Background:

1.       The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

2.       On September 19, 2016, China released its national plan for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations Headquarters in New York by Premier Li Keqiang.

3.       On September 22, 2020, President Xi announced the establishment of an International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals to facilitate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Current Status and Facts:

1.       On September 6, 2021, China announced the International Research Center of Big Data for SDGs (hereinafter referred to as “the Research Center”) on the International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals in Beijing. It claims to be the first research center for such purpose in the world.

2.       The Research Center is supervised by the China Academy of Science (CAS) and will work alongside the Regional Hub for Big Data to support the UN Global Platform.

3.       It aims at providing data and digital support to overcome three major obstacles, namely the lack of data, inequality of socioeconomic development between different nations, and the complex correlations between the goals.

4.        The CAS has developed a satellite, SDGSAT-1, to facilitate sustainable development. It is scheduled for launch in October 2021.

Possible Impact and Suggestions:

1.       A step forward for achieving the SDGs.

2.       More data will be collected and provided through observation of the earth for global scientist to study climate change studies, biodiversity, and natural resources.

3.       Foreign scientific institutions are advised to keep an eye out for publications from the Research Center, especially for relevant data that may help their current studies.

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