A wide range of stakeholders from Governments, international organizations, civil society groups, academia, the private sector, and development agencies from around the world will convene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Sixth United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF), which will take place from November 9 to 12, 2026.
The aim of the biennial forum, organized under the auspices of the United Nations Statistical Commission, is to spur data innovation, nurture partnerships, mobilise high-level political and financial support for data, and build a pathway to better data for sustainable development.
The 2026 edition, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics, is expected to bring together thousands of participants to discuss how better data can accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthen evidence-based policymaking.
The forum has evolved into one of the world’s leading platforms for dialogue on data and statistics, helping to build a global community committed to improving data systems and fostering innovation since its inaugural edition, which was held in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2017. Subsequent editions have been held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Bern in Switzerland; Hangzhou in China, and Medellín in Colombia.
The organizers say the 2026 forum will focus on promoting data innovation, strengthening partnerships, mobilising political and financial support for statistical systems, and enhancing the availability of timely, high-quality, open, and inclusive data for sustainable development.
Participants are expected from governments, national statistical offices, international and regional organizations, civil society, philanthropic institutions, academia, the geospatial community, the media, and the private sector.
Through plenary sessions, panel discussions, demonstrations, learning labs, and networking events, delegates will exchange ideas, showcase innovations, and identify practical solutions to emerging data challenges.
Among the issues expected to feature prominently on the agenda are the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in official statistics, climate and environmental data, health and food security information systems, digital transformation, geospatial technologies, and safeguards against misinformation. Discussions are also expected to explore how data governance frameworks can protect privacy while promoting responsible data sharing and public trust.
The forum comes at a critical moment as countries seek to improve monitoring of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development amid growing demands for reliable and disaggregated data to address inequality, climate change, public health, and economic resilience.
The organizers are emphasizing that the event is intended to foster collaboration across sectors and disciplines, encouraging partnerships that can strengthen national statistical capacities and support innovation in the global data ecosystem.
The Forum is also expected to produce an outcome document, as every UN World Data Forum has resulted in the release of an outcome document to chart the progress of discussions around data and statistics and express the ambitions of the stakeholder community.
The Cape Town Global Action Plan (CTGAP) was launched at the first UN World Data Forum on where to focus statistical and data capacity development efforts to establish the full range of reporting and monitoring needed to measure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The CTGAP was followed by the Dubai Declaration (2018) calling for an innovative funding mechanism to support the implementation of the CTGAP; and more recently the Global data community’s response to Covid-19 (2020) and Bern Data Compact for the Decade of Action on the Sustainable Development Goals (2021) on how official statistics and National Statistical Offices (NSOs) position themselves during Covid-19 and then in the wider data ecosystem generally.
At the fourth Forum held in April 2023, the Hangzhou Declaration was launched to recommit the global community to accelerating progress in the implementation of the Cape Town Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development (CTGAP) and provided the foundation for the launch of the Medellín Framework for Action on Data for Sustainable Development at the fifth Forum in November 2024. The Framework represents a second-generation document founded on the original CTGAP, reflecting the aspirations of the wider stakeholder base fostered by the Forum over the past seven years and marking the milestone that the Forum has now been hosted in all regions of the World.
As preparations shift into high gear, the forum is being promoted as an opportunity for stakeholders to shape the future of data governance and ensure that data remain a public good capable of driving sustainable development and improving the lives of people worldwide.
