Economic Statistics in Asia and the Pacific

Zeynep Orhun Girard

Regional Seminar on Developing a Programme for the Implementation of the 2008 SNA and Supporting Statistics in the ECO member countries

Ankara, TurkeySeptember 2013

This presentation covers

• What ESCAP does on economic statistics

• Background to the Regional Programme on Economic Statistics (RPES) in A-P

• Links to the work of development partners

• Implementation of RPES & next steps

Capacity BuildingFramework: Regional Programme for

Economic Statistics (RPES)Core Set of Economic

StatisticsRelated projectsAdvisory services

Outputs: Advocacy Coordination Infrastructure Skills (SIAP)

Data Work

Economic indicators in DB>400 indicatorsCovering 8 topics

Statistical Yearbook Asia-Pacific Trade

and Investment Report

Economic Statistics at ESCAP

Regional Programme for Economic Statistics

Why? To improve soundness of economic analysis & related decision making

What? Increased capacity of NSSs to produce & disseminate the Core Set of Economic Statistics (in line with international standards)

When? By 2020

How? Governed by the Steering Group for RPES (countries & development partners), secretariat by ESCAP SD.

What is the Core Set of Economic Statistics?

• Prices and costs• Demand and output• Income & wealth• Money & banking• Government• Labour market• Natural resources and environment

How are RPES outputs organized?The roll-out of the RPES is at the national levelsupported by regional and sub-regional

activities as possible:• Advocacy (governments and development

partners) • Coordination (benchmarking and planning)• Statistical Infrastructure (methods and

processes) • Skills (human resources)

How did RPES come about?2009 20112010

CST 1 discusses

•Overview of Statistics Development

•Towards an Action Plan for the Development of Economic Statistics in Asia and the Pacific

*TAG established

2012 CST 2 endorses

•Proposed RPES

(SD with guidance from TAG and in consultation with countries & development partners)

•Proposed Core Set (TAG)

*TAG SGRPES

CST 3 endorses

•Implementation Plan for RPES

(SD with guidance from SGRPES)

Assessments

•Bhutan

•Bangladesh

•Lao PDR

(SD)

Phased Implementation of RPES2013-14 2018-202015-17

Phase 2

Accelerating regional and country level implementation

Phase 1

•Capacity Screening

•Plans for economic statistics

Phase 3:

Consolidating national and regional efforts to achieve the programme outcome

Value added of RPES• Raises the profile of economic statistics

development in A-P• Provides a common reference of the

minimum set of economic indicators • Provides a platform of coordination for

development partners in A-P (NOT solely an ESCAP programme)

What does RPES offer to countries?

• Assistance in planning or enhancing existing plans for economic statistics development

• Rallying support/resources for the implementation of national priorities

• Facilitating partnerships with resource countries and development partners

• Capacity enhancement geared towards improving statistical infrastructure and human resources for producing and disseminating the Core Set

What does RPES offer to development partners?

• A shared vision for capacity building at the regional level and implement it in countries based on national priorities

• Alignment of capacity building for economic statistics

• Identification and pooling of resources (including development partners and resource countries)

Cooperation with Development Partners

• ADB, ILO and SPC on the Steering Group

• Links to the 2008 SNA, Global Strategy for Agricultural Statistics, ICP

• Different development partners for different areas of the Core Set, e.g. FAO on natural resources

• At subregional levels, e.g. in the Pacific ESCAP, IMF and SPC programming in coordinated way

Current Status of Implementation

• Governments are fully engaged in the Programme

• Fundraising efforts ongoing• Advocacy (member countries and

development partners), e.g. communicating results of capacity screening

• Next date: Steering Group meeting planned for 29-31 October in Bangkok

Example: Project for CIS countries

Project funded by the Russian Federation within the framework of RPES and with a focus on 2008 SNA (2013-14, 240K)

Desired results:• Advocacy for developing capacity to

produce/disseminate the Core Set • Capacity building to produce/disseminate the

Core Set Supplemented by other resources and

collaborationwith development partners.

Thank you!

http://www.unescap.org/stat/econ

• Proposed regional programme for the improvement of economic statistics in Asia and the Pacific (2010) at http://www.unescap.org/stat/cst/2/CST2-5E.pdf

• Proposed core set of economic statistics for Asia and the Pacific (2010) http://www.unescap.org/stat/cst/2/CST2-4E.pdf

• Implementation plan for the Regional Programme for the Improvement of Economic Statistics in Asia and the Pacific (2012) at http://www.unescap.org/stat/cst/3/CST3-CRP1E.pdf