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SDGCounting

@sdgcounting.bsky.social
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Tracking progress on counting and measuring the success of the Sustainable Development Goals. An initiative of StartingUpGood. #SDGs #GlobalGoals #Data

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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 14m
"It is important to ask ourselves what problems we want to solve first." Girmaw Abebe Tadesse of the UN AI panel argues that Africa should define local priorities first, then determine the infrastructure, technology and data needed to address them. news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168440
news.un.org
Africa needs its own AI solutions, not borrowed ones, says expert
Africa should focus its use of technology on solving its own real challenges rather than copying the systems and priorities of other parts of the world.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 1h
“Behind every figure are statistical officers and data producers working to collect, check, compile, and interpret these numbers...Simply put, we can't accelerate what we can't see...Lives are not lived in silos, and neither should our data.” Launch of the Gender Snapshot: ow.ly/OQxt50ZTm8z
ow.ly
Sarah Hendricks (UN-Women) & Shantanu Mukherjee (UNDESA) on the launch of the Gender Snapshot Report 2026
Press conference by Sarah Hendricks, Director of Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division at UN Women; and Shantanu Mukherjee, Acting Director of the Statistics Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, on the launch of the Gender Snapshot Report 2026.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 2h
SDG commitments are easy to make and much harder to manage consistently. ISO/UNDP 53001 gives organizations a common framework to identify impacts, set objectives, collect data and evaluate progress, turning SDG alignment into a management process. ow.ly/OtKU50ZTlzW
ow.ly
ISO and UNDP launch world’s first International Standard to advance action on the Sustainable Development Goals
ISO and UNDP launched ISO/UNDP 53001, Management systems for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Requirements, the world’s first International Standard to help organizations integrate the SDGs into their strategy, governance and operations through a structured management system.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The next development framework may need to change more than the goals. Kishan Khoday and Stuart Davies argue for linking post-2030 measurement to budgets, delivery systems, accountability and adaptive learning so evidence feeds back into implementation. ow.ly/wK3v50ZSn84
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We will be continuing our coverage of discussions at Global Goals Week, but we are also already looking ahead to what is next: UN World Data Forum 9-12 November Riyadh, Saudi Arabia unstats.un.org/unsd/undataforum
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Some of AI's most consequential uses may be far from a chatbot. The OpenAI Foundation is investing $60M to turn better forecasts and crop disease predictions into practical services for 100M smallholder farmers. ow.ly/PztZ50ZRS80
ow.ly
Exclusive: OpenAI Foundation commits $60M to AI forecasting for farmers
The three-year initiative aims to bring weather and crop disease forecasts to 100 million smallholder farmers — and the OpenAI Foundation’s Anna Makanju tells Devex that more ambitious global investments are coming.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
We covered a lot of events this past week as a part of #UNGA and #GlobalGoalsWeek. If you are looking to pick one to catch up on, we recommend the Clinton Global Initiative. A great mix of on the ground stories coupled with global trends. www.clintonfoundation.org/clinton-glob...
clintonfoundation.org
Clinton Global Initiative 2026 Annual Meeting – Clinton Foundation
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Whoa. It has been a busy week following #UNGA81 and #GlobalGoalsWeek! Our team has watched countless hours of sessions and gone through hundreds of transcripts. We will spend today catching up. What conversations did you find most important? What stories need to be amplified?
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Aid cuts have already changed the development landscape. The next step is building a transition that strengthens national ownership without losing the community networks, frontline capacity and data systems that make local delivery possible. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAe05ceICkk
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
“But the value of an index is never the index itself. Its value is what changes because of it… These are not just numbers in reports, they influence decisions, they influence budgets, they influence lives.” ~Prime Minister of Bhutan Dasho Tshering Tobgay webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1s/k1sq2h7e7z
webtv.un.org
Beyond 2030: Renewing the Global Commitment to End Poverty in All its Dimensions
There is an urgent need not only to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but also to begin reflecting on how the international community can renew and strengthen its commitment to poverty eradication in the decades ahead. Poverty must remain at the centre of global development efforts beyond 2030.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The UN80 is meant to improve UN systems including data. The new System Data Commons shows what that can look like by connecting existing platforms into one place for better statistical comparisons and easier access. ow.ly/G4Mj50ZR5eO
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
MIT Solve’s 2026 winners show how broad sustainable-development innovation has become, spanning AI, health, agriculture, clean energy, batteries and oceans. The common thread is technology built for real problems, not technology looking for one. solve.mit.edu/challenges/10-for-10-…
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Gender equality is being measured better, but progress is still too slow. UN Women and UN DESA’s 2026 Gender Snapshot finds no SDG 5 target on track, with data gaps, funding cuts and leadership gaps slowing progress across the Goals. www.unwomen.org/en/resources/gender…
unwomen.org
Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2026
Explore UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2026, assessing how women’s and girls’ rights are faring across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Great session yesterday from Clinton Global Initiative on how AI innovation leads to impact. From community data that gives leaders insights to address climate stress, to improvements in food support for children, technology can increasing service delivery to those needing it most.
