Global Calendar of Statistical Events

Description: The Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific will be held from 24 to 26 June 2025, at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok, Thailand.

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Description: 7th Border Management and Identity Conference 11 - 13 December 2024 Bangkok, Thailand Asia's Largest Government Meeting Focused on Border Control & Identity Management BMIC7 brochure is now available. Click on the brochure to learn about the upcoming conference. The theme of this 7th edition is “The Future of Borders and Borders of the Future: Accelerating Seamless and Secure Cross-Border Travel and Trade with Technological Solutions and Re-engineered Identity Management Processes”.

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Description: The session will comprise two segments: the high-level segment, on 11 December, and the senior officials segment, on 12 and 13 December. During the high-level segment, representatives of member States will discuss the progress made in implementing the Declaration on Navigating Policy with Data to Leave No One Behind, which was endorsed by the Commission in its resolution 75/9. They will also reflect on priority actions that require resources, initiative, engagement or other investment by Governments, as well as participation by the whole of society, to put the region fully on track to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The senior officials segment will include dialogues on building agile statistical systems that are fit for the future as an emerging priority issue for the region and discuss the progress made in implementing the decisions taken by the Committee at its eighth session. The ninth session of the Committee on Statistics will be held in conjunction with the twentieth session of the Governing Council of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific. Both events will be part of the Asia-Pacific Statistics Week 2024, which will be held, under the theme “The power of data”, in Bangkok from 9 to 13 December. Various expert group meetings and side events, including the Institute’s nineteenth management seminar for heads of national statistical offices, will be held to complement and enrich the discussions at the Committee and Governing Council sessions. Webcast links: Committee on Statistics, 9th session 11 December 2024 09:00-12:00 (WebTV | Youtube: Floor | CHN | ENG | FRA | RUS) 14:15-17:15 (WebTV | Youtube: Floor | CHN | ENG | FRA | RUS) 12 December 2024 09:00-12:00 (WebTV | Youtube: Floor | CHN | ENG | FRA | RUS) 14:15-17:15 (WebTV | Youtube: Floor | CHN | ENG | FRA | RUS) 13 December 2024 14:15-17:15 (WebTV | Youtube: Floor | CHN | ENG | FRA | RUS) For live captions, please visit: https://caption.escap.un.org/CST9.html Draft programme (as of 25 November 2024) , DRAFT PROGRAMME of the Asia-Pacific Statistics Week (as of 25 November 2024) Print   MORNING LUNCH AFTERNOON DAY ONEMonday9 December 2024 9:00-12:00PLENARY CONFERENCE ROOM 4 20th session of the Governing Council of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific Agenda item 1Opening of the session(a) Opening addresses;(b) Election of officers;(c) Adoption of the agendaAgenda item 2:Matters arising from the nineteenth session of the Governing Council.Agenda item 3: Activities and financial status of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific. 12:00-13:00LUNCH 13:00-14:00MEETING ROOM A EXPERT GROUP: Unleashing the power of big data in official statistics 14:15-17:15PLENARY CONFERENCE ROOM 4 Agenda item 4: Work programme and financial plan for 2025.Agenda item 5: Strategic plan of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific for the period 2025–2029.Agenda item 6: Evaluation of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific.Agenda item 7: Dates and venue of the twenty-first session of the Governing Council.Agenda item 8: Other matters. DAY TWOTuesday10 December 2024 9:00-10:00PLENARY CONFERENCE ROOM 4 20th session of the Governing Council of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific Agenda item 9: Adoption of the report 10:00-17:15 (with break for lunch)MEETING ROOM A 19th Management Seminar for the Heads of National Statistical Offices in Asia and the Pacific Agile statistical systems that are fit for the future(Concept note)   DAY THREEWednesday11 December 2024 09:00-12:00PLENARY CONFERENCE ROOM 2 9th session of the Committee on StatisticsHigh-level segment (WebTV | Youtube: Floor | CHN | ENG | FRA | RUS | Live captions) Agenda item 1: Opening of the session: Opening addresses; Election of officers; Adoption of the agenda. [ESCAP/CST(9)/1: 中文 | English | Français | Русский][ESCAP/CST(9)/1/Add.1: 中文 | English | Français | Русский] Agenda item 2: Harnessing the power of data to leave no one behind Present findings High Level panel on whole-of-government approach to building agile statistical systems (Concept note) Round table on Whole-of-Society approach to building agile statistical systems (Concept note) [ESCAP/CST(9)/2: 中文 | English | Français | Русский] 12:00-13:00LUNCH 13:00-14:00MEETING ROOM A SIDE EVENT: Unlocking the Power of Civil Registration Data for Effective Governance(Concept note) 14:15-17:15PLENARY CONFERENCE ROOM 2 High-level segment (WebTV | Youtube: Floor | CHN | ENG | FRA | RUS | Live captions) Agenda item 2: Harnessing the power of data to leave no one behind (continued) [ESCAP/CST(9)/2: 中文 | English | Français | Русский] Country statements DAY FOURThursday12 December 2024 09:00-12:00PLENARY CONFERENCE ROOM 2 9th session of the Committee on StatisticsSenior officials segment (WebTV | Youtube: Floor | CHN | ENG | FRA | RUS | Live captions) Agenda item 3: Emerging issue: agile statistical systems that are fit for the future. [ESCAP/CST(9)/3: 中文 | English | Français | Русский] Country statements 12:00-13:00LUNCH 13:00-14:00MEETING ROOM A SIDE EVENT:Can a Country-First Approach Drive Smarter Data Monitoring?(Concept note) 14:15-17:15PLENARY CONFERENCE ROOM 2 Senior officials segment (WebTV | Youtube: Floor | CHN | ENG | FRA | RUS | Live captions) Agenda item 4: Progress made since the eighth session of the Committee on Statistics: (a) Progress made in implementing the decisions taken by the Committee at its eighth session; [ESCAP/CST(9)/4: 中文 | English | Français | Русский] (b) Report of the Bureau; [ESCAP/CST(9)/5: 中文 | English | Français | Русский] (c) Reports of the Governing Council of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific [ESCAP/79/19: 中文 | English | Français | Русский][ESCAP/80/19: 中文 | English | Français | Русский] Country statements Agenda item 5: Other matters. DAY FIVEFriday13 December 2024 09:00-12:00MEETING ROOM A EXPERT GROUPData and AI for sustainable development(Concept note) 12:00-13:00LUNCH 13:00-14:00MEETING ROOM G and H SHOWCASING THE POWER OF DATA:Lightning talks to spark data innovation 14:15-16:15PLENARY CONFERENCE ROOM 2 (WebTV | Youtube: Floor | CHN | ENG | FRA | RUS | Live captions) Agenda item 6: Adoption of the report of the Committee on Statistics at its ninth session.

