The IMF affirmed its commitment to help 112 countries to introduce regular publication of key macroeconomic indicators as part of the Fund’s contribution to the “Harnessing the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development” conference in Addis Ababa.

The 112 countries, most of which are lower-income, participate in the IMF’s General Data Dissemination System. The preliminary goal for 2020 is for at least 50 of these countries to publish the data through a National Summary Data Page and in accordance with a published advance release calendar. The Fund—in collaboration with the African Development Bank and other regional development banks—would support implementation through technical assistance and/or funding to cover the cost of the technology—while countries would deploy the necessary human resources and interagency collaboration.

Sponsors of the Harnessing the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development event, which took place on the sidelines of the Third International Financing for Development Conference, included ONE campaign, the U.S. Government, the Federal Government of Mexico, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

The event underscored that effective data are essential for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals.  Attendees included U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew; OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria; Carlos Lopes, head of UNECA; and Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

To see how other governments, businesses, civil society and international organizations signaled their commitment to data for sustainable development, check out the newly posted matrix, “Harnessing the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development.”