Data policies, scientific approaches needed to mobilize action for sustainable development: expert
Arirang News
2019-10-24
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Today October 24th is United Nations Day a day to celebrate the work of the global body and its efforts to build peace, cooperation and prosperity across the world.
At a forum held by a UN agency and Arirang TV, an expert stressed the need for stronger cooperation between all actors in this rapidly-changing digital society.
Oh Soo-young reports.
All sectors of society need to play a role to ensure no one is left behind amid disturbances and changes brought by the digital revolution.
In an interview with Arirang TV, Dr. David Horan, a researcher at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network stressed the need for sturdier partnerships within and between countries to achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2016.
"We're beginning of you know digital revolution and you know that's going to take off. We need in place social safety nets, good governance structures..."
Under the mantra of leaving no one behind, the UN's SDGs aim to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve low carbon economies as well as peaceful and just societies, and ensure human rights for all.
But to bring about "transformative" steps towards these goals, collaboration is needed between multiple sectors and interest groups as well as governments.
Horan says governments should help encourage an effective bottom-up approach by engaging their citizens, businesses and academia to take part in initiatives for sustainable development.
"They're actually key to doing this. They provide the legitimacy. a lot of organizations that should be involved in partnerships to achieve transformations they probably don't have the resources. So we need to set up some time of almost like a research grant scheme that enables those organizations to participate in partnerships."
A recent UN report highlights the use of scientific, evidence-based data and tools to keep track of progress and enhance policy-making to advance the SDGs.
South Korea has been using open government data to improve the lives of citizens and also help them develop solutions to societal problems.
Examples include a voting app on city policies and opening up a big data center to encourage start-ups.
Experts say these cases could be strong examples of encouraging bottom-up action to induce new value creation to advance sustainable development.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News, Incheon.
At a forum held by a UN agency and Arirang TV, an expert stressed the need for stronger cooperation between all actors in this rapidly-changing digital society.
Oh Soo-young reports.
All sectors of society need to play a role to ensure no one is left behind amid disturbances and changes brought by the digital revolution.
In an interview with Arirang TV, Dr. David Horan, a researcher at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network stressed the need for sturdier partnerships within and between countries to achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2016.
"We're beginning of you know digital revolution and you know that's going to take off. We need in place social safety nets, good governance structures..."
Under the mantra of leaving no one behind, the UN's SDGs aim to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve low carbon economies as well as peaceful and just societies, and ensure human rights for all.
But to bring about "transformative" steps towards these goals, collaboration is needed between multiple sectors and interest groups as well as governments.
Horan says governments should help encourage an effective bottom-up approach by engaging their citizens, businesses and academia to take part in initiatives for sustainable development.
"They're actually key to doing this. They provide the legitimacy. a lot of organizations that should be involved in partnerships to achieve transformations they probably don't have the resources. So we need to set up some time of almost like a research grant scheme that enables those organizations to participate in partnerships."
A recent UN report highlights the use of scientific, evidence-based data and tools to keep track of progress and enhance policy-making to advance the SDGs.
South Korea has been using open government data to improve the lives of citizens and also help them develop solutions to societal problems.
Examples include a voting app on city policies and opening up a big data center to encourage start-ups.
Experts say these cases could be strong examples of encouraging bottom-up action to induce new value creation to advance sustainable development.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News, Incheon.
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