youtu.be
Leaders Stage: Steering AI Innovation Toward Impact | #CGI2026
YouTube video by Clinton Global Initiative
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Today's coverage of #GlobalGoalsWeek begins with a session on AI and Human Development. It starts at 9:30a on UN Web TV. We are interested in how technology moves the #SDGs forward. webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1c/k1cpfvd754
webtv.un.org
AI and Human Development
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we learn, work, connect, and belong. The ground beneath our collective life is shifting and with it come profound questions about human development, culture, community, and what it means to be human.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
We’re following Goalkeepers to hear how people are putting AI to work in health, education and farming. We are focused on what it takes to turn those tools into better outcomes for more people. Watch the NYC event live today, September 21, at 6pm ET: goalkeepers.gatesfoundation.org/about-event/
goalkeepers.gatesfoundation.org
Goalkeepers Goalkeepers Events
Upcoming events Watch the Live NYC Event September 21, 2026 at 6pm ET  Goalkeepers New York 2026 September 21 Goalkeepers New York brings together storytelling, music, and dialogue to explore one of t...
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Between the acronyms and the multistakeholder meetings, the UN General Assembly can feel like another language. To follow the discussions, we need to understand the terms. AP has a useful guide, even for those of us who work in this space. ow.ly/2xhG50ZPPsT
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
#GlobalGoalsWeek is underway along with the High Level Meetings of #UNGA81. Today we will be covering how data tools lead to action at the UN80's Technology Accelerator Platform and the Digital @ UNGA awards. Then at 6p, we will following the Gates Foundation Goalkeepers event.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Data scattered across dozens of UN platforms is harder to find, compare and use than it should be. The new UN System Data Commons brings nearly 44 million data points from 26 entities into one gateway, with source tracing and access for analytical tools. news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168363
news.un.org
New UN system platform puts millions of data points at users’ fingertips, says Guterres
How do you make sense of a world facing interconnected crises, from poverty and hunger to climate change, if the facts are scattered across dozens of different places?
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
We've just launched a new Substack publication designed to bring you a human perspective on how data and technology is used for positive impact in sustainable development. Our first article is what to pay attention to at #UNGA81 and #GlobalGoalsWeek: sdgcounting.substack.com/p/tracking-d...
