Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to greet the 7th International Conference on Big Data and Data Science for official statistics.

As you are gathering in Yogyakarta today, a few hundred miles to your east, the G20 are meeting in Bali.

Our world is facing grave challenges.  

COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have disrupted supply chains and caused major spikes in energy and food prices, fueling a cost-of-living crisis.

For many millions around the world, simply meeting the basic needs of food, water and shelter for their families is becoming an impossible struggle.

At the same time, the climate catastrophe is worsening – testing the resilience of our societies against typhoons, floodings and other severe weather events.

To effectively combat these challenges and more, timely and relevant data to inform policies and monitor progress is essential.

That is why you – the global data community – are so critical to our collective efforts.

We rely on you to bridge data gaps, provide a clearer understanding of where and how we can do better, and deliver deeper insights and smarter decision making.

I am greatly encouraged that almost 2,000 young data scientists and statisticians from every part of the world will compete in a data hackathon to find creative solutions to addressing the many challenges we face, above all climate change.

The engagement of young people is crucial.

We must ensure that the voices of those with the greatest stake in our future are heard loud and clear – and I would like to thank the United Nations Major Group of Children and Youth for your enthusiasm and dedication.

I was also encouraged to learn that many national statistical offices, international agencies, academic institutions and major tech companies are supporting the UN Youth group to make this hackathon a resounding success.

Together we can meet the tests of our time and build a better, brighter future for all.

Thank you.