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Description: Side Event of the 9th Session of the Committee on StatisticsDate and time: 11 December 2024, 13:00-14:00 hrsRegistration: All in-person participants must complete the registration form to attend the 9th session of the Committee on Statistics via IndicoObjective:The side event will facilitate discussion on the importance of digitalization to achieve universal registration of vital events. It will further, discuss ongoing efforts of countries to advance the digitalization of simplified and proactive CRVS business processes as part of government wide digital transformation efforts. Participants will also learn about ongoing use of civil registration data for evidence based policies. Further, the side event will provide participants with an overview of plans for the Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS to be held 24-26 June 2025.Distinguished SpeakersModerator: Petra Nahmias, Chief, Population and Social Statistics Section, Statistics Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).She previously led the statistics team at UNHCR, working on a wide variety of statistical and demographic issues related to forced displacement and statelessness. A sociologist-demographer by training, she has further experience in both the international and national statistical systems including the United Nations Population Division, the UK Department for International Development and the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed, Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development .Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed obtained his Bachelor in Town and Country Planning from the University of Manchester and his PhD in Planning Studies from the University College London. He has worked in various roles in the Government of the Maldives and was appointed as the Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Development in 2023. H.E. Mr. Siromi Turaga, Minister for Justice, Fiji.H.E. Mr. Siromi Turaga, appointed in June 2024, and previously served as Attorney General and Minister for Justice since December 2022, is a lawyer and politician who brings over 30 years of legal and public service experience. He has served as a Resident Magistrate, Principal Legal Officer, and legal consultant, specializing in criminal, civil, family, and land matters. A practicing Barrister and Solicitor since 1999, Hon. Turaga holds a Bachelor of Law and Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from USP, along with specialized diplomas in Litigation and Refugee Law. He is also a Methodist Lay Preacher, actively engaged in community programs, and is married with four children.Haishan Fu, Chief Statistician, World Bank and Director of the World Bank’s Development Data Group.She leads the development and implementation of the World Bank’s data agenda, overseeing initiatives like the World Development Indicators, Statistical Performance Indicators, and the Development Data Hub. Haishan co-chairs the Data for Countries and Global Priorities working group and oversees the Global Data Facility. She has played key roles in global statistical efforts, including the UN Data Revolution group and the International Statistical Institute. Before joining the World Bank, she held leadership positions at UNESCAP and UNDP. She holds a Ph.D. in Demography from Princeton University and a B.A. in Economics from Peking University. Tanja Brøndsted Sejersen, Statistician, Statistics Division, ESCAP.She leads the Asia- Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) initiative to ‘Get Every One in the Picture’. Her work involves capacity building activities and collaboration with partners to support country action to improve national statistical systems. She has academic qualifications in demography, statistics and political science. She has conducted research on citizenship legislation and various aspects of civil registration and vital statistics.

