Ms. Katherine K. Wallman,
Chairperson of the Conference of European Statisticians
What are the developments and challenges of the UNECE Conference of European
Statisticians?
In recent months, the UNECE has proposed plans for reform that seek to
improve its
governance structure and redefine its priorities. This reform also promotes
closer collaboration
between UNECE and other international organizations active in the region
in order to avoid
duplication and to maximize comparative advantages. In accordance with the
conclusions of the
reform effort, UNECE will continue to coordinate international statistical
work, develop statistical
methodologies, and provide technical assistance in statistics – areas
where the UNECE has a
long history of leadership. In addition, priorities will include the development
of a database for
monitoring the Millennium Development Goals.
Given the many international organizations in the UNECE region, it is an
ongoing challenge for
the Conference of European Statisticians (CES) and the UNECE Statistical
Division to coordinate
statistical activities. In cooperation with the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and
Development (OECD) and the Statistical Office of the European Communities
(Eurostat), the
UNECE has developed, over the past 15 years, the “Integrated Database
of International Statistical
Work Programmes in the UNECE Region;” this interactive database (available
on the UNECE
website) includes information on the activities of approximately 30 organizations
that undertake
statistical work in the region (e.g., data collections, standards development,
and exchanges of
expertise). The forward-looking database, which presents the work programmes
under some 50
headings, enables the goals and planned activities of the various organizations
to be monitored
and coordinated. (This tool is a model that merits consideration for coordinating
work in other
UNECE subject-matter areas that involve multiple international organizations.)
The CES work programme further promotes collaboration in the region, particularly
in the area
of standards development, by organizing meetings jointly with other
international organizations
on topics of mutual interest. This type of cooperation has become
increasingly important in the
light of the fact that 25 of the 55 UNECE member countries now belong
to the European Union. For example, a priority area of Eurostat and UNECE
collaboration has been the preparation of
recommendations for the 2010 round of population and housing censuses,
which the CES will
consider for adoption at its annual plenary session in June 2006.
More recently, the CES has
begun to meet jointly with Eurostat and OECD to explore and guide
future activities of the
UNECE in selected areas of demographic and social statistics. In
addition to providing substantive
contributions to and secretarial support for these joint meetings,
the UNECE’s
involvement allows
non-EU and non-OECD countries in the UNECE region to be associated with the
development
work of these partner organizations and provides a kind of bridge for European-based
specialized
UN agencies (such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Educational,
Scientific
and Cultural Organization, and the International Labour Organization) with
national statistical
offices.
UNECE and the CES member countries provide technical assistance
to implement the
Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and other statistical
capacity building projects in the
Balkans and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.
A continuing challenge
in recent years has been meeting the capacity building needs of
the Balkan and CIS countries in
the most efficient and effective manner. The Bureau of the Conference
of European Statisticians
is currently considering how to improve coordination of technical
assistance in statistics in
the region, particularly the assistance that is provided by UNECE,
Eurostat, and the Interstate
Statistical Committee of the CIS (CIS-STAT).
As a result of the recent reform, the UNECE will have as a priority
the challenge of developing
and maintaining a database on Millennium Development Goals (MDG)
indicators using its data and
dissemination infrastructure. As a first step in this process,
a questionnaire has been developed
to assess the capacity of countries to report on MDGs and will
be analysing the results of this information in the coming months. Such
analysis must be done with great care to ensure clear understanding not only
of the basic availability of indicator data but also of the underlying quality
of information that can be provided by the national statistical offices.
A special challenge for the CES in recent years has been the
growing diversity of statistical capability among the member countries of the UNECE – ranging
from those who are the most advanced in the world to those just building some
core aspects of their systems. In 2002, the CES substantially adapted the structure
and content of its annual meetings to ensure that the agenda remains relevant
to all countries, regardless of their level of statistical or economic development.
As a result, in addition to the formal business portion of the agenda, the annual
meetings now feature two seminar sessions – one focusing on fundamental
issues that confront all national statistical offices and the other examining
emerging issues. Over the past several years, the “fundamental issues” have
included statistical confidentiality and micro data, the integrity of official
statistics, and improved data reporting, while “emerging issues” have
included globalization of statistics, measuring prices and volume in
the service sector, and statistics for measuring sustainable development.
(Topics to be discussed at the June 2006 meeting are population censuses
and human resources and training.) As an outgrowth of these seminars, the
countries have in several cases undertaken follow-up work in areas such
as statistical data confidentiality, data for measuring sustainable development,
and improved data reporting. This revised approach to the CES annual meeting
is proving to be quite successful not only in conveying useful information
and engendering lively debate on a variety of important topics, but also
in attracting the active participation of the heads of the national statistical
offices in the seminars. It is also noteworthy that beginning in 1994, the
OECD has hosted the annual meeting of the CES in alternate years, providing
further evidence of the close collaboration between the UNECE and the OECD
in statistical work.
Periodically throughout its more than 50-year history, the Conference of
European Statisticians has taken the initiative to review
its working methods to determine if it could operate more efficiently and
has adapted its priorities and activities to meet the needs of the member
countries.