Feature: Growing Interest and Demand for Statistics on Water Availability

Statistical Newsletter / Published: 5 July 2011

Second Quarter, 2011

• Announcement
• Application for Young Professionals Programmefrom 11 July to 10 September 2011
• Feature: Growing interest and demand for statistics on water availability
• Intergovernmental & expert dialogue
• 67th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
• Technical Advisory Group on Social Statistics
• Steering Group for the Regional Programme on Economic Statistics
• EGM on Opportunities and advantages of enhanced collaboration on statistical
  information management in Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, 20-22 June 2011
• Assessments of the capacity of the national statistical systems of Bangladesh,
  Bhutan and Lao People's Democratic Republic to produce economic statistics
• Assessment of the capacity of Indonesia to produce gender statistics
• Assessing Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems in the Asia-Pacific region,
  Bangkok, 28-31 March 2011
• “Vital Registration Assessment: Final Stakeholder Meeting”, Maldives, 24 April
  2011
• Training
• SIAP awarded for its contribution to JAXA
• Regional Training Course on the System of National Accounts 2008, Daejeon,
  Republic of Korea, 13-17 June 2011
• Training Course on Survey Methodology for the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics,
  Chiba, Japan, 30 May–3 June 2011
• Distance-learning training course on “Introduction to STATA”, 19 April 2011
• ESCAP taps SRTC for Capacity Building Training for Central Bureau of Statistics - Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 23 May-16 June 2011
• ESCAP/UNFPA Sub regional Training/Workshop on Dissemination of Census data
  in support of monitoring MDG indicators for policy and decision making, Ulaanbaatar, 12-14
  April 2011
• Collaboration
• Strengthening Health Information Systems
• Harmonisation as a Means to Increasing Data Quality and Utility of Time-Use Data
• International Workshop on Measuring GDP by Final Demand Approach, Shenzhen, China
• UNFPA-NESDB symposium
• Upcoming releases
• Regional MDG Report
• Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific, 2011
• Calendar of forthcoming statistical meetings in Asia and the Pacific region
• New faces
• Visitors to ESCAP Statistics Division

The Newsletter is available online only. Subscribe/Unsubscribe to notices at

Announcement

Application for Young Professionals Programme from 11 July to 10 September 2011
In a new recruitment initiative called the Young Professionals Programme (YPP), the United Nations is looking for highly qualified individuals who are ready to launch a professional career as an international civil servant. This programme builds upon the national competitive recruitment examination (NCRE) which was held for the last time in 2010. Information on eligibility, application procedures and examinations is available at:

Feature: Growing interest and demand for statistics on water availability

Globally, there is more than 8,000 cubic metres of water available per year per person; however, water resources are not evenly distributed. The Asia and the Pacific region has the lowest available water per capita at just over 5,000 cubic metres per year; and India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan all have less than 2,000. Additionally, within countries, access to water is not uniformly distributed.
Water security is a growing concern for the Asia-Pacific region and for the world. To focus and prioritize national and regional strategies and policies; reliable, timely disaggregated water statistics are vital. Unfortunately, many countries face challenges in identifying data sources and compiling water statistics. Additionally, a framework (such as the System of Environmental and Economic Accounts for Water - SEEAW) to bring water statistics together to present a complete picture of water security is not available in most countries.
In response to the growing concern of water security, interest in water statistics is growing in the international statistical community as is evidenced by an increase in water statistics meetings and the revision of the SEEAW. At the International Statistics Institute (ISI) conference in Dublin, Ireland, the 24 th of August has been dedicated as “Water Theme Day”; additionally, a special issue of the ISI publication will be dedicated to water statistics.
For more information on statistics as related to economic, social and environmental issues in Asia and the Pacific, see the ESCAP Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific (to be released in September 2011).