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Description: In today’s rapidly evolving worlddriven by technological advancementsclimate changeandpandemicsthe demand for timelygranularand high-quality data is surging. National statisticalsystems must adaptbecoming more agile and responsive to emerging demands. This seminar will delveinto how statistical systems can become more agile.The main topics covered in the ninth session of the Committee on Statistics are shown below. Threethematic areas have been identified that would benefit from further discussion at the level of chiefstatisticianshown in the circles.The purpose of this seminar is to share lessons among chief statisticians on agile statistical systems,inspire deliberations by the Committee on Statistics on agenda item 3 on emerging issuesAgile statistical systems that are fit for the future (ESCAP/CST(9)/3) and identify priorities going forwardincluding future work by the secretariat on the topic.There are two key objectives for the management seminar:• To identify examples of good practice on user focusbusiness process improvementand cross-functional teams in statistical organizations; and• To identify areas that would benefit from a regional approach.

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Description: Background National Statistics Offices and National SDG focal points often struggle with outdated or limited SDG data due to challenges in collecting, validating, and harmonizing data from various national entities. This limits the countries’ ability to disseminate timely statistics, coordinate the production of SDG data, and report on its progress towards the 2030 targets. ESCAP has received requests to develop a user-friendly platform to centralize SDG data management at the national level. The platform would connect to a dissemination tool, such as the Open SDG, thus facilitating the end-to-end dataflow to dissemination. ESCAP is organizing this expert dialogue with selected users of open-source SDG data dissemination tools to better understand their needs and identify the key features of a possible solution. Concept note and tentative programme Objectives The event aims to: Understand national requirements and challenges related to the process of centralizing, validating, and disseminating SDG data; In consultation among countries, establish a general dataflow that covers the usual scenarios for data collection; and Identify use cases of a potential platform based on participants’ inputs

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Description: South-South cooperation is critical towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the core of South-South cooperation is a mechanism that fosters inclusive and sustainable development. It also puts in the picture progress made by countries to improve the quality of life for all on the planet through the power of partnerships. South-South cooperation is captured under Goal 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development”. South-South cooperation is an integral part of Goal 17. Goal 17 is critical to support progress towards all the goals. Technical cooperation is a critical aspect of attaining Goal 17 through South-South cooperation and other financing channels of development.  It is imperative that efforts to centralize measurement of South-South technical cooperation are put in place through national collaboration amongst agencies utilising existing frameworks.   ESCAP will host the 6th Asia-Pacific Directors General Forum for South-South and Triangular Cooperation in November 2024. The platform facilitates South-South and triangular cooperation among its 62 member States and associate members to address development challenges and harness opportunities. Considering the need to effectively quantify South-South and triangular cooperation, the forum provides a platform to discuss how national agencies led by their technical cooperation agencies can formalize measurement of SDG 17.3.1 relating to South-South cooperation leveraging the United Nations Statistical Commission conceptual framework on measuring South-South cooperation. ESCAP’s Statistics Division and UNCTAD are jointly working together to evaluate the conceptual framework.  Meeting objectives: Discuss conceptual issues regarding the measurement of South-South cooperation Showcase examples of how other countries have addressed challenges to measure South-South cooperation Raise awareness amongst ESCAP members and how they can take practical steps to formalize measurement of South-South cooperation within their respective countries.

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: CRVS team will organise the side event on 19 November 2024 at The Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30. The side event is on Inclusion of Gender Diversity in Gender Equality Efforts: Focus on CRVS and legal identity organised by our partners at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health. This side event will establish the critical need for gender inclusivity in gender equality efforts, starting with legal identity through access to civil registration systems. Recording of the meeting can be watched here.

