Global scientists discuss the role of big data in advancing UN goals

Global scientists met in Beijing to discuss how big data can advance the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing the need for global cooperation to speed up progress.

Csaba Korosi, president of the UN General Assembly, said that achieving a sustainable development transition requires systematic change and global cooperation, and that macro-visions must be translated into concrete actions.

Korosi added that the world is currently facing intensified political conflicts, economic polarization, and debt crises, all of which are diverting attention away from sustainable development.

He highlighted the crucial role of artificial intelligence in data collection, trend analysis, and policy formulation, and called for the establishment of a unified sustainability measurement system.

The remarks were made on Saturday at the 5th International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The forum aimed to advance global cooperation by sharing experiences and practices in digital technologies, mapping out a technological blueprint for data- and intelligence-driven sustainable development, and accelerating progress toward these goals over the next five years.

Guo Huadong, director of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals and an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, echoed Korosi's sentiments by emphasizing the crucial role of digital technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Guo said that the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, a Chinese scientific initiative for post-2030 global sustainability, has taken the lead in launching the Digital Sustainable Development International Science Program, which aims to offer digital infrastructure, indicator systems, global reports, and digital transformation models for sustainable development through international collaboration and open science.

He also called on the international community to seize the 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Agenda as a transformative opportunity and to use the key of digital technology to unlock the door to a sustainable future.

Quarraisha Abdool Karim, president of the World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (UNESCO-TWAS), said that scientific and technological innovation is a critical issue in promoting global equity and sustainable development.

She emphasized that only by eliminating digital barriers can the benefits of technology be made accessible to all across the globe.

While big data and artificial intelligence have the potential to accelerate sustainable development in the Global South, she cautioned that they may also widen the digital divide. Therefore, there is an urgent need to strengthen capacity building in data and intelligent technologies, fully recognize the leading role of the Global South in scientific research, and gradually establish a partnership based on mutual trust and collaboration, she added.

The world's first large model dedicated to comprehensive analysis and decision-making support for the Sustainable Development Goals was also introduced at the forum. It aims to empower these goals by integrating key technologies such as multimodal data fusion, retrieval-augmented generation, spatiotemporal analysis, causal inference, and predictive simulation.