United Nations Statistics Division Work Programme on Social Statistics from 2003 Onwards

1. ESA/STAT/AC.161/22 United Nations Statistics Division Work Programme on Social Statistics from 2003 Onwards Social and Housing Statistics Section United Nations Statistics Division

2. EGM 2003 - Setting the Scope of Social Statistics • Hosted by UNSD, May 2003 • Eighteen countries • Six international organizations • Seven regional and sub-regional agencies • Main topics: • Current state of social statistics • Proposed strategies and approaches • Defining a concrete programme of work

3. EGM 2003 – Discussion on topics • The need for conceptual framework • Without agreement on the nature of framework • Importance of conceptual frameworks within specific domains of social statistics • Usefulness of having integrated frameworks (e.g. Australian Measuring wellbeing framework) • Any work should be build on already existing basis • MDG’s should not determine the full scope of social statistics

4. EGM 2003 – Discussion on topics • The importance of standards and metadata • International standards (concepts, definitions, classifications, methods, guidelines, principles and best practices) not adequate for many areas of social statistics • Responsibility for standards rests with the custodian agency and the UN Statistical Commission • Balancing national needs with international requirements

5. EGM 2003 – Discussion on topics • Low political commitment and visibility • Low priority for social statistics • Identifying key information needs of policy makers • Should national statistical agencies undertake social statistics analysis in terms of evaluating social policies? • Training and sensitizing policy makers and media

6. EGM 2003 – Discussion on topics • Content of social statistics • Lack of internationally agreed definition on the content of social statistics • Any such definition must take into consideration the fact that policy concerns and national priorities vary • Overlapping domains between social, economic and environmental statistics

7. EGM 2003 – Discussion on topics • Data sources for social statistics • Three main sources: population and housing censuses, administrative records and sample surveys • Need to integrate different sources (in terms of common definitions, concepts, classifications) • Identifying units of enumeration • Data sources vary depending on the overall development of statistical capacities

8. EGM 2003 – Discussion on topics • Coordination • Not transparent at international level • Coordination at national level greatly varies • Large number of institutions leads to inefficiency in setting standards • Unambiguous need for increased harmonization and coordination at international level

9. EGM 2003 – Discussion on topics • Statistical capacity building • Need to assist countries in developing social statistics • Consider the re-establishment of the United Nations Household Survey Capability Programme • International organizations conducting surveys in developing countries need to ensure sustainability of these programmes, including training • Areas of concern: IT, design of censuses and surveys, civil registration, use of administrative records, conducting sample surveys, policy oriented dissemination of statistics

10. EGM 2003 – Recommendations • UNSD and partners to develop a work programme through 2015 aiming at • Setting the scope of social statistics • Identifying different stages of the work • Specifying outputs, timelines, major actors and coordination • Conducting disciplined review and assessment of social statistics • Identify necessary developmental work on international standards, including those for assessing data quality • Examining and reviewing common standards, units and classifications across different sources of social statistics

11. EGM 2003 – Recommendations • Implementing the 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses • Providing support and guidance by UNSD to countries using administrative registers • Strengthening national capacities to conduct relevant surveys (UNSD and the Siena Group) • Raising awareness of the relevance of social statistics (UNSD and the Siena Group)

12. EGM 2003 – Recommendations • Promoting international partnership in training in official statistics (UNSD and the Siena Group) • Systematic adoption of international statistical standards (national statistical authorities) • Prepare a report documenting the roles and statistical activities of international organizations (UNSD) • Prepare a report describing coordination mechanisms at national level (UNSD and national statistical authorities)

13. EGM 2003 – Recommendations • Establishing a forum for social statistics • Asked the EGM on Reviewing the United Nations Demographic Yearbook to take these recommendations into consideration

14. Statistical Commission – 35th Session, 2004 • Focus on critical issues related to planning the next round of population and housing censuses • Addressing newly emerging concerns and preparing new set of guidelines • Recognizing the important role of administrative records • Develop a well structured web-site

15. UN Statistics Division - Activities • Support for the 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses • Principles and Recommendations • Measuring economic activity in population censuses • Measuring international migration in population censuses • Disability statistics • Methodological guidelines for measuring disability • Supporting the Washington Group • Data collection through the Demographic Yearbook

16. UN Statistics Division - Activities • Gender statistics • World’s Women 2005 • Global Gender Statistics Programme • Time-use statistics • Trial International Classification of Activities for Time Use Statistics • Poverty statistics • Handbookon poverty statistics • ECOWAS Poverty Profile

17. UN Statistics Division - Activities • Seminar on New Directions in Social Statistics, February 2008 • National experiences • Emerging issues • Framework

18. UN Statistics Division – Seeking directions • The way ahead • Compiling an inventory (framework) of social statistics • For each social concern – a statistical data collection • Concepts and definitions • International standards • Recommended topics • Recommended tabulations • Defined periodicity • Sources of data

19. UN Statistics Division – Seeking directions

20. UN Statistics Division – Seeking directions • Principles and Recommendations for Social Statistics? • Framework for Social Statistics and Inventory? • Focus on emerging issues? • Create web-site on international standards? • City group?