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Description: Final Programme Concept Note Background The ESCAP Committee on Statistics, at its 2nd and 5th sessions, endorsed a Regional Programme for the Improvement of Economic Statistics in Asia and the Pacific and an Implementation Plan of the Regional Strategy to Improve Population and Social Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, respectively (E/ESCAP/CST(5)/3 and E/ESCAP/CST(5)/3/Corr.1). Two Steering Groups, namely, the Steering Group of the Regional Programme for the Improvement of Economic Statistics in Asia and the Pacific (SGRPES) and the Regional Steering Group on Population and Social Statistics (RSG-PSS), were created to oversee the implementation of the Programme and Plan. The two groups, since their establishment, have worked to strengthen statistical capacity in the region, according to their respective programmes. Following the Committee’s endorsement in 2016 of the collective vision and framework for action by the Asia-Pacific statistical community, as a regional approach to meeting the urgent and evolving statistical demands arising from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the groups aligned their efforts with this vision.   Meeting objectives The main objectives of the meeting are to: Exchange national experiences, practices and innovations in economic, social and population statistics as well as priority topics recommended by the Committee on Statistics, including data governance, big data, gender statistics, and well-being and sustainability measures. Learn of relevant initiatives by regional and international development partners Identify priority areas/topics for potential capacity building or sharing of knowledge and experience in future.

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Description: The event served as a platform for policy advocacy based on findings from key initiatives aimed at improving Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) and leveraging CRVS-related evidence to inform gender-sensitive policies in Fiji. The report of the Assessment, Analysis & Redesign of Civil Registration & Vital Statistics (CRVS) Processes in Fiji as well as two policy briefs (i) An Intersectional Profile of Adolescent Pregnancy and Motherhood in Fiji were disseminated to key stakeholders and (ii) Target Groups for Addressing Disparities in On-Time Birth Registration were disseminated to national stakeholders, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health & Medical Services, the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, the Ministry of Women, Children & Social Protection as well as other national agencies and development partners. The event was attended by the Minister of Justice, Hon. Siromi Turaga. Preparations towards the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, to be held from 24 to 26 June 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, were also launched in the presence of the honorable Minister of Justice. The event highlighted significant advancements and set the stage for continued progress in CRVS and gender-sensitive policy-making in Fiji. Report: Assessment, Analysis and Redesign of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Processes in Fiji Policy Brief: Adolescent Pregnancy and Motherhood in Fiji Policy Brief: Addressing Disparities in On-Time Birth Registration       , HOME - Project: CRVS E2A for Gender Policy Project countries: Bangladesh Fiji Events

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Description: Background The ESCAP Committee on Statistics decided at its 7th Session decided to “feature big data for official statistics in its future work, with an emphasis on sharing country research, experiences and good practices and facilitating capacity development” and “strengthening legislative provisions and institutional mechanisms to enable national statistical systems to take full advantage of new and innovative technologies while respecting the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.” In implementing this decision, ESCAP is running a capacity development project entitled the 2030 Data Decade - Strengthening the institutional capacity of national statistical offices in Asia and the Pacific to use innovative, new and big data sources for official statistics in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the Big Data Project) amongst others. One component of this project involves capacity development in the area of web scraping prices focusing on consumer price indices in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Fiji, Lao PDR, Maldives, Nepal, Thailand, Tonga and Uzbekistan. Concept note and Tentative programme Objectives and Expected Outcomes The in-person workshop's overall aim is to embed the knowledge and skills delivered to participants via the webinars May through August 2024. By the end of the workshop, participants will: Have embedded Python coding knowledge and skills for web scraping prices data and applied this to their chosen website. Understand how to process and clean web-scraped data, ready for inclusion into the CPI calculation process. Have discussed further and explored coding to automate a pipeline for incorporating web scraped prices data into the NSO’s processes. Have a deeper appreciation of the methodological challenges for incorporating web scraped prices into CPI calculations, and how to overcome these.

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Description: The ESCAP-ASEAN Workshop on Tracking Progress Against the SDGs Tracker aims to convene technical experts from the ASEAN Secretariat and national statistical agencies and institutions of ASEAN Member States involved in the compilation, reporting, and monitoring of activities related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary objective is to equip WGSDGI members with the skills to effectively utilize statistical indicators and quality data for tracking SDG implementation progress. Participants will have the opportunity to understand how SDG progress is being tracked, identify their countries’ strengths and gaps in SDG tracking, and explore ESCAP’s methodology and the SDG Tracker tool. This workshop will demonstrate how these tools can support and streamline SDG assessments at the national level. Target participants  ASEAN Secretariat and members of the ASEAN Working Group on SDG Indicators (WGSDGI) from the national statistical agencies and institutions involved in the compilation, reporting, and monitoring of activities related to the SDGs.