Intergovernmental and expert dialogue


/ 67th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Government leaders and representatives from 48 countries convened in Bangkok from 19-25 May 2011 for the 67th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The Commission discussed and made decisions on social, economic and environmental issues in pursuit of sustainable and inclusive development in the region. The Commission recognized the importance of statistics in providing hard evidence for policy development and monitoring and adopted 4 resolutions directly related to statistics: (1) strengthening statistical capacity in the region, (2) the improvement of civil registration and vital statistics, (3) the improvement of economic statistics, and (4) the organization of the Governing Council of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP).
During the session, the Commission expressed appreciation for the achievements of the ESCAP Committee on Statistics. The Commission fully endorsed the decisions and recommendations made by the Committee at its second session held in December 2010, including the long-term strategic goals of the Committee which aims to ensure that all countries in the ESCAP region by 2020 have the capability to provide an agreed basic range of population, economic, social and environmental statistics, and to create a more adaptive and cost-effective information management system for national statistical offices through stronger regional collaboration.
The Commission supported the establishment of a steering group on economic statistics; a technical advisory group on social statistics; a working group on the coordination of statistical training; and a steering group, in collaboration with FAO, for the development of a regional implementation plan for the improvement of agricultural and rural statistics. Several delegations at the Commission expressed their intention to actively support statistical development in the Asia-Pacific region through their participation in the groups established by the Committee, sharing of best practices regarding information management that is adaptive and cost-effective, and provision of technical expertise.
The Commission appreciated the contribution that ESCAP makes at the global level to the United Nations Statistical Commission, the information provided through regional MDG progress tracking, and the support extended to the development of official statistics in the region. The Commission recognized the important contribution of SIAP in supporting national statistical capacity building in the region through the provision of training on official statistics over the past four decades. The Commission also expressed strong appreciation to the Government of Japan for its contribution to statistical development in the region through its support for SIAP, which is continuing despite the severe constraints and challenges experienced following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The high-level of participation in both the ESCAP Commission and the Committee on Statistics demonstrates the strong desire of ESCAP members to work collaboratively for the betterment of the Asia-Pacific region. As stated by Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP in her closing statement, “Together we are shaping a new economic and social order to ensure a better and more secure future for the peoples of the Asia-Pacific region.”

/ Technical Advisory Group on Social Statistics

In recognition of the importance of social statistics in informing decision-making for inclusive and sustainable development, the Committee on Statistics at its second session decided to establish a Technical Advisory Group on Social Statistics (TAG-SS) to advise the Committee on strategies for developing a regional programme to improve the work in this area in Asia and the Pacific.
The TAG-SS is to provide recommendations on the scope of social statistics that all countries in the region should be in a position to provide by 2020, taking into consideration the relevance of the statistics, policy priorities and the varying national statistical capacity of member States. The TAG-SS will also provide methodological and substantive guidelines on the formulation and implementation of a regional programme of national capacity development in social statistics, including through the development of a core set(s) of social statistics. Finally, the Technical Advisory Group will guide the long- and medium-term plans of implementing the regional programme of social statistics, including monitoring and evaluation.
On the basis of nominations by member States and development partners, the Bureau of the Committee on Statistics constituted the TAG-SS in June 2011 which consists of 15 members representing 10 countries and four development partners (including one alternate member for the Philippines). The members are:
1. Australia / Ms Susan Linacre, Advisor, Strategic Projects, Australian Bureau of Statistics;
2. Azerbaijan / Mr Yusif Yusifov, Head, Department of Industry, Transport and Communication Statistics
3. Bangladesh / Mr Dipankar Roy, Deputy Director , Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
4. Bhutan / Mr Phub Sangay, Chief Statistical Officer, Survey & Data Processing Division, National Statistics Bureau
5. India / Mr V. Parmeshwaran, DDG, SSD, Central Statistics Office
6. Indonesia / Mr Wynandin Imawan, Deputy Chief Statistician for Social Statistics, BPS – Statistics Indonesia
7. Iran (Islamic Republic of) / Ms Mahsa Saadati, Expert on R&D Statistics, Statistical Centre of Iran
8. Mongolia / Ms D. Oyunchimeg, Director of Population and Social Statistics Department, National Statistical Office of Mongolia
9. Philippines / Ms Paula Monina G. Collado, Deputy Administrator, Philippines ' National Statistics Office and Ms. Jessamyn O. Encarnacion, OIC-Director, Social Statistics Office, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB)
10. Singapore / Mr Lee Eu-Fah Edmond , Deputy Director , Singapore Department of Statistics
11. ADB / Mr Kaushal Joshi, Statistician, Asian Development Bank
12. SPC / Mr Arthur Jorari, Demographer
13. UNESCO / Mr Simon Ellis, UNESCO Institute for Statistics Asia Pacific Regional Advisor/ Head, AIMS Unit
14. UNODC / Mr Enrico Bisogno, Statistician, Chief Statistics and Surveys Section
An inception meeting will be organized in September 2011 for the TAG-SS to develop its work plan and elect a Chair to guide the Group’s work. For specific tasks, TAG-SS may invite the participation of other national and international experts and/or form sub-groups. The TAG-SS will report on regular basis to the Bureau. The Committee at its third session in 2012 will review the work and decide on the possible continuation of the TAG-SS.