sdgcounting.substack.com
Tracking Data & Action at the 81st UN General Assembly
This year, SDGCounting is looking beyond the biggest stages to find the people, tools, and ideas turning better information into better outcomes.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
AI will be a major topic in António Guterres's meetings with world leaders at #UNGA81. Ahead of High-Level Week, he grouped runaway AI with the climate crisis and deepening inequality as three existential threats demanding international cooperation. news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168348
news.un.org
AI, climate and conflicts top Guterres’s agenda ahead of General Assembly
Ahead of the UN General Assembly’s high-level week, Secretary-General António Guterres said the world had entered “an era of deep uncertainty” and urged governments to embrace international cooperation to address global threats.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Crisis decisions cannot wait for a complete damage assessment. Anila Qehaja of UNDP shows how RAPIDA combines satellite imagery, AI, geospatial analysis and field evidence to support recovery decisions within 72 hours. www.undp.org/blog/better-crisis-dat…
undp.org
Better crisis data, faster recovery
UNDP's RAPIDA response is designed to support decisions while more detailed assessments are still underway
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
One place to watch how UNGA ideas move toward implementation is #SDIM26. The World Economic Forum will convene working sessions on climate and nature, responsible AI, and mobilizing capital for greater impact. www.weforum.org/meetings/sustainabl…
weforum.org
Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2026
On 21-23 September 2026, on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly, the World Economic Forum will host the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Impact investing is built to find overlooked value, but its hiring pipelines may be missing it. Among high-interest respondents in an exploratory survey, 82% reported at least one barrier to entry. impactalpha.com/impact-investing-is…
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The post-2030 debate is not just about choosing new goals. Kishan Khoday of UNDP and Stuart Davies argue that indicators must connect to mandates, budgets, delivery systems, independent review and corrective action. www.undp.org/latin-america/blog/fut…
undp.org
The Future of Development Beyond 2030
The post-2030 debate now unfolding is not only about whether the SDGs are extended, revised, or replaced. The deeper challenge is systemic – ideating a collective architecture capable of governing complex transitions across ecological, social, economic, technological, institutional, and financial systems.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Happening later today at 1 pm ET, Nonprofit Tech for Good hosts a free webinar on agentic AI for nonprofits. The session focuses on practical readiness, from AI assistants and clean data to governance and donor trust. register.gotowebinar.com/register/5…
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Development co-operation is still constrained by data gaps that obscure who is being reached and who is being left behind. OECD/UNDP calls for stronger national statistical systems, more disaggregated data and better use of country data and reporting. doi.org/10.1787/3a427ab2-en
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Global Goals Week starts Saturday, but the science-and-policy conversation is already moving. #ScienceSummit is underway alongside #UNGA81, with sessions on AI, health, climate, finance and data offering an early preview of the week ahead across New York. sciencesummitnyc.org
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The Gates Foundation is committing at least $1 billion over two years to expand equitable access to AI. Funding will support health, education, agriculture and underserved languages. www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media…
gatesfoundation.org
Gates Foundation Commits US$1 Billion to Help Build and Deliver Equitable AI That Improves Health and Expands Opportunity
New Goalkeepers Report: AI could be a great equalizer, but only if it’s built intentionally to benefit the people who need it most.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
As UNGA High-level Week approaches, it is worth revisiting the UN's Beyond GDP report. Its central question is whether lives are improving, gains are being shared and progress can last, dimensions GDP alone cannot adequately capture. www.un.org/en/beyondGDP
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The 2026 Goalkeepers Report pairs an uneven SDG outlook with a question about AI. Progress is slowing and inequities persist, while the report argues technology can narrow those gaps only if access, data and design are more equitable. goalkeepers.gatesfoundation.org/report/2026-...
goalkeepers.gatesfoundation.org
Goalkeepers 2026 Report
AI, EQUITY, AND THE CHOICE WE CAN’T DELAY.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The OECD Blue Sky Forum began today around a measurement problem, with existing indicators struggling to capture fast-moving science and innovation. Its agenda asks what new data, metrics and evidence policymakers need next. ow.ly/uL9350ZNw92
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The UN General Assembly High Level meetings start next week. This year we will specifically be highlighting those who are using data for positive impact towards achieving the SDGs. We're interested in how data makes a difference!
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The SDGs have a global framework of 234 unique indicators, but the data still depends on countries voluntarily reporting progress. CFR’s updated primer maps the measurement and accountability system behind the 17 goals. www.cfr.org/backgrounders/what-are-…
cfr.org
What Are the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? | Council on Foreign Relations
The United Nations’ ambitious development agenda aims to protect people and the planet via seventeen goals. But experts say governments aren’t doing enough to implement them ahead of the 2030 deadline.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Good data can show where development is working, where it is falling short and who is being left behind. Its real value comes when those findings change decisions, redirect resources, improve services and lead to better outcomes for people and communities.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The Clinton Global Initiative agenda extends beyond its public stages, with 17 working sessions on health, finance, climate and humanitarian response. We’ll watch those rooms for the partnerships, funding and new commitments that move ideas toward action. www.clintonglobal.org/2026
