Remarks by Angel Gurría,

Secretary-General, OECD

New York, 28 September 2015

(As prepared for delivery)

 

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

 

It is my pleasure to participate in this historic launch of the new Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data.

 

We have no time to lose. The 2030 agenda gives us just 800 weeks to lift 800 million people out of extreme poverty.

 

I am excited by the launch of this partnership. It can play a crucial role in driving a data revolution that improves lives and helps us make the right decisions to speed our progress towards the SDGs.

 

At the OECD, data is in our DNA. For over 50 years we have been collecting timely, accurate, high-quality data to support balanced growth and development. And we are constantly innovating. We have spent more than a decade pioneering measures of progress that go beyond the traditional focus on GDP, to look at well-being in all its dimensions. Through our Better Life Index, we’re using data to engage the public in a discussion on what matters most in life. And we are determined to exploit fully the new possibilities offered by big data and remote sensing to produce quicker, better and cheaper information. In all of these efforts, we are now working with more countries than ever before. The OECD will spare no effort in supporting this new partnership to help the world build the sound, modern information base it needs to achieve the SDGs.

 

Right now I can commit to four concrete OECD actions that help advance the aims of the partnership we are launching today:

 

• First, we will make all OECD data accessible, open and free by the end of 2015.  And we’ll go beyond data to improve access to all of our content, for all users.

 

• Second, we will continue to strengthen the cohesion of the whole data community. We will work with others to develop principles, protocols and guidelines for sharing and leveraging private sector data. In December we will be organising a workshop to make a start on this.

 

• Third, we will work on new and innovative data dissemination tools.  We are already developing a simplified version of our data portal to operate from a cloud application. And our Wikiprogress platform attracts over 20 000 visitors per month, sharing information on social, environmental and economic progress with all parts of civil society.

 

• And finally, we will continue to work with developing countries as they strengthen their statistical capacity through the OECD-hosted PARIS21. We firmly believe that investing in countries’ long-term statistical infrastructure will make a vital contribution to achieving the SDGs.

 

In short, we are fully behind the 2030 Agenda, and are determined to make this partnership succeed. Achieving the SDGs means better data – and better data – and better data – for better lives. Thank you!