/ Steering Group for the Regional Programme on Economic Statistics

During its second session in December 2010 the ESCAP Committee on Statistics considered and endorsed the “Proposed regional programme for the improvement of economic statistics in Asia and the Pacific”. Considering its ambition, scale, complexity and timeframe, theCommittee decidedto transform theTechnical Advisory Group on the Development of Economic Statistics(TAG) into a Steering Group for the Regional Programme on Economic Statistics (henceforth referred to as the “Steering Group”) to directly oversee the implementation of the Regional Programme.
On the basis of nominations from countries and organizations, the Steering Group was formed under the guidance of theBureau of the Committee on Statisticsin May 2011. The Steering Group comprises of 20 national and international economic statisticians. The members of the Steering Group are listed below:
1. Australia / Mr Michael Smedes, Director, National Income and Production, Australian Bureau of Statistics
2. Azerbaijan / MrYusif Yusifov, Head of the Industry, Transport and Communication Statistics Division, State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan Republic
3. Bangladesh / Mr Ziauddin Ahmed, Deputy Director, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
4. Bhutan / Mr Sonam Tenzin, Chief Statistical Officer, National Accounts & Price Division, National Statistics Bureau
5. India / Mr G. C. Manna, DDG, ESD, Central Statistics Office
6. Indonesia / Mr Sasmito Wibowo, Director for Price Statistics, BPS Statistics Indonesia
7. Iran (Islamic Republic of) / Ms Bahareh Akhavan, Senior Expert on National Accounts (product approach), Statistical Centre of Iran / Economic Accounts Department
8. Japan / Mr Seiji Takata, Senior Research Officer, Statistics Bureau of Japan
9. Philippines / Ms Estela T. de Guzman, Director, the National Statistics Office (NSO) and Mr Raymundo J. Talento, Director, Economic Statistics Office, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB)
10. Mongolia / Ms B. Badamtsetseg, Director of Macro Economics Department, National Statistical Office of Mongolia
11. New Zealand / Mr Jeffrey Cope, Principal Economic Statistician, Statistics New Zealand
12. Russian Federation / Mr Andrei Tatarinov, Director of National Accounts Department, Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat)
13. Singapore / Mr Neo Poh Cheem, Deputy Director, Singapore Department of Statistics
14. Tonga / Mr Ata'ata M. Finau, Government Statistician
15. ADB / Ms Chellam Palanyandy, Lead Professional (Statistics & Statistical Capacity Building ), Economics and Research Department
16. ASEAN Secretariat / Mr Agus Sutanto, Macroeconomic, Finance and Surveillance Office
17. Eurostat / Mr James Whitworth, Head of Unit, International Statistical Cooperation
18. FAO– Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific / Mr Jairo Castano, Senior Statistician, Economic, Social and Policy Assistance Group (ESP)
19. IMF / Mr Kimberly (Kim) Zieschang, Chief, Real Sector Division, Statistics Department
20. SPC / Mr Alick Nyasulu, Economic Statistician, Secretariat of the Pacific Community
The Steering Group will direct the development of the implementation plan for the Regional Programme including: in consultation with the secretariat, identifying the short-term and long-term priorities and establishing milestones for the implementation of the Regional Programme; providing strategic and technical advice to the secretariat on its day-to-day management; and monitoring progress in its implementation and proposing adjustments as required. The Steering Group will also provide guidance, to the Subgroup on Agricultural Statistics, which the Committee decided to establish to support the integration of a regional implementation plan for the global strategy for the improvement of the agricultural and rural statistics into the Regional Programme.
The group has already started its work and as one of its first decisions, unanimously elected Ms Estela T. de Guzman, Director, the National Statistics Office, Philippines and Mr Michael Smedes, Director, National Income and Production, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia as its co-chairs. The Steering Group members are currently in the process of discussing its work plan.
The Statistics Division of ESCAP serves as the secretariat of the Steering Group, supporting the Steering Group in carrying out its functions.
More information about the Steering Group for the Regional Programme on Economic Statistics can be accessed from:

