

For more information on the 54th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, visit the UN54SC website.
Sessions 1 and 2 Recording
Session 3 Recording
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Session 1
The Role of Data Science
in Official Statistics -
Session 2
Moving Towards Register-based Censuses: Opportunities and challenges
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Session 3
Towards a framework to harness data by citizens, for citizens and about citizens
Session 1 10:00 - 11:30 (EST)
The Role of Data Science in Official Statistics
The availability of relevant, timely and usable statistics and indicators is essential for governments to set priorities, make informed decisions and implement better policies. The data science revolution is helping improve the production of those statistics and indicators through new methods, technologies and data sources, such as big data and machine learning.
With many National Statistical Offices (NSOs) rapidly expanding their big data and data science capabilities and activities, there is an opportunity to step up international co-operation between NSOs to modernise global and national statistical systems. By sharing knowledge and identifying key priorities at leadership level, NSOs data science leaders can provide strategic vision and leadership to guide the many multilateral cooperation initiatives in this field. A new international and inclusive network for data science leaders can provide insight, strategic advice and secure buy-in to drive innovation, maximize efficiencies and accelerate the integration of statistical production through data science.
The Data Science Leaders Network (DSLN) was initiated at the Statistical Commission in March 2022. The DSLN will advance the strategic discussion of key issues concerning the current and future role of NSOs in providing data science services for official statistics on the one hand and to other government agencies on the other. DSLN will also discuss the status of experimental data and indicators, ethical and legal considerations, data sharing and acquisition, the governance of data science research and capability building across government, the code of conduct for data scientists, and the quality framework for big data and data science. It will launch new initiatives and projects, while leaving the execution of those activities to existing groups. DSLN will further provide guidance on areas where capability gaps would justify proactive co-investment among statistical institutes.
Programme
Welcome
Mr. Stefan Schweinfest, Director of UN Statistics Division
Opening remarks
Mr. Risenga Maluleke, Statistician General of South Africa and Chair of the UN Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics
Keynote Address
Mr. Osama Rahman, Director of the Data Science Campus of the Office for National Statistics of the United Kingdom
Panel Discussion on the role of data science in official statistics
Moderator: Ms. Rachael Beaven, Director Statistics Division, UNESCAP
Panelists
- Mr. Ron S. Jarmin, Deputy Director and COO of US Census Bureau
- Mr. Rune Floberghagen, Head of the Science, Applications and Climate Department, Directorate of Earth Observations Programmes, European Space Agency
- Ms. Tracy Raissis, Director of World Wide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services
- Mr. André Loranger, Assistant Chief Statistician and CDO, Statistics Canada
- Mr. Yusuf Murangwa, Chief Statistician, Rwanda
- Mr. Imam Machdi, Deputy Chief Statistician, Indonesia
Session 2 11:35 - 13:00 (EST)
Moving Towards Register-based Censuses: Opportunities and challenges
This session of the Friday seminar on Innovation and Modernisation of Official Statistics will bring together Chief Statisticians to discuss the use of administrative data sources for producing population and housing census data. The current round of censuses has been witnessing a growing interest in the use of administrative data sources. The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the difficulties caused by it, has accelerated existing initiatives to utilize administrative data sources in a significant number of countries all over the world.
There are many reasons for exploring administrative registers for producing census information, including : (a) the need to produce accurate, reliable and more frequent statistics (on a yearly basis); (b) high costs of conducting field enumeration and budgetary limitations for census taking; (c) reluctance of the population to participate in the census (for instance, during the COIVD-19 pandemic); and (d) availability of administrative registers for statistical purposes. On the other hand, there are certain challenges regarding the use of administrative registers, including the quality of existing administrative registers, lack of legal framework for the use of individual records for statistical production, and institutional capacity in establishing and maintaining statistical registers.
Changing the design of census processes from the traditional method to one that is relying on administrative data sources is a core part of the strategy of many NSOs to develop a register-based statistical system. This will require a pragmatic shift in the way official statistics are produced. This seminar will discuss the process of transitioning and challenges in planning and managing this process, particularly those related to political and public support; legal framework; engagement of stakeholders; confidentiality issues; operational considerations and strengthening institutional capacity. The seminar will also provide an opportunity to learn from experiences of countries that are at different stages of this transition.
