The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, has appointed a Nigerian among a 24-member Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development. He is also calling for the report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the post-2015 Development Agenda.
Amina J. Mohammed who previously served as Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the Millennium Development Goals in three administrations and is currently the Assistant Secretary-General and the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning is part of the Advisory Group.
The Group will advise the Secretary-General on measures required to close the data gaps and strengthen national statistical capacities. The Group is also expected to assess new opportunities linked to innovation, technical progress and the surge of new public and private data providers to support and complement conventional statistical systems and strengthen accountability at the global, regional and national level.
The Group will be co-chaired by Professor Enrico Giovannini of Italy and Mr Robin Li of China. Its members include Carmen Barroso, Regional Director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Western Hemisphere Region; Edilberto Loaiza of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
According the UN Secretary General, “The data revolution is giving the world powerful tools that can help usher in a more sustainable future. The recommendations of the Group will be important inputs to the post-2015 debate and our efforts to shape an ambitious yet achievable vision.”
The Group is part of the Secretary-General’s efforts to prepare the Synthesis Report that Member States have asked him to issue ahead of the intergovernmental negotiations leading to the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda.
Mohammed and Gass, will serve on the Group as ex-officio members and will provide the link to the UN system.
The Group is expected to submit its recommendations to the Secretary-General in the fall of 2014.