/ EGM on Opportunities and advantages of enhanced collaboration on statistical information management in Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, 20-22 June 2011

National Statistical Institutions face significant challenges and opportunities in a rapidly evolving information environment. The ease and speed with which information is available are creating new expectations from the clients of National Statistical Institutions (NSIs), while new technologies are expanding the opportunities for NSIs to meeting those expectations.
It was in this context that, at the second session of the ESCAP Committee on Statistics (the Committee), held in December 2010, heads of NSIs committed to two overarching strategic goals towards 2020 for the development of national statistical systems in Asia and the Pacific, including “[C] reating a more adaptive and cost-effective information management environment for NSIs through stronger collaboration. ”
At the side event, entitled “Modernization of Statistical Information Systems,” organized during the second session of the Committee, discussions covered a variety of issues related to statistical information management, the transformation of business processes within national statistical systems and the future role of official statistics. Participants stressed the urgent need for the statistical community to work together to develop common solutions, recognizing that the quality and cost-effectiveness of their respective transformation processes would greatly benefit from joint development of related concepts, standards, tools and capacity development programmes. It was suggested that a regional platform for discussion be established to further explore the issues and develop methods for working collectively.
The Expert Group Meeting was thus held to pave the way for strengthening regional cooperation on statistical information management.

The meeting was attended by experts from NSIs of Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vanuatu, and from a number of development organizations, including the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Institute for Statistics (UNESCO/IUS), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Accelerated Data Program / International Household Survey Network (ADP/IHSN), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the Statistical Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), and the DevInfo Support Group.
On the basis of country presentations and group discussions, the meeting identified a number of common issues regarding the changing information technology environment. On users' expectations, the participants identified the increasing expectation of quickly available data; the demand for more complex and interlinked datasets combining data from different subject- matters; and the demand for more detailed statistical information, for example data disaggregated at a low level of geographic and administrative units. Common challenges were also seen in the need to address a wider range of users than in the past.
Participants recognized the potential of the new sources of information for statistical purposes created by the uptake of information technology by all sectors of society, whether such information is generated and maintained by the commercial sector, by the governmental sector, or other actors. The meeting agreed that that although some NSIs currently enjoy a monopoly status regarding the provision of official statistics, they need to look forward in order to maintain their relevance in the longer term.
The discussions highlighted the need for strong coordination mechanisms within national statistical systems and within national statistical organizations, to streamline statistical concepts, documentation and metadata standards, and quality criteria. The meeting also recognized the important role of standards and concepts developed to describe and systematize the description of statistical business process (GSBPM) as well as metadata standards (DDI) and data and metadata exchange standards (SDMX).