UNPOG staff members participated in the 6th Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) World Forum on "Statistics, Knowledge and Policy: The Future of Well-being," co-organized by OECD and Statistics Korea from November 27 to 29, 2018 in Incheon. The forum aimed to focus on the future of well-being by exploring the trends that will reshape people's lives in the decades to come.  

 

The forum focused on three important trends in particular: the digital transformation, the changing role of governance, and the emergence of the private sector as one key actor in influencing well-being outcomes. Other key issues centered on measurement of well-being such as the role and impact of common indicators on well-being assessment. The forum brought together inspiring speakers including world leaders, Nobel laureates, and innovators and change-makers from government, statistics, research, business, and civil society.

 

During the session on “Rethinking the State for the 21st Century”, Mr. Chung Chae Gun delivered a presentation entitled "Participatory Governance to Empower the Vulnerable in the Era of Digitalization." This session explored the notion of an "empowering state" as a framework for connecting issues of equity and efficiency, trust and governance, policy and political economy in the digital era.

In his presentation, Mr. Chung provided exemplary cases of Korean and other governments in employing digital technologies to promote public participation in policy-making and empower vulnerable groups. He emphasized the importance of the role of government in closing the digital divide and facilitating a broader access to digital public service. Digitalization has the potential to enhance well-being and rebuild trust in government through greater engagement with citizens and responsiveness to their needs.

 

On the sidelines of the event, UNPOG also participated in the exhibition by operating a promotional booth. Mr. Samuel Danaa, Associate Capacity Development Expert, delivered a spotlight presentation titled “An Overview of UNPOG and its Contribution to SDG Implementation” during the exhibition as part of UNPOG's outreach and partnership activities. The presentation introduced UNPOG's activities and key achievements since its establishment in 2006 in the areas of research and policy analysis, capacity development and network and outreach. The exhibition provided a unique opportunity to promote and further create awareness about the role and activities of UNPOG as a subsidiary of UN DESA.