Regional statistical cooperation An Overview Reinforcing Statistical Cooperation

Regional statistical co-operation An Overview Reinforcing Statistical Co-operation at the Regional Level to Support Sustainable Development PARIS 21 Regional Forum 5 -6 October 2015 PARIS 21 Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21 st Century

Outline: 1. Why this Forum? 2. Where is regional statistical co-operation taking place? 3. What are the elements of regional statistical cooperation? 4. What is the added value of regional statistical co -operation 5. What are regional statistical development strategies (RSDS)? 6. What’s ahead: RSDS in Post-2015 2

1. Why this forum? • Understand regional processes on statistics • Share regional practices on statistical cooperation across all regions • Discuss benefits and necessity of an RSDS • Reach a consensus on the elements of RSDS to inform the preparation of flexible guidelines 3

2. Where regional statistical co-operation is taking place? • UN regional commissions (e. g. , ECA, ECLAC, ECE, ESCAP, ESCWA) • Regional offices of UN agencies (e. g. , FAO, WHO, UNICEF) • Subregional inter-governmental bodies (e. g. , Afristat, African Union, ASEAN, Caricom, ECOWAS, SAARC, SADC, SICA, SPC, UEMOA) • Regional development banks (e. g. , Af. DB, ADB, Is. DB) • Regional capacity building centers (e. g. , SIAP, EASTAC) • Bilateral and multilateral agencies 4

3. What are the elements of regional statistical co-operation? • Group of chief statisticians regularly meet to oversee regional statistical activities (i. e. , annual meeting) • Organisational structure guides regional action based on chief statisticians’ decisions (e. g. , statistics committee) • Formal adoption and periodical review of a long-term strategy (i. e. , RSDS) 5

3. What are the elements of regional statistical co-operation? • Development partners’ support enables regional solutions and country-specific interventions • Collaboration and support of multi-year statistical projects 6

4. What is the added value of regional statistical co-operation? • Expands range of globally comparable statistical measures • Contributes to diminishing the cost of a comprehensive national statistical system • Establishes and operates relevant statistical infrastructure for countries with limited resources 7

4. What is the added value of regional statistical co-operation? • Recognizes the nature of societies and economies of countries in the region • Advances the quality of NSS in the face of obsolence in technologies and practices • Enables all countries to benefit from development partners’ contibution 8

4. What is the added value of regional statistical co-operation? • Builds and enables access to: range and mix of skills and capabilities essential for an NSS § funding for regular operations of major statistical sources § • Contributes to international standard-setting by developing countries • Complements statistical operation of countries with limited capability 9

5. What is RSDS? Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics RSDS A strategic regional plan on statistics prepared and agreed to by regional authorities and member countries Outcomes • Coordinated national and regional statistical programmes (e. g. data collection activities) • Harmonised conceptual frameworks and methods • Strengthened national and regional statistical systems • Regional institutions serving as statistical centres of excellence in the region Objectives Purpose An efficient Regional Statistical System to respond to statistical needs of a regional development agenda • Framework for producing regional data • Ensure comparability of statistics produced by NSSs across the region • Harmonize statistics between member countries 10

RSDS WORLDWIDE: Some Examples • CENTROESTAD & SICA Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics (RSDS) process since 2012 • SADC RSDS 2013 -2018 • Strategic Plan for the Establishment of the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS) 2011 -2015 • Ten-Year Pacific Statistics Strategy 2011 -2020 11

Link between RSDS and NSDS Complementary Processes 12

RSDS, NSDS Sequence • No recommended sequence when formulating RSDS and NSDS – it can be formulated one after the other or in parallel • What is important : § NSDS should include programs that would address regional statistical needs (including standards to adhere to) § RSDS define specific regional or sub-regional statistical priorities consistent with regional development goals and policies; and consider capacity building needs of member countries to enable them to deliver on regional statistical needs 13

6. What’s ahead: RSDS in Post-2015 • Flexible RSDS guidelines to include: § Principles and areas of cooperation § Role distribution of key actors and stakeholders § Description of regional processes § Investment strategy • Support to regions in RSDS design and implementation complementing NSDS 14

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