Beijing Declaration Released at FBAS 2024 to Accelerate Sustainable Development via Digital Tech

The Fourth International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (FBAS 2024) concluded on September 8 in Beijing, marking a significant leap in global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More than 800 representatives from United Nations agencies, research institutions, and universities around the world convened to explore the potential of digital technologies in accelerating sustainable development. The event culminated in the release of the “Beijing Declaration onPartnership for Accelerating Sustainable Development through Digital Technologies.”

The Declaration, endorsed by leading experts, scholars, and stakeholders from across the globe, calls for a unified global effort to leverage digital technologies and Big Earth Data to expedite the achievement of the SDGs.

The Declaration outlines seven key initiatives to boost global sustainable development, including the co-development of open digital infrastructure and AI tools for inclusive data-sharing, enhancing global collaboration through strengthened international networks, and initiating Big Science programs that leverage digital technologies for SDG progress. It also advocates for expanding education and training to empower future leaders, developing space technologies for precise SDG monitoring, enhancing stakeholder engagement to scale digital solutions, and promoting the universality of science to ensure global access to knowledge and innovations for the benefit of all humanity.

Professor Guo Huadong, Director-General of CBAS, highlighted the importance of the Beijing Declaration, noting that the year 2024 represents a pivotal moment in the midterm review of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“The Declaration reinforces the global consensus on the crucial role of technological innovation in advancing sustainable development. It urges renewed confidence and a swift digital transformation to address challenges and pave the way for a more sustainable future,” Professor Guo remarked.

FBAS 2024, hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and organized by CBAS as well as the Aerospace Information Research Institute at CAS, was held under the theme “Next Seven Years: Big Data Driving Transformative Actions to Achieve SDGs” on September 6, 2024.

Csaba Kőrösi, a CBAS Fellow, Co-chair of FBAS 2024 Scientific Committee, the President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, reading the Beijing Declaration on Partnership for Accelerating Sustainable Development through Digital Technology' at the closing ceremony. (Image by AIR)