Chengdu Declaration Unveiled at DBAR 2025 to Drive Digital Empowerment for Sustainable Development

The "Chengdu Declaration on Digital Empowerment for Sustainable Development: A Decade of Action" was officially released at the 9th Digital Belt and Road Conference (DBAR 2025), which recently concluded in Chengdu. The Declaration outlines a strategic vision to harness digital technologies to support the sustainable development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aiming to build a more inclusive and resilient future.

This milestone comes at a critical juncture—the 10th anniversary of the Digital Belt and Road Science Program (DBAR), the midpoint of the United Nations Decade of Action for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the first year of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD). The Declaration calls on scientists, institutions, and international organizations along the Belt and Road to strengthen collaboration, leverage Earth Big Data and digital innovations, and enhance sustainable development practices in BRI countries.

The Chengdu Declaration sets forth seven key action areas for the coming decade. These include advancing the Digital Sustainability Programme (DSP) as a global scientific initiative; building an open, inclusive digital ecosystem; and developing decision-support platforms that integrate artificial intelligence with Earth system data. It also calls for greater efforts in capacity building, knowledge sharing, and digital skills training to empower local communities. Expanding international cooperation aligned with regional priorities, ensuring equitable access to data and technologies, and applying space-based observation tools to support monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are also highlighted as essential priorities.

Launched by Chinese scientists in 2016, DBAR promotes the application of digital technologies—especially Big Earth Data—for achieving the SDGs in BRI countries. By encouraging the sharing of data, technologies, and knowledge, DBAR aims to strengthen decision-making in support of the UN 2030 Agenda and the Global Development Initiative.

Themed "Digital Science Driving Sustainable Development Transformation," the three-day DBAR 2025 conference was co-hosted by DBAR, Chengdu University of Technology, the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS), and the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The event featured nine thematic sessions, four regional side meetings, and two special sessions, with a strong focus on regional issues such as Africa, ASEAN, and high-mountain and polar regions. Experts, scholars, and representatives from nearly 30 countries attended the event and witnessed the official launch of the Chengdu Declaration.