PARIS21Partnership in Statistics for

Development in the 21st Century

Regional statistical co-operation An Overview

Reinforcing Statistical Co-operation at the Regional Level to Support Sustainable Development

PARIS21 Regional Forum5-6 October 2015

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Outline:1. Why this Forum?2. Where is regional statistical co-operation taking

place?3. What are the elements of regional statistical co-

operation?4. What is the added value of regional statistical

co-operation5. What are regional statistical development

strategies (RSDS)?6. What’s ahead: RSDS in Post-2015

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1. Why this forum?

• Understand regional processes on statistics

• Share regional practices on statistical co-operation 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

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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, CAN, Caricom, ECOWAS, SAARC, SADC, SICA, SPC, UEMOA)

• Regional development banks (e.g., AfDB, ADB, IADB, IsDB)

• Regional capacity building centers (e.g., SIAP, EASTAC)

• Bilateral and multilateral agencies

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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)

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• Development partners’ support enables regional solutions and country-specific interventions

• Collaboration and support of multi-year statistical projects

3. What are the elements of regional statistical co-operation?

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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

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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

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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

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RSDSA strategic regional

plan on statistics prepared and agreed to by regional authorities and member countries

Objectives• Framework for producing

regional data • Ensure comparability of statistics produced by NSSs

across the region• Harmonize statistics between

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

PurposeAn efficient Regional Statistical System to respond to statistical needs of a regional

development agenda

5. What is RSDS?Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics

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RSDS WORLDWIDE: Some Examples• CENTROESTAD & SICA Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics (RSDS) process since 2012

• Ten-Year PacificStatistics Strategy 2011-2020

• SADC RSDS 2013-2018

• Strategic Plan for the Establishment of the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS) 2011-2015

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Link between RSDS and NSDS Complementary Processes

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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

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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

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