ESCWA reaffirms the growing need for reliable and timely data amid economic transformations
Muscat, Sept 8 (KUNA) -- A representative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) stressed on Tuesday the growing need for reliable, timely, disaggregated, and comparable data amid rapid economic and social transformations and the digital revolution, as well as the challenges posed by conflicts, occupation, disasters, and displacement to statistical systems.
This was stated by Rania Al-Mashat, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCWA, during her opening address at the 17th session of the ESCWA Statistical Commission, hosted by the Sultanate of Oman. The session brings together heads and representatives of national statistical offices and agencies from Arab countries, including the Central Statistical Organization of Kuwait, alongside representatives of the United Nations, as well as Arab, regional, and international partner organizations.
In a statement issued by the Oman National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI), Al-Mashat highlighted the importance of providing renewed opportunities to strengthen the capacity of statistical systems to respond to increasing responsibilities. She described the current phase of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as "an opportunity to accelerate action and achieve tangible progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." She called for identifying gaps, understanding their causes, and directing policies and resources toward the most vulnerable groups and regions.
For his part, Dr. Khalifa Al-Brawani, Chief Executive Officer of the Oman National Center for Statistics and Information, said in a statement that Oman’s hosting of the session reflects its commitment to enhancing Arab statistical cooperation and exchanging expertise and experiences among member states to develop more integrated, resilient, and responsive statistical systems. He added that accurate and reliable data form the foundation of sound planning, a pillar for improving institutional performance, and a key tool for tracking development progress and measuring the impact of policies and programs.
Al-Brawani noted that developing the statistical and information system is a major priority in achieving the targets of Oman Vision 2040. This involves strengthening data governance, improving data quality, developing administrative records, leveraging modern technologies, and expanding data accessibility to meet the needs of policymakers, researchers, institutions, and various segments of society. He pointed out that rapid developments in artificial intelligence, big data, and digital sources open wide horizons for statistical institutions to enhance data collection and analysis processes. He emphasized the importance of adhering to data governance, protecting privacy and information security, and ensuring the transparency of models and algorithms.
During the session, Oman showcased its experience in the AI-driven Household Income and Expenditure Survey project, highlighting the use of modern technologies and artificial intelligence in developing statistical work and producing household income and expenditure indicators.
The three-day session includes, on its first day, the election of the Commission Bureau members, adoption of the agenda and organizational matters, and a review of activities carried out in the field of statistics since the previous session, including ESCWA’s work program activities, technical cooperation, and follow-up on recommendations provided to member states.
The panel discussions focused on developing statistical systems in the Arab region, governance issues, the use of modern technology and non-traditional data sources, as well as the localization of information and communication technology (ICT) statistics and digital development indicators.
The current session will also focus on price statistics in the digital era, statistics in times of crisis, and the role of data and analytics in supporting policy-making. Other key topics include enhancing statistics on refugees and internally displaced persons, national accounts, and coordinating statistical capacity-building activities. (End) M.G.B. / F.S.
