Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics Threats and Responses

Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics: Threats and Responses ____________ UNSC High Level Forum on Official Statistics

Panelists Jean-Louis Bodin Pali Lehola Brian Pink Walter Radermacher Eduardo Sojo Garza-Aldape

Threats and Responses Threats to relevance, impartiality, and integrity (Principles 1, 2, 3) Threats to quality, cost-effectiveness, misuse and coordination (Principles 4, 5) Threats arising from data deluge: national coordination, confidentiality, legislation (Principles 6, 7, 8) What can we do: international coordination and cooperation (Principles 9, 10)

Structure of the Forum Introduction 15 minutes Panelist 1 Presentation/Questions 15 minutes/5 minutes Panelist 2 Presentation/Questions 15 minutes/5 minutes Panelist 3 Presentation/Questions 15 minutes/5 minutes Panelist 4 Presentation/Questions 15 minutes/5 minutes Panelist 5 Presentation/Questions 15 minutes/5 minutes General questions and summary 65 minutes

Principles 1. Relevance, impartiality and equal access 2. Professionalism 3. Accountability 4. Prevention of misuse 5. Cost-effectiveness 6. Confidentiality 7. Legislation 8. National coordination 9. International coordination 10. International statistical cooperation

Key objectives of the Forum Understand why this is being discussed now Timing Consider why it matters so much Importance Establish what has happened Evidence Determine what can we do about it Handling

Key messages Timing…. why now? Budgetary pressures Political interventions

Key messages Importance…. why do the fundamental principles matter so much? Code of conduct for global official statistics community Represent core values of official statistics profession Ethical standards against which the work of official statisticians is judged

Key messages Evidence…. what’s happened? Budgets cherry-picked Work programme powers taken away Methods not keeping pace with economy/society Official statistics being marginalised Saturation of statistics from other sources Increasing vulnerability in public domain Open to attack/being undermined

Key messages Handling…. what can we do? Desirable for Principles to be redrafted to improve clarity? Periodic reviews through national reports and peer reviews? Commission to take specific action on national implementation of Principles? Mechanisms to refine Principles and strengthen implementation? Actions to commemorate 20 th anniversary of Principles