Ha Noi, 16 August 2023 – National and international experts on data and statistics gathered in Ha Noi today to share their experience in data ecosystem management, data governance and data stewardship in order to further enhance the value of data and foster a deeper understanding of the data ecosystem among policymakers, data producers, and other stakeholders in Viet Nam.
The General Statistics Office (GSO) of Viet Nam and the United Nations for Population Fund (UNFPA) co-chaired an international conference to seek consultations, study the feasibility, and implement effective data management, governance, and stewardship practices.
High on the agenda were discussion on such key topics as the current state of data governance and stewardship within Viet Nam's National Data Ecosystem as well as the roles played by the national statistical offices and other government ministries/agencies in managing the data ecosystem, data governance, and stewardship.
International experts from the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office, Denmark, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Thailand shared insights and practical experiences with a particular focus on issues related to digitalization, use of administrative data sources, big data, and mechanisms for sharing administrative data between the National Statistics Offices and other government agencies. The participants also discussed the challenges that arise in data governance and stewardship, along with an exploration of future trends in this domain.
Addressing the international conference, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Director General of GSO, Ministry of Planning and Investment stressed the significant discussion on data ecosystem management, data governance and data stewardship. Director General Nguyen Thi Huong said: “With its functions of conducting and coordinating statistical activities, the General Statistics Office hopes that through this international conference, we will receive more consensus and effective support from other ministries/agencies and international organisations in enhancing our data ecosystem management, data governance and data stewardship in the coming years”.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Rémi Nono Womdim, UNFPA Viet Nam Officer-in-Charge/ FAO Representative shared the GSO leader’s view on the importance of this international experience sharing. Mr. Rémi Nono Womdim said: “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stresses the importance of having high-quality population data. Our commitment to leaving no one behind means everyone must be counted for, so everyone can be reached, including those furthest behind, and quality, reliable, consistent and comparable data is a crucial element in making this a reality. UNFPA believes that countries with quality data are the ones which achieve impressive socio-economic growth. Better Data, Better Lives.”
This international conference was supported financially and technically by UNFPA under the framework of the Project: “Supporting Viet Nam in the production and utilization of quality population data and evidence for the evaluation, formulation and implementation of the country's socio-economic development policies, strategies, plans and monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals” to support Viet Nam in applying new technologies and communication platforms to the data collection, analysis, and dissemination, and ensuring evidence-based policies, strategies, and programmes for the achievement of SDGs by 2030. The Project is funded by UNFPA with a total budget of USD1.9 million for five years from 2022 to 2026. It is co-implemented by the General Statistics Office of the Ministry of Planning and Investment; the Civil Registration, Nationality and Attestation Department of the Ministry of Justice; and the Social Department, the National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs.
Viet Nam is in the midst of rapid transformation for its socio-economic growth. The country has been implementing the Socio-economic Development Strategy (SEDS) 2021-2030, the Socio-economic Development Plan (SEDP) 2021-2025, and the National Plan of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. To achieve its set targets, Viet Nam needs reliable and quality data statistics, which are the prerequisite for solid policy and decision making as well as fundamental foundation to formulate, implement, monitor and assess the country’s progress to achieving socio-economic and SDGs targets.
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For further information, please contact:
Ms. Dinh Thu Huong | UNFPA Communications | Email: dhuong@unfpa.org |
Tel: 0913301539
Ms. Pham Thi Bich Ngoc |Deputy Head of the Editing Secretariat, Data & Events Magazine, General Statistics Office| Email: ptbngoc@gso.gov.vn | Tel: 0914349490
