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The UN System hopes to make that task easier with its launch UN System Dataa new unifying online platform data and statistics from across the Organization into one gateway.
Speaking at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday, Secretary General Antonio Guterres launched a new platform, which allows users to search, explore and access trusted, publicly available data from 26 UN entities on one website.
“Behind every statistic is a human story,” said the UN Secretary General, referring to children whose future depends on education, families struggling with rising food prices, and communities facing growing climate risks.
“To serve them, we must understand their challenges – and know whether we are making a difference,” he said.
One place for trusted information
Platform, available via data.un.orgallows users to search nearly 44 million data points using everyday language rather than trawling through dozens of websites and databases.
Users can explore trends, compare information across topics and countries, and trace data back to its original source.
“Access to knowledge about the UN system should not depend on knowing how to operate its organigram,” Guterres said.
The Secretary-General noted that policymakers often have to look at a variety of different platforms to get a complete picture.
Result of UN80 InitiativeThis new portal removes those barriers by unifying public access data and statistics from the entire UN system in one place.
Tools for the AI era
The launch comes as artificial intelligence increasingly changes the way people find and use information.
Guterres warned that although the public has more information than ever before, there is often less certainty about what to believe.
“If reliable facts are hard to find, unreliable data and misinformation will fill the gaps,” he said.
He emphasized that AI-generated answers are only as reliable as the information behind them and said the new platform is designed to help ensure trusted UN system data can be easily found and linked back to its source – both by humans and digital systems.
The website also allows researchers, developers and organizations to connect UN system data directly to their applications and analytical tools through a direct interface.
Turning evidence into action
This initiative, known as UN System Data Commons, collects public data from 26 UN system entities but does not replace their existing platforms.
Instead, it connects them through a common gateway, making information easier to find and access, according to their respective terms of use.
“The UN system produces some of the most trusted public data in the world,” said Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, who added:
“However, when that information is spread across multiple platforms, its full benefits are not always realized. The UN Data Commons system now brings together these public interests, helping people everywhere turn official data into more informed decisions.”
According to the Secretary General, this project also demonstrates the aims of the UN80 initiative. This is a shared infrastructure – built more quickly and more efficiently than if each UN organization acted alone.
Calling it “a reform that people can use,” Guterres said in remarks late Thursday that the value of the new platform will be measured by whether it can deliver better support for countries, more informed decision-making and stronger outcomes for people around the world.
“Reliable evidence should not be left behind institutional walls,” he said. “Let us bring this within the reach of all who work for a more peaceful, sustainable and just world.”
