At a time when the global community faces intersecting crises and tightening resources, the call for collective action around data has never been more urgent. On May 28, 2025, during a UNOSSC side event at the United Nations headquarters, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and APC Colombia brought together over 90 leaders and practitioners to issue a bold call: let’s make inclusive data the norm through South-South and Triangular Cooperation.
The session, titled “South-South and Triangular Cooperation on Data: A Call to Action,” spotlighted innovative collaborations across the Global South that are unlocking the transformative power of data for development.
Claire Melamed, CEO of the Global Partnership, moderated the session and emphasized the importance of scaling inclusive data systems through peer learning and collective investment.
"Countries across the Global South have shown that inclusive data is not just an ideal, it's an achievable, high-impact strategy. Through stronger partnerships and South-South collaboration, we can turn proven practices into scaled progress," said Claire Melamed, CEO of the Global Partnership.
Learning across borders
Over the past year, APC Colombia and the Global Partnership have piloted a new approach to South-South exchanges. The cross-country collaboration has already begun to bear fruit: Ghana is learning from Colombia’s gender-based violence reporting systems to enhance local policy responses. Kenya is drawing lessons from Colombia’s gender mainstreaming strategies and adapting them to build more equitable data systems. Colombia is adopting Ghana’s use of digital tools to collect citizen-generated data and Kenya’s criteria for data quality and inclusion.
Eleonora Betancur, Director General of APC Colombia, highlighted that South-South cooperation is about shared leadership and mutual learning. She emphasized Colombia’s commitment to building inclusive data systems and driving progress through partnerships rooted in equity and national ownership.
Shaping the future through cooperation
“For Mexico, investing in data is not only about generating information. It's also about accountability and transparency. That’s why we see international cooperation as a vital tool to help achieve meaningful progress.” said Xóchitl Guadarrama Romero, Director General of Planning and Evaluation, Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation – AMEXCID
Panelists from Thailand, Mexico, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic shared compelling experiences on how South-South cooperation is being used to enhance national data systems. The discussion explored how countries are embedding data strengthening into their development cooperation strategies and highlighted practical ways they have tackled infrastructure and capacity limitations. Participants reflected on the value of peer learning, particularly how lessons from other regions are shaping domestic approaches. They emphasized the importance of citizen engagement and accessibility in building trusted, inclusive data systems. The session concluded with concrete recommendations to strengthen Global South collaboration, including greater coordination across sectors, investing in capacity-building, and unlocking funding to expand these efforts.
A call to action
"I think data is water. Data is the lifeline of our individual life, of societal well-being, and of the overall development of society. However, when you think about water, it needs to be of good quality to be consumed. It needs to be well governed to become a public good. It needs to flow to generate energy for sustainable development." said Xiaojun Grace Wang, Trust Fund Director, UNOSSC during her closing remarks.
The event closed with a powerful call to action: to scale and strengthen the Make Inclusive Data the Norm (MIDN) initiative through broader investment, deeper cooperation, and renewed commitment. Countries prioritizing data for development were encouraged to align with global efforts like the UN Power of Data initiative, of which Colombia is a founding partner.
The Global Partnership and APC Colombia are committed to expanding this collaborative model and building a global cohort ready to champion inclusive, sustainable data systems that work for everyone.
Learn more about South-South and Triangular Cooperation on the UNOSSC website.
