With the emergence of populist regimes pushing back on facts, TReNDS member, Jonathan Glennie, reflects on how intergovernmental institutions, including the UN, can play a role in countering data deniers and holding governments accountable.
Read MoreIncreasingly, policymakers and the general public demand both timely and quality data so we can understand how the world is developing. But despite living in an era of unprecedented technological boom and innovation, the truth is that much our data is wildly out of date. Many claim there is a silver bullet. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) between governments and the data and technology giants, all supposedly sitting on a goldmine of big data just waiting to be tapped. But for every one of these exciting shiny examples, there is a graveyard of failed collaborations. Why do some data collaborations succeed while others fail, and what can be done to ensure more effective public-private data sharing and collaboration?
Read MoreWe are on the cusp of another wave of disruptive technological innovation as 5G specifications, greater computing power, shrewd algorithms and very cheap internet-connected chips start to congregate around clever business ideas. If some estimates are to be believed, there’ll be a trillion devices connected to the internet by 2025. The sheer scale of connectivity will mean that our digital footprints will become significantly larger than they currently are, further blurring the lines between reality and cyberspace. If the snapshots of people’s lives in 2030 above were to materialise, what are the opportunities and risks inherent to those two realities? And, crucially for those of us who work in the data revolution for sustainable development, what are the things we need to start thinking about now to mitigate future risks?
Read MoreFour years on from the adoption of the SDGs, is the data revolution really happening? Jonathan Glennie takes stock.
Read MoreWhen national leadership on the SDGs is missing, local policymakers can and should step up–and they can do so with the help of data. Read our contributed piece for Apolitical here.
Read MoreJonathan Glennie asks, Can we counter the data counter-revolution? From surveillance to data governance, he examines the delicate balance struck between data and power.
Read MoreJonathan Glennie reflects on institutional innovation in an interview with the UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority’s Malik Al Madani.
Read MoreJonathan Glennie discusses how local data can fill gaps, encourage context-specific policies, and inspire local activism.
Read MoreAs the 73rd UN General Assembly kicks off in New York, Jonathan Glennie reflects on how making data central to its mission would make the UN more relevant than ever.
Read MoreTom Moultrie reflects on a core guiding principle of the SDG framework–that “no one should be left behind”.
Read MoreSeptember 21, 2015 – There is growing recognition that the success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will be adopted on September 25 at a special United Nations summit, will depend on the ability of governments, businesses, and civil society to harness data for decision-making.
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