Beijing,6September2025–Onthesidelinesofthe5thInternationalForumonBigDataforSustainableDevelopmentGoals(FBAS2025),theUnitedNationsOfficeforSouth-SouthCooperation(UNOSSC)andtheInternationalResearchCenterofBigDataforSustainableDevelopmentGoals(CBAS)jointlyorganizedtheseminar“FromInnovationtoImpact:ScalingDigitalandDataSolutionsthroughSouth-SouthandTriangularCooperation.”TheeventwasconvenedundertheframeworkoftheGlobalSouth-SouthDevelopmentCenter(GSSDC)Project,PhaseII.

Theseminar,moderatedbyMs.XiaojunGraceWANG,highlightedexemplarypracticesofdigitalsolutionsandbigdataapplicationsinagriculture,environmentalprotection,andenergy,whileexploringopportunitiestoreplicateandscalethemacrossdevelopingcountries.ItalsoexaminedhowexistingSouth-Southcooperationplatforms—includingtheUNFundforSouth-SouthCooperationandtheChina-UNGlobalSouth-SouthDevelopmentFacility—canbeleveragedtomobilizeresourcesandinspirenewpartnerships.

StrongCallforCollaboration

Inheropeningremarks,Ms.LiuJie,DeputyDirector-GeneralofCBAS,emphasizedthatscalingupinnovationsindigitalanddataapplicationsintheglobalSouthrequiresstrongercollaboration,inclusivecapacitybuilding,andtrustedframeworksfordatagovernance.“South-Southandtriangularcooperationcanmakearealdifference,”shesaid,“bymovingfromisolatedpilotprojectstosystemicapplicationsandpolicyintegration.”

Thesessionongoodpracticesharinghighlightedadiverserangeofdigitalanddata-driveninnovationsacrossagriculture,energy,andenvironmentalprotection.

Mr.LiuWenyu,DirectoroftheSecretariatoftheASEMWaterResourcesResearchandDevelopmentCenter,presentedacasefromChenzhouCity,HunanProvince,whereintegrateddigitalandbigdataapproaches—includingspace-air-groundremotesensing,continuoushyperspectralimaging,andcross-sectoraldigitalsolutions—successfullyaddressedheavymetalpollutionanddeliveredsignificantenvironmentalbenefits.

Fromtheenergysector,Mr.WuTong,AssistanttotheDirector-GeneraloftheXiamenResearchInstituteofNew-TypePowerSystems,sharedXiamen’sexperienceinbuildinganefficient,low-carbon,andintelligentdigitalenergymanagementmodel.Thecityhasdeployedasmartplatformintegratingphotovoltaics,powerstorage,andchargingfacilities,supportedbyadvancedsensingdevicesandmulti-sourcedatafusiontechnologies.

Agriculturewasalsostronglyrepresented.Mr.JinWei,DeputyDirectoroftheYangtzeRiverDeltaIntegrationDevelopmentCenter,PinghuMunicipalDevelopmentandReformBureau,highlightedthedigitalagricultureplatformthatsuccessfullyadaptedandappliedthe“ZhejiangAgriculturalService”modeltoMaoCounty,SichuanProvince.Theplatformintegratesdigitalfarminputmanagement,visualizedproducttraceability,ande-commercecirculationtoaddresschallengesoflowstandards,unstablequalitycontrol,andlimitedchannels.FarmershavebenefitedfromanestimatedadditionalincomeofUSD6,400perhectare.

Fromaregionalperspective,Mr.BirendraBajracharya,RegionalProgrammeManageroftheMountainEnvironmentandRegionalInformationSystem(MERIS)attheInternationalCentreforIntegratedMountainDevelopment(ICIMOD),describedhowpoolingexpertise,data,andtechnologiescanhelpestablishrobustregionalinformationsystems—suchasinteractivevisualizationplatformsandregionaldatabases.Thesesystemstranscendnationalboundariesandenhanceforecasting,earlywarning,andclimateadaptationstrategies.

Nanjing’sagriculturaldigitalizationeffortswereintroducedbyMr.ZhouYibo,DirectoroftheMarketandInformationDivision,NanjingMunicipalBureauofAgricultureandRuralAffairs.Buildingonpilotprojects,thecityhasadvancedtheupgradingofdigitalfacilitiesandplatforms,anddevelopedsmartfarms,ranches,andfisheries.Theseinnovationshavereducedlanduse,curtailedwaterpollution,increasedyields,loweredproductioncosts,andimprovedincomesacrossagriculturalsectors.

