The United Nations aims to draw insight from the hundreds of millions of Tweets shared on Twitter in dozens of languages daily.

Twitter and UN Global Pulse have partnered, giving the United Nations access to the tech giant’s data tools to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by world leaders last year. The alliance allows its humanitarian agencies to turn social conversations into actionable information to aid worldwide communities.

The organisation aims to draw insight from the hundreds of millions of Tweets shared across the digital platform in dozens of languages daily. Said public data contains real-time information on many issues such as the cost of food, availability of jobs, access to health care, quality of education, and reports of natural disasters.

“The Sustainable Development Goals are about people, and Twitter’s unique data stream can help us truly take a real-time pulse on priorities and concerns—particularly in regions where social media use is common—to strengthen decision-making,” said Robert Kirkpatrick, Director of UN Global Pulse.

Organisations and businesses around the globe use Twitter data in many meaningful ways. The unique data source enables them to leverage public information at scale to better inform their policies and decisions. Such partnerships encourage innovative uses of data, while protecting the privacy and safety of users.

The strategic collaboration builds on existing research and development that has shown the power of social media for social impact—like measuring the impact of public health campaigns, tracking reports of rising food prices or prioritising needs after the occurrence of a natural disaster.

“Twitter data provides a live window into the public conversations that communities around the world are having. We believe the increased potential for research and innovation through this partnership will further the UN’s efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Chris Moody (pictured), VP of Data Strategy of Twitter.

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