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The past year was full of milestones for the global statistical community. From the launch of the Global SDG Progress Report 2018, to the second UN World Data Forum, to the first UN World Geospatial Information Congress, we have remained committed to the advancement of the global statistical system, as well as to supporting countries’ efforts to strengthen their national statistical and geospatial information systems. We have engaged enthusiastically with all data communities, such as other government institutions, private sector, civil society, academia and media, and are very excited to see the results of these partnerships come to fruition. For example, we have advanced in the development of a federated system of data hubs for the exchange and dissemination of statistical and geographical information. In partnership with the private sector, we are testing this tool for SDG monitoring at national and subnational level in a number of countries and look forward to seeing it work in support of the 2030 Agenda of leaving no one behind.
2018 was also about change. As part of the overall UN reform, I have implemented a restructuring of the Division, which I am confident will make us more streamlined. I have made some strategic alignments: I created a new Environment and Geospatial Information Systems Branch. In addition, I have integrated trade statistics into an enlarged Economic Statistics Branch. Together with the Demographic and Social Statistics Branch, these three substantive branches now adequality reflect the three pillars of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Furthermore, there is now a new Data Innovation and Capacity Branch, which brings together the ongoing work in various parts of the Division and gives more prominence to these workstreams, which include the strategic management of our extensive technical and institutional statistical capacity development programmes in support of the 2030 Agenda. Finally, the Development and Data Outreach Branch is UNSD’s strategic central ‘data hub’. This branch now includes a Sustainable Development Goals Monitoring Section and a Web Development and Data Visualization Unit.
In this booklet, we showcase what UNSD has accomplished in the past year and our plans and priorities for 2019 as well. As we celebrate the 50th session of the Statistical Commission, UNSD reflects on past accomplishments and honours our tradition of maintaining excellency in our core functions: data collection, methodological work and capacity development. At the same time, we are eager to embrace new developments with a Division that now reflects the three pillars of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are confident that the new, modern, more agile UNSD is well positioned to serve the global statistical system in pursuit of the global goals.
I hope you will enjoy reading this year’s edition of the brochure.
Yours sincerely,
Stefan Schweinfest Director United Nations Statistics Division/DESA
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The United Nations Statistics Division is committed to the advancement of the global statistical system. We compile and disseminate global statistical information, develop standards and norms for statistical and geospatial activities, and support countries' efforts to strengthen their national statistical systems. We facilitate the coordination of international statistical activities and support the functioning of the United Nations Statistical Commission as the highest entity of the global statistical system.
The Statistics Division's main functions are:
Coordination of international Collection, processing and statistical and geospatial dissemination of programmes statistical information and activities
Technical cooperation Development of programme statistical standards, classifications and definitions
UNSD Work Programme: Data Innovation Demographic Statistics Geospatial Information Statistical Capacity Management Social and Gender Statistics National Accounts
Development Data Environment Statistics Energy Statistics
SDG Monitoring Environmental-Economic Trade and Industry Statistics Accounting Web Development and Data Visualization
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in UNSD 2018
Trained Organized ~2500 88 events participants including workshops, expert meetings, seminars, study from around the world visits and e-learning courses
Was granted $10 million, Provided technical country support jointly with 10 other UN entities, through UNSD-DFID project on from the UN Development evelopment Account to strengthen national statistical systems via the d SDG “Programme for monitoring, Statistics and Data” conducting SDG data capacity gap assessments in most of the
pilot c ountries Doubled 20 the number of e-Learning
Capacity Capacity courses provided, to 24
Provided technical support for implementation of international statistical standards, guidelines and programmes: 2020 Programme on Population and Housing Censuses; International Programme for Accelerating the Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems; Evidence
and Data for Gender Equality (EDGE) programme; Handbook on Measuring International Migration through Population Censuses; 2008 System of National Accounts; International Merchandise Trade Statistics 2010 and Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010; Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics; System of Environmental Economic Accounting 2012, in particular in the context of the EU-funded project on Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services, which focuses on Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa.
