SESRIC, in its capacity as the Secretariat of the OIC Statistical Commission (OIC-StatCom), and the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia co-organised a side event titled “Fostering Partnerships within Statistical Ecosystems” on 30 September 2026 in Jeddah in hybrid format on the margins of the 15th Session of the OIC-StatCom.
The side event brought together both online and the participants of 15th Session, namely 89 participants from the National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of 39 OIC Member Countries, as well as representatives of international and regional organisations. The panel discussion formed part of the Road to Riyadh series leading to the 6th United Nations World Data Forum, to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 9–12 November 2026, and addressed the thematic area of the Forum, “Effective partnerships for better data and a more equitable data ecosystem”.
In his welcoming remarks, H.E. Dr. Fahad ALDOSSARI, President of GASTAT, noted that statistical systems increasingly need to work across institutional, sectoral and national boundaries, as no statistical office holds all the data, capabilities and expertise it now requires. Recalling that the event marked the fourteenth event of the Road to Riyadh series, he underlined that the purpose of the series is to ensure that the global dialogue neither begins when the Forum opens nor ends when it closes.
H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, Director General of SESRIC, thanked H.E. Dr. ALDOSSARI and GASTAT for their hospitality and for jointly organising the side event, and expressed appreciation for the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in hosting the 6th United Nations World Data Forum. She underlined that the differing levels of statistical development across OIC Member Countries constitute a source of strength, as many challenges faced by one NSO have already been addressed by another, and recalled that the OIC-StatCom Strategic Vision for 2030 and its Programme of Action 2026–2030 provide the framework for advancing institutional coordination, data governance and partnerships within national statistical systems. She also invited Member Countries and partners to propose thematic side events on the margins of future Sessions of the OIC-StatCom and of the United Nations Statistical Commission.
H.E. SELÇUK further announced that, in support of the Forum, SESRIC will organise two High-Level Panels in Riyadh: “Strengthening Ethical Safeguards and Transparency Mechanisms in the Use of Advanced Data Technologies”, with GASTAT; and “Data-Driven Climate Action: From Environmental Monitoring to Policy”, with the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), the IsDB Group and other partners. She encouraged all OIC Member Countries and partners to take part in the Forum.
Moderated by Mr. Ibrahim ALALI, Advisor, GASTAT, the panel discussion was structured around three topics:
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Advancing public-private partnerships to strengthen data quality, with Ms. Siti Asiah AHMAD, Chief Statistician, Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), and Mr. Nyakassi M. B. SANYANG, Statistician General, Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS)
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Increasing international cooperation in data sharing, with Dr. Wills ODEK, Regional Population and Development Advisor for the Arab States, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
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Cross-border partnerships for addressing global challenges, with Dr. Areef SULEMAN, Group Chief Economist, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group
The panellists shared national and institutional experiences on strengthening cross-sector collaboration and on connecting statistical institutions with international organisations, the private sector, academia and civil society, with a view to overcoming data-sharing barriers and advancing innovative governance models. The discussion addressed the institutional, legal and technical enablers required for trusted data sharing and interoperability, including governance frameworks, confidentiality safeguards, standards and data stewardship arrangements, as well as the technical, legal and operational challenges that hinder data sharing between public and private actors, while protecting privacy, security and ethical use.
The panel was livestreamed and it is accessbile via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uQEI_psrIg
Further information on the 15th Session and the previous sessions of the OIC-StatCom, including their resolutions and related documents, is available on the OIC-StatCom website: https://www.oicstatcom.org/
