From my current and past experiences, I have seen how profoundly data can shape decisions, policies, and lives. In an era of continuous digital transformation and in a world flooded with data of varying quality, the responsibility of official statistics, to provide reliable and meaningful information, is greater than ever.

Our 2026–2030 Strategy is bold. The strategy addresses technology, because mastering technology is a pre-condition for effectiveness. But the strategy is about so much more. It aims to strengthen confidence in our data.

Artificial Intelligence is redefining how information is accessed and consumed, but AI is only as good as the data—and metadata—it relies on. Without well-structured data and quality metadata, AI poses as many risks as benefits: it may misinterpret input, amplify bias, and ultimately lead to loss of trust and reputational damage. As producers of official statistics, we have a duty to ensure that our collective data remains discoverable, understandable, and interoperable, so that it can power intelligent systems without compromising integrity and quality. This Community can help us achieve that.

“The SIS-CC Community has shown that when we work together—sharing knowledge, pooling resources, and embracing openness—we can achieve what no single organisation could accomplish alone, with the most precious of all currencies: trust.”

By enabling structured conversations and cooperation we can forge the practices that will address the challenges of our age. We can move beyond the cants which sometimes hamper our capacity to act: “SDMX is complex, we should hide its complexity”; “Developing solutions in-house allows better agility and control”; “Tools for lower capacity countries cannot be the same tools for higher capacity institutions”; “SDMX is for reporting and cannot be used to support the full data lifecycle”, “SDMX is for IT architects, not statisticians”… All of these old chestnuts have proven false, as demonstrated by the achievements of this Community. Working together as a community gives us the strength to overcome inertia, obstacles and blockages.

Let me conclude by counselling that AI will not magically organise and harmonise messy data. This is a myth. Only human intelligence, embodied in individual’s skills, team spirit and good organisational governance, knock our data into shape. AI can assist with this work.

Our mission is clear: to empower societies with reliable, timely, and meaningful data for better decisions. Together, as a Community, we can turn this vision into reality by embracing cooperative innovation, safeguarding trust, and shaping the future of official statistics.