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Description: The webinar will be held on 20th August 2024, 11:00-12:00hr Bangkok Time (UTC+7). ESCAP Statistics Division continues to support member states in strengthening their statistical capacity to produce relevant data to monitor the 2030 agenda. Different countries are at various stages of progress in implementing SDGs and face different challenges while adapting all the time. The most critical aspect of monitoring SDG progress is data. Data is produced by different agencies in a country. As part of implementing SDGs as a global development agenda, countries have adopted different approaches to suit their specific national contexts. Others have created national action plans as a way of implementing SDGs and overall national SDG progress across various goals and targets. This webinar will showcase the process of creating a national action plan for implementing and monitoring SDGs by the National Development Planning Agency of Indonesia (Bappenas). The webinar will give insights on how key users of statistics apply data in national development planning in practice. , Stats Café Home: Upcoming events Concluded events

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Description: Objectives The seminar aims to promote knowledge sharing, capacity building, and networking among UN officers responsible for supporting the development of national statistical systems, aiming to improve the quality, reliability, and relevance of statistics for inclusive decision-making and sustainable development. The event will update participants about the latest global efforts to strengthen and modernize national statistical systems. This includes discussing advancements in data governance, innovative data initiatives, and emerging trends in SDG monitoring. Participants can enhance their skills to support UN partners and national institutions effectively. The seminar also intends to provide a platform for participants to share their experiences and exchange good practices in coordinating development partners and stakeholders. Through interactive sessions and discussions, attendees can learn from each other's successes and challenges. Audience The main participants are Results Monitoring and Data Management Officers from the UN Resident Coordinator’s Offices in the Asia-Pacific region. The event is also open to participants from UN entities based in Bangkok. Presentation Agenda , RCP Data and Statistics Working Group SDG Data and Statistics Clinics SDG Learning Lab

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Description: The tenth meeting of the Regional Steering Group (RSG) for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Asia and the Pacific will be organized in hybrid format from 7 to 9 May 2024, at 09:00-17:00 Bangkok time (GMT+7). The purpose of the meeting is to prepare for Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific in 2025, formally launch the 2024 Review of the Asia Pacific CRVS Decade (2015-2024), support RSG members in completing the 2024 Review questionnaire, and discuss priority areas for the extension to realize the goals and targets under the Regional Action Framework (RAF) on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific. Please find agenda, concept note and reference documents in the attachments.

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Description: This workshop is a joint ESCAP-EGRISS-IDAC initiative to support the Asia-Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Decade.  The workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of Member States to achieve inclusive CRVS systems and, thereof, to produce and use statistics on statelessness, forced displacement, and children on the move through: Introducing key resources developed by EGRISS, IDAC and ESCAP and strengthening understanding of concepts and methodologies related to statelessness and forced displacement statistics and CRVS Enabling exchange of experiences, best practices and lessons learned between countries and other stakeholders in ensuring inclusion in CRVS systems and producing and using statistics on statelessness and forced displacement statistics Identifying gaps and challenges that need to be addressed and facilitate discussions around solutions and innovative approaches related to inclusion of stateless and displaced people in CRVS systems and the production and use of statistics from these systems. Identifying areas of technical support, collaboration and partnerships within wider technical and political regional priorities. Relevant resources:  Find the agenda and the resources links listed in attachments! Link to Inequality Assessments project (ESCAP) Link to Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System Link to Guidelines on the Legislative Framework for Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identity Management Systems Link to Bali Process Civil Registration Assessment Toolkit Link to Guidelines for estimating completeness of civil registration of vital events: a guide for practitioners

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Description: The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) is an annual, inclusive intergovernmental forum to support follow-up and review of progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional level. The 11th APFSD will be organized from 20-23 February under the theme: “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions in Asia and the Pacific” at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. Click here for more information Subregional preparatory meetings for the APFSD 2024: - South and South-West Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal, 10-12 October 2023 - North and Central Asia, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 01-02 November 2023 - South-East Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, 06-07 November 2023 - East and North-East Asia, Beijing, China, 20-22 November 2023 - Pacific, Suva, Fiji, 21-22 November 2023

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Description: The report launch event was held on Thursday, 15 February 2024, from 11:00 to 12:00 hours (Bangkok time, UTC+7), at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Thailand (FCCT), Bangkok and Online via Zoom. Presentation for the launch Opening remarks Attendance summary Report website Full Report: (English | Japanese) |  Highlights Blog: Urgent action needed so no one in Asia and the Pacific is left behind UN NEWS: Asia-Pacific off track on path to SDGs, UN data shows (English | Chinese) .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Key speakers: Lin Yang, Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme, Office of the Executive Secretary, ESCAP Rachael Beaven, Director, Statistics Division, ESCAP Moderator: Mitch Hsieh, Chief of Communications and Knowledge Management, ESCAP Key messages As of 2024, how has the Asia-Pacific region progressed for each of the 17 SDGs? How does sex, age, and income influence the chances of being left behind? Are there examples of evidence-based actions taken to achieve the SDGs?

