Citizen Data at HLPF: Advancing Inclusive Data Systems
by Francesca Perucci
11 Seotember 2025
On July 23, 2025, the Collaborative on Citizen Data—together with the UN Statistics Division, UN Women, Open Data Watch, PARIS21, the World Bank, UNITAR, and other partners—hosted a full-day hybrid workshop during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). The event “Advancing Inclusive Data Systems: Strengthening Citizen Data for Impact,” brought together national statistical offices, civil society organizations, and international experts to discuss practical tools, frameworks, and case studies to elevate citizen-generated data within official data systems.
The workshop featured four thematic sessions:
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- The Copenhagen Framework and its implementation
- Gender and citizen data for transformative action
- Intersectional and disability data
- Integration of citizen data with other data sources
Each session included speaker presentations, moderated discussions, and interactive Q&A segments to encourage experience sharing and cross-sector dialogue. This blog provides a summary of key takeaways from each session, accompanied by available recordings and presentation slides.
Session 1: The Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data and Its Implementation
The day began with a deep dive into the Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data, adopted by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2025. The Framework serves as a global reference point for the responsible, ethical, and impactful use of citizen-generated data.
Speakers from UNSD, the Open Institute, PARIS21, and the UK Office for National Statistics highlighted:
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- The evolution and structure of the Framework
- A new eLearning course supporting its adoption
- Practical country experiences using citizen data to build trust and inform policy
- How the Framework is already guiding inclusive data practices in national reviews and planning
Session 2: Gender and Citizen Data for Transformative Action
This session focused on the transformative potential of gender-sensitive citizen data—especially when grounded in participation, co-creation, and inclusion.
The Gender and Citizen Data Working Group, co-led by UN Women and Open Data Watch, presented frameworks and case studies that challenge power imbalances in traditional data systems. Highlights included:
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- The Participation for Transformation Model from PARIS21
- Case studies from Ethiopia (community engagement), Senegal (mining communities), and Mexico (LGBTIQ+ data)
- A quality assurance approach for gender data
- A call to embed feminist and intersectional principles in all stages of data use
Session 3: Intersectional and Disability Data: Building Equitable and Inclusive Systems
This session explored the importance of intersectional data approaches and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the data life cycle.
Key contributions came from:
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- Open Data Watch on frameworks for translating intersectionality into practical data steps
- CBM Global and OPDs on producing data by and for persons with disabilities
- Northwestern University on qualitative research methodologies to complement citizen data
- Panelists from refugee, Deaf, and disability communities who emphasized self-representation and accessible methodologies
Presentations:
Session 4: Integration of Citizen Data with Other Data Sources
The final session focused on how citizen data can be integrated with official statistics to improve coverage, relevance, and inclusivity.
Presenters from Colombia, Ghana, Saint Lucia, and Germany shared examples of:
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- Integrating air quality and environmental data into policy platforms
- Using community-generated data in population estimates
- Collaborative approaches between NSOs and CSOs for data validation and trust
- Institutional governance models and interoperability tools to support integration
Presentations:
Call to Action
This event reaffirmed the potential of citizen-generated data to strengthen national statistical systems and promote inclusive decision-making. To build on this momentum, the Collaborative on Citizen Data encourages stakeholders to:
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- Engage with the Copenhagen Framework and adapt it to national contexts
- Sign up for the Collaborative on Citizen Data’s mailing list to stay up to date
- Explore the website to access resources and more information
