Can a boggy peatland really be more valuable than delicious cheese? As UN DESA Statistics Division launches four new publications on the System of Environmental‑Economic Accounting (SEEA), we talk to Alessandra Alfieri, Chief of the Environmental Economic Accounts Section, who explains that the world is not all about dollars and cents, but political decisions often are.

The first virtual meeting of the United Nations World Data Forum concluded with the launch of the data community’s response to COVID-19, stressing the increased demand for relevant, timely and trusted data and statistics as a critical part of building back a more equitable, sustainable and resilient future. The appeal to the entire data community to come together to support the response to the pandemic and accelerate action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasizes the need to ensure trust and privacy in data and increase investments in data to respond more effectively to COVID-19 and future disasters.

The need for timely and disaggregated data and statistics for decision-making has never been as clear as during the COVID-19 crisis. Having access to reliable and trusted data can mean the difference between life and death. To help national governments build resilient and sustainable national data and information systems, a new Global Network of Data Officers and Statisticians that connects data experts around the world, has been launched today at the UN World Data Forum.