AdvancingDialogueonCooperationandInclusion

Themoderateddiscussionsessionfocusedontheroleofdigitalandbigdatasolutionsinempoweringdevelopingcountries,sharingresources,andadvancingcross-regionalcollaboration.

Mr.ShuYong,VicePresidentofEnlightenedArtAcademy,proposedthedevelopmentoflarge-scalecross-borderAImodelstointegrateculturalandeconomicdata,linkmorepeople,andreduceinequalitiesarisingfromtechnologicalchange.Heemphasizedtheneedfordevelopingcountriestoproactivelyembraceartificialintelligencetoavoidmarginalization.

Ms.HuangYan,DeputyDirectoroftheInternationalCenteronSmallHydroPower(ICHSP),highlightedthelackofwaterresourcedataasakeychallengeforsmallhydropowerdevelopmentinmanydevelopingcountries.Shecalledforenhancedinternationalcooperation,includingjointreportingwithUNIDO,tostrengthendatacollectionandsharing.Respondingtoaquestiononprivatesectorengagement,sheunderscoredtheimportanceofgovernmentsupportforinitialinvestmentandtripartitecollaborationamonggovernments,internationalorganizations,andenterprises.

Ms.YuHaomiao,DivisionDirectorforInternationalOrganizationsattheForeignEconomicCooperationCenter,MinistryofAgricultureandRuralAffairsofChina,sharedexperiencesofSouth-Southcooperationinsmartagriculture.Sherecommendeddifferentiatedapproaches,providingbasicagriculturaltechnologiestocountrieswithweakerinfrastructure,suchasthoseinSub-SaharanAfrica,whiledeepeningdigitalintegrationwithmoreadvancedpartners,suchasinLatinAmericaandASEAN.ShefurthersuggestedthatNanjing’ssmartagriculturepracticescouldbepromotedinternationallythroughcooperationchannelsincludingnationaldelegationsandinternationalagriculturalexhibitions,supportedbybrandingandknowledgesharing.

Mr.BaiXiaofeng,Secretary-GeneraloftheChina-AfricaBusinessCouncil,focusedonpolicyandfinancialenablersforChina-Africacooperation.HestressedthatAfricangovernmentsneedtoestablishindustrialpoliciestoattractinvestment,notingthatChineseenterprisesprioritizepolicystabilityoverhigh-risk,high-returnopportunities.Heproposedthecreationofnon-bankindustrialfundstohelpAfricansmallandmedium-sizedenterprisesovercomebarrierstoaccessingaffordablecredit.

SpeakingonbehalfofAfricanyouth,Mr.LemiChalaTamire,LecturerandResearcheratHaramayaUniversityinEthiopia,highlightedtheurgentneedtoaddresschallengesininternetconnectivity,long-termknowledgetransfer,andjointinnovationfinancing,callingforstrongerinternationalcollaborationtoclosethesegaps.

Movingforward

Mr.LUShanlong,InternationalCoordinatorofSDG6,CBAS,concludedinhisclosingremarksthatthroughthesharingofgoodpracticesanddiscussionsonreplicatingandscalingupsuccessfuldevelopmentexperiencesviaSouth-Southandtriangularcooperation,weachievedtheobjectivesofmutuallearning,identifyingcontext-specificadaptationstrategies,andexploringopportunitiesforfuturecollaboration.ThisseminarservedasameaningfulconvergenceoftechnologicalinnovationandpracticalactionbetweenUNOSSCandCBAS.Itrepresentsbothinnovationandaction.Wehopethatallparticipantswillcontinuetolearnfromoneanother,shareplatformsandresources,andjointlyadvancedigitaltechnologiestocontributetotheachievementoftheSDGs.

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AboutGSSDCPhaseII:

TheGlobalSouth-SouthDevelopmentCenter(GSSDC)isaflagshipinitiativeoftheUNOSSC,fundedbytheGovernmentofChina,undertheframeworkoftheUNFundforSouth-SouthCooperation(UNFSSC).JointlyimplementedwiththeChinaInternationalCenterforEconomicandTechnicalExchanges(CICETE),GSSDCPhaseII(2025–2030)willexpandboththematicallyandgeographically,prioritizing:agricultureandruraltransformation,greenandresilientdevelopment,newindustrialization,culturalandcreativeeconomy.PhaseIIseekstoleveragethetechnicalexpertiseandresourcesoftheChinaSouth-SouthCooperationNetwork(CSSCN)toadvancepracticalandtechnologicalcooperation,capacitydevelopment,knowledgeexchangeandnetwork-building,whilepromotingSouth-Southandtriangularcooperationamongcitiesandsub-nationalentitiesglobally.