EVENT
But it’s not all good news when it comes to data and refugees. Some issues relating to privacy remain unresolved. Because big data is often collected passively – via the digital footprint users leave behind – the removal of explicitly personal information (in an attempt to anonymize the data) may not be enough. Combining multiple datasets or conducting digital detective work may mean people can be (re-) identified. Plus, as already mentioned, many people don’t show up in the data, putting the ‘leave no one behind’ principle of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at risk.
As data technology continues to unlock solutions to complex issues – and in line with SDG 17 on partnering for the global goals – development actors are increasingly likely to look to data-savvy firms for help. But will the international community come together to fill some of the troubling gaps in data and remedy the related privacy issues? Or will big data remain an off-putting buzz phrase for the foreseeable future?"
World Development Information Day: Who knew?
OPEC Fund intern Noor Abedin is studying in the UK. With a special development-themed ‘UN day’ in mind, Noor considers whether young people are well enough informed to make a difference to development…
“I believe we all have a
Through its work with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and other partnerships, the OPEC Fund aims to improve the resilience of refugees and host communities, stimulating development at the same time.
See
https://bit.ly/ICMPD_ refugees
responsibility to one another; to ensure
everyone’s basic needs are met.”
OPEC Fund intern Noor Abedin
"I
n 1972, the General Assembly (GA) of the United Nations (UN) established World Development Information Day to raise
awareness of global development challenges and the increasingly urgent need to solve them through better international cooperation.
The designated day falls on October 24 annually, and the GA believed that by sharing information on development more effectively – specifically among young people – crucial issues would receive increased attention. The UN’s Agenda 2030, including its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are a big part of World Development Information Day, since they aim to provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. So has the ‘UN day’ done its job? And more generally, is the next generation adequately prepared to help make the world a better place?
I chose to study humanities subjects
at A Level, so international development was fairly familiar to me – but even so, it has never been covered in any depth. Before now, I was only vaguely aware of the UN and its duties, and had not encountered the SDGs at all. For many of my peers going into medical or creative fields, the curriculum focuses solely on their specific subjects, so I imagine their knowledge of development is more limited than mine. When I began my internship with
the OPEC Fund, I was surprised at how much I had to learn. As I consider a career in international development, major questions remain front of mind: Who is responsible for development? Is it the developing countries themselves? Or is it the developed world? Or a combination of the two? I believe we all have a responsibility to one another; to ensure everyone’s basic needs are met. In an ideal world, any technical, financial or knowledge- based advantages would be shared between countries and regions to improve access to clean water, education, food, energy and enhance people’s standard of living. One of the fundamental ingredients to making this happen is ensuring people actually want to help; that there are those who are determined and motivated to do something to overcome development challenges. At the heart of all this is education.
To be enthusiastic about making the world a better place, people need to be informed about what matters and equipped with the skills and knowledge to make a difference. Perhaps it should be World Development Information Day 365 days of the year?"
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