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Description: Background United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) as the Secretariat for UN-GGIM and the core partner of the Data for Now initiative, together with ESCAP and Statistics Norway, is convening an international high-level seminar that aims to foster this collaboration by bringing together representatives from National Statistical Offices (NSOs), National Geospatial Information Agencies (NGIAs) and other relevant national institutions to learn from globally recognized good practices, increasing awareness of the global frameworks and resources, and discuss current practices and potential ways forward at national level. The seminar also provides an opportunity for countries to utilize a Self Assessment Tool, developed by the United Nations Expert Group on the Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information, that aims to assist countries to self-assess their geo-statistical capacity (or maturity). By understanding their level of capacity, countries can take concise actions to improve their capacity according to their own ambitions, needs for statistics and at their own pace. Participating countries will be asked to apply the Self Assessment Tool in advance of the high-level event and to share the findings so that international experts can provide input and guidance during the discussions at the seminar. The roadmap and action plan that each country will be encouraged to develop during the seminar can then be used for individual follow up in countries, where feasible also with support from UNSD and other partners. Aim and Objectives The workshop’s primary aim is to equip Member States with the necessary skills to ensure continuous production and disaggregation geospatially enabled statistical data. Specific objectives include: Present the Global Statistical Geospatial Framework (GSGF) and the SDGs Geospatial Roadmap and highlight how it can be implemented; Facilitate discussions on countries’ geo-statistical capacity (maturity) and help identify specific actions that can improve implementation, ideally developing national draft roadmaps, which in turn also can guide needs for further capacity development; In this context, present methodologies for continuously calculating geospatially enabled statistical data, inclusive of relevant SDGs indicators; Highlight the importance of collaboration across the National statistical and geospatial ecosystem; Identify needs for partners to better be able to provide support to countries through follow-up activities Programme Programme for download Report Seminar Report , Contacts Programmatic and Substantive: Ms. Vibeke Nielsen, Inter-Regional Advisor, UNSD - vibeke.nielsen@un.org Ms. Faryal Ahmed, Statistician, UNSD – faryal.ahmed@un.org Mr. Mark Iliffe, Geographer, UNSD – mark.iliffe@un.org Mr. Richard Tonkin, Statistician, ESCAP – richard.tonkin@un.org Administrative: Mr. Jaspreet Doung, Statistics Assistant, UNSD - doung@un.org (UNSD & Statistics Norway-funded participants) Ms. Anne Kerdlapphon, Statistics Assistant, ESCAP – anne.kerdlapphon@un.org (ESCAP funded participants & questions relating to Thai visas and venue)

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Description: UNICEF, ESCAP Statistics Division and Vital Strategies will jointly organize the side event at the 7th Asia Pacific Population Conference on Getting everyone in the picture: investing in children.  This side event will highlight that serious action and resources are needed to achieve universal and responsive civil registration as agreed to by governments in Asia and the Pacific. To enable the new generations to manage and cope with emerging challenges and ageing populations, governments need to allocate more resources to support the growth and development of children, particularly through child-related benefits. The starting point being to ensure every one has a legal identity and is included in official statistics. The event will take place on 17 November 2023, 12:30-13:45 at Meeting Room G at the UNCC and Microsoft Teams (Please register here)

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Description: The Seventh Asian and Pacific Population Conference is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Asia and the Pacific.It will be held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok and online from 15 to 17 November 2023.   The Conference will provide an opportunity to review the implementation of the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development in the region. It will focus on intersecting population and development considerations as they relate to sustainable development, both now and in the future.  ESCAP member States, relevant stakeholders, United Nations partners, international organizations and others are invited to submit side event proposals by 20 October 2023 at the latest. Please click here for more information and complete the form. CSOs and youth-led organizations are invited to apply to participate in the Seventh APPC and preparatory CSO and Youth Forums.  More information can be found here.

