Published on: 2026-09-18
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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18 September 2026 UN
How can we make sense of a world facing interconnected crises — from poverty and hunger to climate change — when the facts are scattered across dozens of different sources?
The UN system hopes to significantly ease this task through the launch of the UN System Data Commons – a new online platform that unites data and statistics from across the entire United Nations into one accessible resource.
Secretary-General António Guterres presented the platform while speaking at the UN headquarters in New York. According to him, the new online tool allows users to search and explore verified open data from 26 UN entities on a single website.
‘Behind every figure in the statistics stands a human story,’ said the UN chief.
António Guterres reminded of children whose future depends on access to education, families struggling with rising food prices, and communities facing increasing climate risks.
“To serve people, we must understand their problems and be confident that we are truly making the situation better,” he emphasized.
A single source of reliable information
The platform at data.un.org provides access to 44 million data points using everyday language. Users can track trends, compare information by topics and countries, and explore original data sources.
“Access to United Nations system knowledge should not depend on the ability to navigate its organizational structure,” Guterres noted.
The Secretary-General emphasized that previously users had to piece together a complete picture of the topic of interest by moving from one platform to another. The new portal, created within the framework of the UN-80 initiative, removes these barriers by combining open data from the entire UN system in one place.
The tool of the artificial intelligence era
The launch of the platform comes at a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the ways information is searched for and used. Guterres warned that despite the increase in information, confidence in its reliability is diminishing.
“If reliable facts are hard to find, the void is filled with unreliable data and disinformation,” he said.
The website also allows researchers, developers, and organizations to directly integrate UN data into their applications and analytical tools.
“A reform that can be used”
The UN System Data Commons initiative brings together open data from 26 UN system entities but does not replace their existing platforms. It connects them through a single portal, simplifying the search and access to information according to the terms of use of each source.
According to the Secretary-General, the project demonstrates the principles of the UN-80 initiative. Calling the platform “a reform that can be used,” Guterres emphasized that its value will be measured by whether it leads to better support for countries, more informed decisions, and more tangible results for people around the world.
“Reliable data should not be kept behind the walls of institutions and agencies,” he said. “Let’s make it accessible to everyone who works for a peaceful, sustainable, and just world.”
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