Data hub to enhance decision-making

A CENTRAL source of reliable and current information on the Pacific region was launched yesterday by The Pacific Community (SPC), backed by the New Zealand government.

The platform, called the Pacific Data Hub, provides trusted evidence-based information to decisionmakers such as Pacific governments, agencies, donors and civil societies.

New Zealand, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), funded $6.5 million over four years to the hub.

“Many of the problems facing the Pacific are too big to tackle alone. The Pacific Data Hub will enable a more joined-up response to development issues,” said Belinda Brown, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ConsulGeneral in New Caledonia.

“It provides a platform to share knowledge and build an ongoing cycle of evidence which will drive learning and better outcomes over time.”

Ms Brown said the reliable data would ensure decisions were made based on evidence and was particularly important at a time when New Zealand was helping Pacific Island countries address COVID-19 and its wide-ranging socio-economic impacts.