Opening Session: Opening Data to Include the Excluded | International Open Data Conference 2015

"Master of Ceremonies, Alex Howard of Huffington Post, officially welcomed delegates to the 3rd International Open Data Conference 2015 (#iodc15) and introduced Lois Brown, Canada’s Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development. The Government of Canada’s commitment to open data stems from a desire to foster creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation in its people, encourage expansion of the digital economy, and, through open government, provide a means to counter social injustice and inequity. Brown’s talk was on the importance of open data to all sectors of society, recognizing that 'a life unrecorded is a life unsupported', particularly spotlighting the plight of women and children in developing countries. Efforts to open information to address social inequities include the release of global vital statistics and indicators from such organizations as the World Bank and World Health Organization, and the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), so that data is 'open by default'. The United Nations has raised a call to establish global data standards. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s Africa Data Consensus was finalized in March 29, 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, enshrining its commitment to open data principles and the data revolution ..."