UN Controller and ASG for Programme Planning, Finance and Budget Chandramouli Ramanathan Visits CBAS
April 26, 2024
On April 25, H.E. Mr. Chandramouli Ramanathan，Controller and Assistant-Secretary-General for Programme Planning, Finance and Budget in the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance of the United Nations (UN), accompanied by another two UN officials, visited the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) headquartered in Beijing. The two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as digital technology's role in supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fostering inter-agency cooperation.
Prof. Guo Huadong, CBAS Director-General welcomed Mr. Ramanathan and his delegation, providing an overview of the Center's establishment, scientific missions, and recent significant research achievements.
Guo highlighted the CBAS’ extensive collaboration with UN agencies such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) in the field of big data in support of the SDGs.
He emphasized the tangible progress made through these collaborations and expressed optimism about strengthening cooperation and data sharing on monitoring and evaluating SDGs with UN agencies in the future, contributing to the well-being of humanity.
Mr. Ramanathan highly commended the work of CBAS, stating that during his visit to China, CBAS’ achievements in utilizing big data to supporting the achievement of the SDGs is truly impressive. Currently, global development is facing staggering challenges, while information technology is experiencing exponential growth. The UN needs strong digital technology capabilities and partnerships to provide essential support.
He observed that the UN is promoting data-driven decision-making. CBAS utilizes big data technology to aggregate and organize vast datasets, visualizing the progress of the SDGs linked to the impacts of human activities. This visualization together with evidence-based solutions, provides a comprehensive array of decision-making support. He emphasized the indispensable contribution of the CBAS' data and research findings to the evaluation of the SDGs, and that the Center’s contribution to good data and to science itself “cannot be refuted”.
Personnel from the International Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Aerospace Information Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and CBAS accompany the delegation for this event.
Group photo taken at the SDG big data visualization and application system.
The roundtable discussion.
Group photo taken at the Satellite Operation Room.
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UN Controller and ASG for Programme Planning, Finance and Budget Chandramouli Ramanathan Visits CBAS