Programme
Opening Remarks
Chair: Mr. Imam Machdi, Deputy Chief Statistician, Statistics Indonesia (BPS)
Keynote Address Speech
Mr. Geir Axelsen, Director General, Statistics Norway
Panel Discussion on Moving Towards Register-based Censuses: Opportunities and Challenges
- Mr. Urmet Lee, Director General, Statistics Estonia
- Ms. Elena Manzanera, President, National Statistics Institute, Spain
- Mr. Diego Aboal, Director General, Statistics Uruguay
Q & A
Session 3 15:00 - 18:00 (EST)
Towards a framework to harness data by citizens, for citizens and about citizens
Citizens' contribution to data, broadly defined as the engagement of citizens in multiple processes in the data value chain, is increasingly recognized as critical to helping overcome many data challenges of our times. In particular, in the context of the 2030 Agenda's principle to ensure that nobody is left behind, citizen data helps fill critical data gaps for groups suffering from data marginalization and increase the extent to which their experiences are reflected in national statistics. In addition to filling data gaps, some citizen data initiatives provide insights into harmful customary practices as well as further advance important values such as fairness, inclusiveness, openness and transparency in statistics.
Citizens' contribution to data could happen at different levels - global, regional, national, or local. The engagement of citizens can be organized by different stakeholders - scientists, community leaders, civil society organisations (CSOs), or individual citizens. Their engagement can contribute to various stages of the data value chain and serve different objectives and contribute to data and policy in many different ways.
The official statistical community also increasingly recognizes the importance of non-state actors in contributing to the inclusiveness of official statistics. For data collection such as censuses and surveys, national statistical offices (NSOs) often partner with CSOs or representatives of marginalized population groups to ensure the inclusiveness of the data and methodology.
Unleashing the full potential of citizens for data, however, faces many challenges. These, for example, include the lack of trust between the state and non-state actors, data quality, sustainability and statistical capacity of CSOs, etc. In this context, the United Nations Statistics Division organized an Expert Group Meeting on Harnessing data by citizens for public policy and SDG monitoring: a conceptual framework in November 2022. The meeting discussed different ways that citizens can contribute to data, as well as challenges and opportunities and mechanisms to harness citizens' contribution to fill data gaps and advance fairness, inclusiveness, openness and transparency in statistics. The meeting was attended by representatives from National Statistics Offices (NSOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), academia and regional and international organisations. The meeting agreed that the development of a framework would be an important next step to help conceptualize the different ways citizens can contribute to data and support the formulation of action points for the community to move forward. The meeting also agreed to establish a Collaborative as a platform for collaboration and exchange of experiences and to advance the work in this area.
Programme
Part II of the Friday Seminar provides an opportunity to expand the discussion initiated at the abovementioned Expert Group Meeting, review its conclusions and offer some additional points for consideration at future sessions of the UN Statistical Commission. In particular, the following will be covered: (1) current practices of citizens' contributions to data and their complexities and pluralities; (2) the role of NSOs and CSOs in advancing civil society's engagement in data production and use; and (3) key elements and steps by partners to move towards a framework on citizens' contribution to data and policymaking.
Welcome and opening
Francesca Perucci, Assistant Director, UNSD
Harnessing data by citizens and for citizens: sharing experiences
Moderator: Papa Seck, Chief, Research and Data Section, UN Women
The session provides a platform for sharing experiences on how citizens have been engaged in data for policymaking, various objectives of citizens' engagement and the way how citizens are engaged. Challenges encountered in motivating more engagement from the citizens and incorporating data contributed to and generated from citizens into official statistics and policymaking will also be covered.
Presentations:
- Graciela Marquez, President of INEGI, Mexico
- Samuel Annim, Government Statistician, Ghana Statistical Service
- Workneh Nigatie Enideg, Program Director, International Institute of Rural Reconstruction
- Philip R. Crehan, Founder, Eolas Consulting and Principal Investigator, The Economic Case for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Caribbean
- Monica Pratesi, Director, Department of Statistical Production, ISTAT
Discussion and conclusion
Towards a framework on citizens' contribution to data and policymaking
Moderator: Francesca Perucci, Assistant Director, UNSD
The panel will brainstorm on key elements and steps to move towards a framework on harnessing citizens' contribution to data and policymaking; and how each partner could contribute to this common agenda.
Panelists:
- Elizabeth Lockwood, CBM Representative at the United Nations, CBM Global Disability Inclusion
- Jenna Slotin, Senior Director of Policy, Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
- Johannes Jütting, Executive Head, Paris 21
- Gero Carletto, Manager, Development Data Group, World Bank and co-Chair of the Inter-Secretariat Working Group on Household Surveys
Discussion and conclusion