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Description: Concept Note Innovations remain an integral part of good practices in the production of economic statistics that are timely and meet the needs of users. Overtime, traditional systems of data collection such as surveys have involved to respond to new business practices such as online trading. As a result, some countries have had to change modalities of data collection for measures of aggregates such as inflation. These measures have included tendencies to scrap the internet for prices to produce consumer price indices. Other countries have not yet adopted such innovations. Similarly, for producing macroeconomic and microeconomic statistics such as gross domestic product (GDP), retail statistics, employment amongst others, countries have embraced different data collection techniques. Besides mere data collection, new industries such as e-commerce have emerged, often facilitated by more efficient payment systems and changes in consumer purchasing habits. While this has improved the timeliness of data produced, it is important that statistical standards are maintained in line with fundamental principles of official statistics.  This Stats Café was organized by the Statistics Division of ESCAP and aimed to showcase country level practices and experiences regarding on-line price collection for consumer price indices, purchasing power parities (PPP’s) within the context of the international comparison programme (ICP) and the measurement of e-commerce. By participating in this Stats Café, attendees were expected to: Learn about how some countries are applying new innovations with respect to price data collection for price indices and their associated challenges; Acquaint themselves with some of the approaches and methods for measuring e-commerce. Agenda Moderator: Mr Alick Mjuma Nyasulu, Statistician, Statistics Division, ESCAP Opening remarks: Ms Rikke Munk Hansen, Chief, Economic and Environmental Statistics Section, Statistics Division, ESCAP   Measuring E-commerce using market place site, Mr Viktor Suwiyanto, Junior Expert Computer Administrator, BPS Statistics Indonesia Online price collection for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and experiences on the 2021 International Comparison Programme , Ms Ruth Lee, Senior Manager, Consumer Price Indices, Department of Statistics, Singapore Online Price Collection for Consumer Price Indices, Ms Chindy Saktias Pratiwi, Statistician, Directorate of Price Statistics, BPS Statistics Indonesia & Ms Irien Kamaratih Kamaratih Arsiani, Statistician at Integration of Statistical Processing and Dissemination - BPS Statistics Indonesia Question and Answer/Discussion , Moderator: Mr Alick Mjuma Nyasulu, Statistician, ESCAP Statistics Division Closing remarks: Mr Alick Mjuma Nyasulu, Statistician, ESCAP Statistics Division , Stats Café Home: Upcoming events Concluded events

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Description: Full Report Expert meeting on data governance (master slideshow) Programme Concept note Purpose The Expert meeting was organized to advance the decisions by the ESCAP Committee on Statistics pertaining to data governance and the enhanced use of new technology and data for official statistics. Participants The Head of the national statistics office of Fiji, India, Mongolia, Singapore, Thailand, and Uzbekistan (members of the Bureau of the ESCAP Committee on Statistics). The Head or Deputy Head of the national statistics office of selected other countries in Asia and the Pacific, representing a balanced mix of subregions and types and evolvement of data governance models. Resource persons from international entities such as UN-ECE, UNSD, SPC, ADB, ASEAN, PARIS21 and the World Bank Group will be invited to participate at their own cost. Objectives Review a draft compendium of data governance practices in Asia-Pacific; make recommendations for its finalization or further development. Review a draft information brief on data governance as it pertains to the use of big data for official statistics; make recommendations for its finalization or further development Increase the knowledge of senior statisticians in Asia-Pacific on data governance models pursued by different countries in the region and how such models may facilitate the use of new technology and data for official statistics. Support senior statisticians in Asia and the Pacific in identifying opportunities and possible pathways towards developing the roles and responsibilities of the national statistical office in support of national data stewardship, governance of data and the enhanced use of new technology and data for official statistics. Upskill and empower senior statisticians in Asia and the Pacific to engage with other parts of the National Statistical System to take forward data governance and data stewardship discussions.

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Description: The TWG was held its 23rd virtual meeting on Wednesday, 26 July 2023, 14:00 – 15:30 hours, Bangkok time (GMT+7). The objectives of the meeting are: To discuss the rationale as well as data and methodological considerations for DRSF tables (1) tables D2: Disruption of basic services from a disaster by hazard types/geographic region, and F: Summary of material impacts to agriculture by hazards types. To share initial results of the review of DRSF tables D2 and F by Maldives. To provide opportunities for TWG participants to reflect on and discuss the experiences from their national statistical systems. To get volunteers for the next DRSF table review on table G Summary tables of direct environmental impacts. , Home: TWG Confluence Previous TWG Meetings

