers, praising the support and empowerment the statistical sector in Saudi Arabia receives in helping achieve the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
In the same context, GASTAT President held several bilateral meetings with heads of international organizations, committees, and global statistical bodies. This included a discussion with the Director of the United Nations Statistics Division, Stefan Schweinfest, on the role of statistical data in sustainable development, its contribution to improving quality of life, and its support for policymakers and decision-makers in countries. Aldossari also met with his counterparts from the statistical offices of Palestine, Switzerland, and Colombia, emphasizing that the data produced by GASTAT, and its counterparts worldwide is a vital component of developmental work and the well-being of citizens. Furthermore, he highlighted how statistical data and indicators contribute to a comprehensive vision that helps build development plans on scientific foundations and called for the exchange of expertise and the sharing of experiences between countries to achieve mutual benefit and integration.
On the sidelines of the forum, GASTAT President also held separate meetings with the CEO of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, the President of the Open Data Organization, and the President of the Paris 21 Organization, which focuses on statistics for development. They discussed opportunities for collaboration and how to leverage the experiences provided by these organizations. Dr. Aldossari also highlighted the General Authority for Statistics' efforts in developing its statistical system and its international initiatives to strengthen cooperation in the field of global statistics.
It is worth noting that the Fifth United Nations World Data Forum, held in Colombia, Latin America, focused on updating the global action plan for sustainable development data. Over 3,000 leaders in the field of statistics from governments, national statistical offices, the private sector, academic institutions, civil society, and other organizations involved in statistical work took part in the forum. The event provided a platform to present and discuss innovations in data usage, as well as to strengthen trust, protection, partnerships, and coordination within the sector.
As all countries around the world strive to implement their programs for the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the data and statistics community at the Fifth United Nations World Data Forum worked to launch an updated sustainable development action plan. This plan includes 12 new priorities along with a series of actions and commitments aimed at achieving high-quality, accurate, and comprehensive data to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The updated action plan represents the second generation of the Cape Town Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development Data, which was first introduced at the inaugural United Nations World Data Forum in 2017.