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
National SDG rankings can show direction while hiding the places being left behind. UNDP says Thailand's province-by-province SDG Profiles are increasingly informing local budgets and planning, a concrete example of moving measurement closer to decisions. ow.ly/fxqI50ZML6Y
ow.ly
SDG Progress and Impact - Turning Shocks into Shifts
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Forecasts can help teams act before acute malnutrition becomes a crisis, but only if data keep flowing. Action Against Hunger's Timothy Staffa and University of Maryland's David Backer argue nutrition surveys and health data are essential infrastructure. ow.ly/lLSC50ZMEL4
ow.ly
Reinforcing data pipelines essential to anticipating acute malnutrition crises
Opinion: Funding cuts jeopardize the data pipeline essential for projecting future risks of food insecurity and acute malnutrition.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Better SDG data is only useful if it changes decisions. UN DESA says the priority is linking observation and indicators through assessment and knowledge to action, with AI and big data supporting rather than replacing official statistics and systems. ow.ly/lWtM50ZMoEB
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Digital public goods increasingly include the data, standards and governance tools behind AI, not just software. The Open Data Institute is joining the Digital Public Goods Alliance to help define responsible AI public goods and assess readiness. ow.ly/9pEi50ZM02y
ow.ly
Open Data Institute joins Digital Public Goods Alliance
The ODI was founded in 2012 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Sir Nigel Shadbolt, placing us at the heart of the data economy. Our primary mission is to foster transparency, accountability, and innovation through data.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
AI for agriculture has no shortage of pilots. The OpenAI Foundation is committing $60 million to reach 100 million smallholder farmers with weather and crop disease forecasts, paired with government delivery, impact evaluation and longer-term financing. ow.ly/tiFS50ZLZqm
ow.ly
Exclusive: OpenAI Foundation commits $60M to AI forecasting for farmers
The three-year initiative aims to bring weather and crop disease forecasts to 100 million smallholder farmers — and the OpenAI Foundation’s Anna Makanju tells Devex that more ambitious global investments are coming.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
How we measure science and innovation shapes what governments can see and act on. The OECD Blue Sky Forum runs Sept. 14-16 in Paris and online, examining new data sources, methods and gaps in Science/Tech/Innovation evidence. www.oecd.org/en/events/2026/09/4th-…
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Counting volunteers and hours captures scale, but can miss informal and community-based work. UNV’s 2026 report argues for mixed methods that capture both numbers and lived impact. www.unv.org/pressrelease/un-report-…
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
VNRs assess SDG progress, but civil society consultation is not required. Jesselina Rana of CIVICUS argues in IISD that this leaves a basic accountability gap in how progress is reported. sdg.iisd.org/commentary/guest-artic…
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
If you're trying to follow the SDG side of UNGA81, the UN has put the September calendar in one place. It runs from the Sept. 18 SDG Moment to the Goals Lounge, SDG Media Zone and high-level meetings on climate, health and more. www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/g…
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Happening next week, UNESCO’s 4th Global Forum on the Ethics of AI opens Sept. 14 in Riyadh. The forum will focus on turning AI ethics principles into policy, regulation and institutional capacity. www.unesco.org/en/articles/4th-glob…
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Congress appropriated near-stable global health funding, but the U.S. bilateral agreements tell a different story. Public Citizen and Partners In Health project a 59% funding drop across 18 countries by 2030, raising questions about where the money goes. ow.ly/cRsE50ZKq6c
ow.ly
Trump admin to 'radically' cut health aid in 18 countries, report says
Public Citizen and Partners In Health found that the Trump administration is planning a 59% reduction in health spending in 18 countries by 2030 — about $2 billion.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
AI can improve development data, but development data also has to be made usable by AI. The World Bank is working on both sides, from metadata and anomaly detection to semantic search, AI-ready datasets and MCP-based interoperability. www.worldbank.org/en/about/unit/uni…
worldbank.org
DECDG AI for Data - Data for AI
The AI for Data - Data for AI work program in the Development Data Group and the Office of the Chief Statistician leads the development of methods and tools to leverage AI for development data.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Bill Gates sees agriculture as the fastest AI opportunity in low-income countries, but says access will not happen automatically. He argues governments and philanthropy must ensure poorer countries benefit from AI rather than simply inherit its risks. ow.ly/ZtOM50ZKpHT
ow.ly
The choices we make about AI now are critical | Bill Gates
AI will either be the greatest equalizer ever invented, or the worst source of injustice. We need to start planning now so it makes the world a fairer place.
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SDGCounting @sdgcounting.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Every SDG indicator now has a well-established methodology, but only about 70% have good data coverage. The measurement challenge is increasingly less about agreeing how to count and more about building systems that can produce the numbers consistently.
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