REVIEW article
Front. Polit. Sci.
Sec. Politics of Technology
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpos.2025.1583772
This article is part of the Research TopicAI Applications in Administrative Systems and ProcessesView all articles
Big Data and Data Science in Global Governance: Anticipating Future Needs and Applications in the UN and Beyond
Provisionally accepted
- 1Columbia University, New York, United States
- 2Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT), Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
- 3Asian Family Services, Auckland, New Zealand
- 4Georgetown University, Washington D.C, United States
- 5London School of Economics and Political Science, London, England, United Kingdom
- 6University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
- 7Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
This paper explores the transformative potential of big data and data science in global governance, with particular emphasis on their application in international organizations addressing sustainable development challenges. Through comprehensive analysis of theoretical frameworks, current applications, and future directions, we examine how big data technologies enhance decision-making processes and operational efficiency in global governance frameworks, particularly within United Nations agencies and affiliated international organizations. The research identifies the "4Vs" of big data (Volume, Velocity, Variety, and Veracity) as fundamental characteristics reshaping governance approaches while highlighting innovative applications like UN Global Pulse, SDG tracking systems, and AI-driven predictive analytics in crisis prevention. We assess technical, ethical, and organizational challenges, including data quality inconsistencies, interoperability issues, privacy concerns, algorithmic bias, and resource constraints that impede the full integration of big data into governance systems. The paper proposes forward-looking strategies for infrastructure development, skills enhancement, and policy frameworks that can maximize big data's benefits while addressing ethical considerations and regulatory requirements. Our findings suggest that big data, when properly governed through international cooperation and ethical frameworks, can significantly enhance crisis response capabilities, improve resource allocation, and accelerate progress toward sustainable development goals. This research contributes to the evolving understanding of big data's role in addressing transnational challenges through improved monitoring systems, predictive capabilities, and evidence-based policy interventions.
Keywords: big data, global governance, Sustainable development goals, international organizations, Data ethics, AI policy, Data Sovereignty and Digital Transformation
Received: 26 Feb 2025; Accepted: 16 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Wang, Wang, Peng, Shen, Zhu and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ziyang Zhang, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.