United Nations – Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, the Executive Director, UN Population Fund (UNFPA), on Monday, called for a “revolution” not only in national data systems in developing countries but in education systems.
He made the call in New York while addressing the 49th Session of the Commission on Population and Development.
He said a revolution was needed to enable the coming generation of girls and boys to leap-frog beyond the opportunities of their parents.
He added that “we need to ensure that they become the next generation of population and data experts – ideally with the integrated, human-rights based vision of sustainable development found in the ICPD and the 2030 Agenda.
“Many countries are even failing to fully use census data as planning tool for schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure.
“These shortfalls reflect a lack of trained human capital. How ironic that this coincides with the problem of underemployment and poverty.”
The executive director said that the growing demand for higher education across the world was an indication to the potential for education revolution.
He explained that data was required to ensure that national institutions and capacity fulfilled the aspirations and ambitions of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and 2030 Agenda.
The ICPD Programme of Action, he said, recognised the centrality of education for development.
He pointed out that “the 2030 Agenda does so as well, setting targets for universal primary and secondary education.
“We need to go further. In today’s dynamic global economy, tertiary education is essential
“The demographic dividends experienced by the so-called Asian “Tiger” economies during the second half of the 21st century reflected extraordinary growth in the scale and quality of education, often within a generation.
“This contributes to acceleration in overall development.”
Right now, he said, the world’s attention was on data, driven by the important process of generating an indicator framework for the SDGs, but also by the amazing technological advances in Big Data.
“We welcome this attention. We need it. Stronger data systems are urgently required not only for countries to measure the Agenda 2030 indicators, but for the fulfilment of the vision and values of the ICPD Programme of Action,” he added.
Success, he added, would be measured by whether or not the institutions and data professionals in government, academia, the private sector and civil society collectively advance the empowerment of the vulnerable, especially women and girls.
Furthermore success would be measured by whether they expand the opportunities and capacity of every young person and uphold the dignity and human rights of all people.
“Let us leave this Commission with a strong resolution to strengthen the data systems of our respective countries, and to use those systems to respond to the yearnings of those furthest behind for a better life.
“By doing so, we will ensure that all of us advance down the path we began in Cairo in 1994, the path to a more sustainable, prosperous, inclusive future together,” he added.
NAN reports that the ICPD Agreed upon by Member States in Cairo, 1994.
Its focus is wider than sexual and reproductive health. It links the interrelationships between population, sustained economic growth, health, education, economic status and empowerment of women.
Remarkably, it was the first time world leaders agreed to invest in people, not demographic targets. 179 countries committed to implement by 2015. (NAN)