Discussion at the WEF: What is the value of trustworthy data?
At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on January 21, high-ranking panelists discussed the question of how reliable data can be made more accessible and usable in order to counteract disinformation.
The event, which was opened by Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, was attended by high-ranking representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the University of Copenhagen and the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). A study on the creation of a platform for trustworthy data was also presented.
The discussion entitled "Data for all: the ultimate solution to disinformation?" took place as part of "Geneva Day 2025". Every year, Geneva Day provides a platform for exchange between stakeholders from business and civil society at the House of Switzerland on the fringes of the WEF. The participants discuss current topics that are relevant to the international organizations based in Geneva.
At the event, Pádraig Dalton, the former Chief Statistician of Ireland, also presented a feasibility study he had prepared on the creation of a "Trusted Data Observatory", which was commissioned by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
The study recommends that this observatory, based in Geneva, operates a metadata platform that can be used to easily find and compare data from reliable sources. AI chatbots could access this data and feed their answers from trusted sources. In addition to promoting transparency and fact-based political decision-making, such a platform could also help to combat disinformation.
Facts are a prerequisite for democratic decisions
In her opening speech, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider emphasized the importance of trustworthy data: "Democratic society depends on information from reliable sources. It enables us to have a debate based on facts and thus creates the basis for informed and well-founded decision-making." At the subsequent
During the second round table discussion, Samira Asma, WHO Deputy Director for Data and Analysis, Professor Vincent F. Hendricks from the University of Copenhagen and FSO Director Georges-Simon Ulrich discussed the possible roles of different actors at international level in order to make such data more visible and thus usable.
Source: Federal Statistical Office (FSO)
