India Leads Regional Dialogue on Data Ethics and Governance at MoSPI-UN Workshop
In his keynote address, Dr. Saurabh Garg highlighted that in a post-pandemic world, where digital footprints grow rapidly, public trust and ethical data use are paramount.
- Country:
- India
Headline: India Hosts Asia-Pacific Workshop on Data Ethics, Quality & Governance
New Delhi, July 14, 2025 — The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, has launched a landmark three-day Regional Workshop (14–16 July) on “Data Ethics, Governance, and Quality in a Changing Data Ecosystem,” in partnership with the United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (UN SIAP) and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). The event is being held at the National Statistical Systems Training Academy (NSSTA) in New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in India’s leadership in regional and global statistical capacity building.
The workshop brings together top statistical minds from 16 Asia-Pacific countries—Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam—underscoring a shared commitment to ethical, inclusive, and forward-looking data ecosystems.
Historic First for NSSTA and a Testament to India’s Global Leadership
This is the first-ever regional workshop of its kind organized by NSSTA, the central training institute under MoSPI. It showcases India’s longstanding legacy of excellence in official statistics and reflects its proactive role as a member of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC).
Through its extensive training programs and collaborative initiatives, NSSTA continues to serve as a knowledge hub for statistical modernization, supporting National Statistical Offices (NSOs) in building resilient and trustworthy data systems.
The inaugural session was presided over by Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI, and graced by distinguished guests including:
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Mr. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, India
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Dr. Shailja Sharma, Director, UN SIAP
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Mr. Gabriel Gamez and Mr. Matthias Reister, UNSD
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Shri P.R. Meshram, Director General (Data Governance), MoSPI
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Shri K.B. Surwade, Additional Director General (Capacity Development), MoSPI
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Dr. J.S. Tomar, Deputy Director General, NSSTA
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Representatives from Government of India and various UN agencies
Regional Luminaries Enrich Dialogue with Insights and Expertise
Among the high-level participants are eminent Chief Statisticians and NSO Heads, including:
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Mr. Sonam Tenzin (Bhutan)
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Mr. Gogita Todradze (Georgia)
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Ms. Aishath Hassan (Maldives)
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Mr. Batdavaa Batmunkh (Mongolia)
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Mr. Sonny Harry Budiutomo (Indonesia)
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Mr. Elias dos Santos (Timor-Leste)
Their presence and shared experiences are adding immense value to the discourse on statistical innovation, data ethics, and governance across diverse national contexts.
Four Thematic Pillars and Dynamic Exchange Formats
The workshop is structured around four thematic sessions critical to the evolving role of NSOs in today’s data-rich world:
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Redefining the Role of NSOs in a Changing Data Landscape
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Modernizing Institutional Frameworks for Relevance and Credibility
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Ensuring Quality Assurance in Official Statistics
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Adopting Modern Statistical Production Architectures
Each session combines technical lectures, moderated panels, and interactive breakout groups to foster peer learning and regional cooperation.
The workshop aims to strengthen NSO capacity to respond to rising public expectations, harness new data sources, and embrace technologies such as AI and big data—while ensuring data quality, ethics, and transparency.
India’s Vision for Data Stewardship and Global Cooperation
In his keynote address, Dr. Saurabh Garg highlighted that in a post-pandemic world, where digital footprints grow rapidly, public trust and ethical data use are paramount. He outlined MoSPI’s recent initiatives including:
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Data standards and harmonization efforts
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Interoperability frameworks across platforms
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Efficient and transparent dissemination mechanisms
He emphasized the importance of data stewardship roles for NSOs, advocating for frameworks that embed trust, ethics, and quality at every level of statistical production and dissemination.
Global Recognition for India’s SDG Leadership
Mr. Shombi Sharp, UNRC India, commended India as the first country to adopt a subnational SDG Indicator Framework, demonstrating its commitment to localized, inclusive progress tracking. He noted that despite global challenges, India's strides in data stewardship and statistical innovation are exemplary.
He also called for strengthened regional cooperation, warning that a significant portion of global SDG targets remain off-track, and robust, ethical data practices are critical to reversing that trend.
UN Perspectives: Ethical Urgency and Collaborative Governance
Dr. Shailja Sharma, Director of UN SIAP, emphasized that the world is living in a “Data Age” where the need for disaggregated, timely, and ethical data is more pressing than ever. She hailed the workshop as a timely intervention and expressed eagerness to expand collaboration with India and NSOs in the Asia-Pacific region.
Mr. Gabriel Gamez and Mr. Matthias Reister from UNSD underlined the importance of rethinking statistical governance models, with a focus on adaptability, technological integration, and inclusivity.
South-South Cooperation: Peer Learning in Action
The workshop fosters South-South collaboration, creating space for mutual learning among countries facing common statistical and governance challenges. Through case studies, policy sharing, and technology demonstrations, participating nations are expected to gain tools to navigate the increasingly complex global data environment.
Final sessions will include group discussions and panel summaries, distilling the workshop’s key insights and shaping the path forward for regional cooperation in official statistics.
Building Ethical and Inclusive Data Futures
India’s leadership in convening this workshop affirms its global reputation as a champion of data integrity, equity, and capacity building. As the data ecosystem continues to evolve with unprecedented speed, initiatives like these equip national institutions with the tools, knowledge, and networks to adapt with confidence.
The workshop is a milestone for MoSPI and NSSTA, marking a future-ready agenda for statistics that serve not just governments, but societies at large—with accountability, inclusivity, and trust at their core.
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