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in Coordination UNSD 2018
Successful launch of The Supported the negotiations of the Sustainable Global Compact Development for Safe, Orderly and Regular Goals Report Migration by providing advice related to objective
2018 and SDG country database 1 on data
Better integration of Convened the st statistical and geospatial 1 UN World data through the Geospatial UN Global Geospatial Information Information Management Congress Programme and launch of the with approximately 2000 participants and Integrated Geospatial Information exhibitors, to establish private-public Framework with World Bank partnerships in support of 2030 Agenda
participants from ~2000 all data communities, at the 2nd UN World
Data Forum Launched the Dubai Declaration on supporting the Implementation of the Cape Town Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development Data
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UNSD 2018 Research and methodology Completed and releases in 2018 included: released 10 research and • Handbook on Satellite Account on Nonprofit methodological documents under and Related Institutions and Volunteer Work the guidance of the • Handbook on Supply, Use and Input-Output UN Statistical Tables with Extensions and Applications Commission • Handbook on Accounting for Global Value Chains: GVC Satellite Accounts and Integrated
Business Statistics Methodology Finalized the Handbook on • Technical Recommendations in support of the Accounting for System of Environmental-Economic Accounting 2012 Experimental Ecosystem Accounting
Global Value • Handbook on Civil Registration and Vital Chains: Statistics Systems: Management, Operations GVC Satellite Accounts and and Maintenance, Revision 1 Integrated • Guidelines on the Use of Electronic Data Business Statistics Collection Technologies in Population and Housing Censuses • Guidelines to measure assets ownership from a Released guidelines on measuring asset ownership from a gender perspective • Technical Report on Producing Statistics on gender Entrepreneurship from a Gender Perspective • International Classification of Activities for perspective Time Use Statistics (ICATUS) • under the EDGE Revision of the Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose project • International Recommendations for Energy Statistics
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UNSD 2018 Data
Further developed an effective and UNSD data products
innovative include: data collection and dissemination • World Statistics Pocketbook programme • Statistical Yearbook
Served the • Open SDG Data Hub
Fifth • Monthly Bulletin of Statistics Online Committee and • SDG Indicators Global Database Committee on Contributions • UN Comtrade
with national accounts data for the scales of assessment for the • National Accounts Main Aggregates
period of 2019-2021 • Energy Statistics Pocketbook
• Disability Statistics Database Launched the ninth round of environmental data • Population Census Datasets collection through the UNSD/UNEP questionnaire on environment • Population and Vital Statistics Report statistics to contribute to • Demographic Yearbook System SDG monitoring • Minimum Set of Gender Indicators
• UN Data (web and app)
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Priorities in 2019
Publication of the Organize the first Co-chair the newly established Sustainable UN Global UN Development Forum on Legal Goals Report Economic Statistics Identity 2019 and a global consultation on the research agenda, engaging Expert with academia, the private sector, civil society and Group governments
Coordination Call for more and better Financing for data and statistics through strengthened coordination (and a dedicated financing mechanism)
led by the HLG-PCCB
Federated Support the Information System 2020 Global for the Population & Housing
Data Census Round and develop key SDG social and bringing demographic
together global statistics tools, and national such as the Statistics of SDG data hubs International Migration
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in Methodology Priorities 2019
Develop the Revision of the implementation guidelines Strengthen the
SEEA and handbooks for the global Integrated Experimental Geospatial SDG Ecosystem Information indicator Accounting Framework framework and support its and its application in policy, comprehensive review engaging with different communities in a coordinated implementation programme
Capacitydevelopment
Improve statistical Implementation of Comprehensive program capacity in Africa with the quality assurance for to strengthen 5th Annual official statistics - using the national International geospatial Conference on UN systems Big Data for NQAF Official through workshops, e- Manual learning material and Statistics as a guide through establishing national data hubs in Kigali, 29 April – 3 May 2019 training workshop and and related training workshops other activities
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Contact us:
Website: http://unstats.un.org/
Twitter: @UNStats
Fax: +1 212 963 9851
Statistics Division United Nations New York, NY 10017 United States of America
E-mails:
General queries [email protected] UN World Data Forum [email protected] Demographic and social statistics [email protected] System of National Accounts (SNA) and economic statistics [email protected] System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) [email protected] Energy statistics [email protected] Environment statistics [email protected] Industry statistics [email protected] Business statistics [email protected] Data innovation [email protected] Classifications [email protected] International merchandise trade statistics [email protected] Statistics of international trade in services [email protected] Monthly bulletin of statistics [email protected] Publications (print and electronic) [email protected]
Staff photo taken on the 70th Anniversary of the UN Statistical Commission, March 2017 11
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