As part of a new mandate from the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) will consider establishing a working group that will engage in a comprehensive and inclusive multistakeholder dialogue on the fundamental principles of data governance at all levels, as relevant for development. 

To facilitate future discussions on data governance principles and explore opportunities for leveraging data for development, the CSTD secretariat and the UNCTAD Secretariat will jointly host an online workshop on data sharing on 16 September 2024, which is also to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Science, Technology, and Innovation for the South.            

Topics for the discussion

• What foundational principles should guide data governance to ensure accessibility, fairness, transparency, and accountability?
• What mechanisms can be implemented to ensure secure and trusted cross-border data flows?
• What emerging trends and technologies will influence the future of data governance, and how should we prepare for them?
• How can we build robust and transparent data supply chains that encourage stakeholders to share data with trust and use it responsibly?