UNESCO Endorses Digital Sustainable Development Goals Programme as Part of Science Decade Initiative

On February 28, 2025, Lidia Brito, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, officially announced the endorsement of the Digital Sustainable Development Goals Programme (DSP) as a recognized program under the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD). In a letter to Professor Guo Huadong, Director-General of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS), Brito stated:

“I am pleased to inform you of the endorsement of your initiative entitled 'Digital Sustainable Development Goals Programme' as a Programme of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD).”

About DSP

The Digital Sustainable Development Goals Programme (DSP) is a pioneering initiative led by Professor Guo and jointly launched by 35 global research institutions, universities, and international scientific and technological organizations. The program aims to establish a new paradigm for digital sustainable development science, leveraging data-intensive science and transformative digital technologies to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

By harnessing big data, artificial intelligence, and other emerging digital tools, DSP seeks to deepen scientific understanding of human-nature interactions and enhance global efforts in sustainable development.

CBAS, the lead institution behind DSP, was first pledged by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his speech at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. When the center was officially established in 2021, President Xi emphasized its role in facilitating international cooperation, supporting the fulfillment of the 2030 UN Agenda, and contributing to the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Background

The UN 2030 Agenda, adopted in 2015, outlined a comprehensive framework for global peace, prosperity, and sustainability. However, progress over the past decade has been slow and uneven—only 17% of the SDGs have seen significant advancement, while nearly half are progressing slowly and over a third have stagnated or regressed.

Recognizing the urgent need to accelerate action, the UN General Assembly declared 2024-2033 as the International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development (IDSSD) in August 2023. Led by UNESCO, this “Science Decade” aims to harness scientific innovation across disciplines to drive sustainable social, economic, and environmental transformation.

CBAS began collaborating with UNESCO on this initiative in April 2024 and officially submitted the DSP proposal in July 2024. Following an eight-month review by the IDSSD Secretariat, an expert scientific committee, and an Executive Committee comprising representatives from international scientific organizations, UN agencies, and UNESCO member states, the proposal was approved.

Vision and Mission

As a 10-year international scientific program under the IDSSD framework, DSP will integrate research across Earth and environmental sciences, social sciences, and digital sciences. The program will establish interdisciplinary research teams and create a global digital intelligence platform for sustainable development.

This platform will enhance the transparency and reusability of public data products related to sustainable development, strengthening global research capacity in digital-driven sustainability solutions. DSP aims to provide data-driven insights and evidence-based solutions to the United Nations, governments, stakeholders, and the scientific community, accelerating digital transformation for sustainable development.

Professor Guo emphasized that DSP represents an important step in fulfilling the vision outlined in President Xi's congratulatory letter to CBAS. He highlighted China's scientific leadership and commitment to data science, digital technology, and sustainable development, stating:

“Through this initial ten-year plan, we will collaborate with international scientists to address global challenges in sustainable development using digital technologies such as big data and AI. This program will help strengthen global scientific governance, drive forward the UN’s development agenda, and foster open science and international cooperation, making meaningful contributions to global sustainability efforts.”

By positioning digital science at the core of sustainability research, DSP is set to play a crucial role in advancing scientific solutions for a more sustainable future.