UN Secretary-General Circulates Report on High-Level Group for Partnership on Statistics for Sustainable Development

Geneva, 22 February 2025 - The United Nations Secretary-General has circulated a report outlining the outcomes of the Fifth UN Data Forum and plans for the sixth world data forum. The report also indicates that the High-level Group for Partnership, Coordination and Capacity-Building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development wishes to update its terms of reference.

The report was discussed at the 56th session of the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC), scheduled to take place in New York from March 4-7, 2025. The UNSC meeting will provide a forum for Member States, international partners, and other stakeholders to discuss key issues raised by the High-level Group.

The report highlights the successes of the Fifth UN World Data Forum, held in Medellín, Colombia, where over 2,000 participants from more than 120 countries gathered to discuss global data challenges. The forum featured various events, including high-level plenary sessions, panel discussions, short talks, learning labs, and demonstration sessions.

The Sixth UN World Data Forum, tentatively scheduled for November 9-12, 2026, will be hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. According to the report, this edition of the forum aims to carry forward global action on sustainable development data for the remainder of the 2030 Agenda.

The High-level Group for Partnership was established in 2015 and is composed of representatives from 22 national statistical offices. The Group has made significant progress in advancing global cooperation on statistics for sustainable development, with notable achievements including the launch of the Cape Town Global Action Plan in 2017 and the adoption of the Medellín Framework for action in 2024.

The report also highlights the Group's efforts to improve its operational efficiency and effectiveness. The high-level group wishes to update its terms of reference and adopt a new work plan, which will be discussed at the 56th session of the UNSC.

Key outcomes of the Fifth UN World Data Forum include:

• The launch of the Medellín Framework for action, which outlines 12 new priorities organized under four areas
• The adoption of the report on global data community's response to COVID-19 launched during the virtual UN Data Forum in 2020.