LocationsDFx and the UNDP Data Principles:
Responsible Intelligence
for Sustainable Development
PROJECT OWNER: UNDP NY, United States
The UNDP’s Data Futures Exchange (DFx) platform is an innovative tool designed to facilitate access to, visualization of, and analysis of multidimensional data on a global scale. DFx integrates over two million data points from more than 70 trusted international sources, enabling decision-makers, researchers, and development actors to explore relevant indicators interactively and contextually.
DFx is not merely about providing data. Its true strength lies in how it transforms information into actionable knowledge through services such as comparative analysis, automated report generation, trend identification, and predictive modeling. The platform offers intuitive visualizations, geospatial filtering functions, and disaggregation options for vulnerable groups, thereby reinforcing the commitment to leaving no one behind.
A central pillar of DFx is its alignment with the UNDP Data Principles, an institutional declaration that guides the ethical, safe, and responsible use of data. These principles reaffirm UNDP’s commitment to privacy, transparency, and fairness, and are articulated around eight core values:
Protect personal data, ensuring confidentiality and informed consent.
Act with the highest ethical standards, avoiding bias, discrimination, or misuse of information.
Manage data responsibly, including governance, traceability, and accountability.
Make data open by default, promoting public access and reuse.
Design for reuse and interoperability, ensuring open standards and scalability.
Empower people to work with data, through training and accessible tools.
Expand the boundaries of data, by integrating non-traditional sources and technological innovations.
Recognize the limits of data, acting with methodological humility and awareness of data gaps.
These principles not only guide DFx’s operation but also define a broader institutional framework for data governance in development. In an increasingly information-saturated environment, UNDP asserts that data must serve human dignity, evidence-based decision-making, and the construction of more effective and inclusive public policies.
In short, DFx is not merely a technical platform but a concrete expression of UNDP’s commitment to data intelligence that drives social transformation, respects rights, and enhances multilateral cooperation within the framework of the 2030 Agenda.
This article was originally published in: https://data.undp.org/data-principles/
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