The fourth United Nations World Data Forum is set to take place from April 24 to 27 in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province, according to Kang Yi, head of the National Bureau of Statistics, who made the announcement during a news conference in Beijing on Thursday. With the theme “Towards Data That Empowers Our World”, the forum will be held both online and offline this year, featuring six plenary meetings and 72 parallel sessions covering various topics related to data, including maximizing its value, innovation and cooperation, forming a better data ecosystem, and enhancing data credibility.
Kang added that the forum will provide a platform for exchanges among global data providers and users, and will also contribute to the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over 1,600 representatives from international organizations, governments, universities, research institutions, enterprises, and non-governmental organizations from over 130 countries and regions will attend the forum in-person, with over 900 of them being international representatives. Furthermore, it’s expected that over 7,000 online attendees will watch the event, based on previous forums.
During the conference, Xu Wenguang, executive vice-governor of Zhejiang, also spoke, highlighting the importance of the forum in delivering China’s voice in terms of data and statistics, as well as showcasing Zhejiang’s achievements. The province, which covers only 1 percent of China’s land area, accounted for 6.4 percent of the national GDP and has 4.6 percent of China’s population. Zhejiang has been actively boosting its digital economy in recent years, with the added value of core industries of its digital economy accounting for 11.6 percent of the province’s GDP in 2022.
The United Nations World Data Forum is an essential platform for discussing data and statistics-related issues and promoting international cooperation on data. It provides an opportunity for experts from different countries and regions to share knowledge and experience, address data challenges, and identify solutions to support sustainable development. The forum is expected to make significant contributions to global efforts to build a better world using data.
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