SESRIC will co-organise a high-level panel titled “Data-Driven Climate Action: From Environmental Monitoring to Policy” within the framework of the United Nations World Data Forum 2026, to be held on 9–12 November 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The session will be co-organised by SESRIC in collaboration with the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Bringing together representatives of international and regional organisations, national statistical offices, development finance institutions, and academia, the panel will address the critical role of data and statistics in informing, designing, monitoring, and evaluating climate action policies.

The panel will highlight how official climate statistics, environmental monitoring systems, geospatial data, and other relevant data sources can support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen accountability, and enhance the implementation of climate-related commitments. It will also examine the full data value chain, from data production, integration and reporting frameworks to analytical use, policy uptake, and implementation, with a view to demonstrating the importance of integrated and interoperable data ecosystems in responding effectively to climate-related challenges.

The session will take place at a particularly timely moment, coinciding with the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), to be hosted by Türkiye in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026. In this regard, the discussions are expected to contribute to the broader global dialogue on climate transparency, monitoring and reporting frameworks, and the growing demand for robust, timely, comparable, and policy-relevant climate data.

Key themes of the discussion will include:

• Strengthening the role of official statistics in climate governance
• Enhancing Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems
• Addressing data gaps and capacity challenges in developing countries
• Promoting regional cooperation and multi-stakeholder partnerships
• Leveraging data for inclusive, transparent and SDG-aligned climate policies

Particular attention will be given to the needs and priorities of OIC member countries, including the importance of strengthening national statistical capacities, improving the availability and quality of climate and environment statistics, and fostering international cooperation to support evidence-informed climate action.

The session will also underline the importance of inclusive, comparable and high-quality data in supporting SDG 13 on Climate Action, as well as related goals concerning ecosystems, biodiversity, water, energy, food security, and natural resource management.

The United Nations World Data Forum serves as a global platform bringing together data and statistics experts, policymakers, development partners, civil society, academia and other stakeholders to promote innovation, partnerships and practical solutions for advancing sustainable development through better data.