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Description: Context The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the blueprint for member States to progress towards inclusivity and sustainability. At the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda, countries are urged to better assess the progress towards achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Monitoring SDG implementation at the national level is challenging. Data availability and coordination across the entire statistical system, technical capacity, and access to IT infrastructure are key barriers for member States to measure their progress towards achieving the SDGs. In this regard, under the China-ESCAP Cooperation Programme (CECP), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the government of China initiated a project to strengthen the capacity of national governments to follow up and review implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Specifically, the National SDG Tracker tool was introduced to help countries measure current and expected SDG progress achievement by 2030. Results of this assessment are also expected to complement the countries’ Voluntary National Review (VNR) narratives. The regional workshop was an opportunity for countries who implemented the National SDG Tracker to share their results and experiences on applying the SDG progress assessment methodology, emphasizing South-South cooperation, and exchange lessons learned from the use of SDG data. View / Download photos from the Workshop Concept note Objective and expected outcomes The regional workshop gathered statisticians, national planning experts, SDG coordinators and relevant stakeholders to: promote evidence-based assessment of SDG implementation in countries of the Asia-Pacific region; enable other countries of the region to use National SDG Tracker tool to measure current and expected SDG achievement; assess and understand the underlying challenges of monitoring SDG progress. These were expected to strengthen capacity for follow up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The regional workshop took place in person at Amari Watergate Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand on 17-20 July 2023. It was conducted in English only. , National SDG Tracker Homepage Regional Workshop (July 2023) Countries: Indonesia (May 2024) Sri Lanka (May 2024)

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Description: Background: In June 2021, the United Nations Development Coordination Office (DCO) hosted a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Data deep-dive for Resident Coordinators (RCs), Resident Coordinators’ Offices (RCOs) and United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) with the aim of identifying challenges and opportunities to support the national statistical system (NSS). The deep-dive report found that “UNCTs have to develop capacity to engage politically with governments on data, developing advocacy and partnerships to create a system which has political support, is underpinned by good law and regulation, produces high quality and independent data that is freely shared across government, and is used to inform decisions.” The report also noted that UNCTs should “… take advantage of Regional Collaborative Platforms support to strengthen national capabilities”. The RCP statistics working group was set up to address these issues. This group has organised a series of virtual SDG statistics clinics which started in late 2021 Participants: Day 1 and 2 focused on UN only participants from both the RCOs and UNCTs, and Days 3-5 included the SDG national focal points. Objective of the event: Internally focused regional data management officers retreat which will look at the role of a data management officer in terms of monitoring and reporting of UNCT results; and Externally focussed SDG data learning lab event aimed at enhancing the capacity of staff of UNCTs, including RCOs, so that they are enabled to effectively support the strengthening of the capacity of national statistical systems to meet the demand emanating from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This will build on the SDG statistics clinics by providing an in-person opportunity to go into these issues in more depth and to build the knowledge sharing between data officers. Modality: The learning labs provided practical hands-on experience on a range of issues related to strengthening national statistical capacity to measure and achieve the SDGs. There was a strong focus on collaborative learning to allow for exchanges of experiences and to help each other close SDG data gaps at the country level. The agenda was designed to allow time during coffee breaks and lunches for delegates to interact with each other or to hold specific bilateral meetings. , RCP Data and Statistics Working Group SDG Data and Statistics Clinics SDG Learning Lab

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Description: The Expert Forum was organized for statisticians, disaster management experts, geo-scientists, as well as policymakers and other decision-makers that rely on statistics to inform their decisions. We welcomed participants from governments, academia, NGOs, the private sector, international organizations, and champion experts participating in their personal capacity. The objectives of the 2023 Expert Forum were to: Share and discuss country experiences with the utilization of disaster-related statistics to monitor national and global disaster risk reduction commitments or guide risk-informed development Share and discuss country experiences with the production of disaster-related statistics with a view to identifying good practices and replication opportunities. Expected outcomes In pursuing the above objectives, it was expected that the 2023 Expert Forum would have: Identify priority needs of countries to inform capacity development and technical support Identify priority research topics to be pursued by the IAEG-DRS and other relevant groups Generate additional insights of use for the formulation of a common statistical framework on disaster-related statistics. , Full Week Programme Download the Full Week Programme (PDF). For more information, please click the Programme tab. Time (UTC +7) Session DRS Expert Forum (The Sukosol Hotel) Associate Events (UNCC, Meeting rooms C and D) Mon 5 Jun Tue 6 Jun Wed 7 Jun Thu 8 Jun Fri 9 Jun 09:00–10:00 Morning Session (In-person)       Losses and Damages Tracking System Assessing Asia-Pacific challenges, needs and opportunities in advancing climate change and disaster-related statistics 10:00–11:00 11:00–12:00 12:00–13:00   Welcome cocktail lunch for all in-person participants (12:00-14:00h)     Break Break 13:00–14:00 Building Resilience through Disaster-risk-related Statistics and Indicators: A Workshop on operationalizing the ESCAP DRSF Assessing Asia-Pacific challenges, needs and opportunities in advancing climate change and disaster-related statistics (cont. until 15:30h) 14:00–15:00 Afternoon Session (In-person) Introduction and warm-up Measuring Hazardous Events and Disasters: Task Force D Disaster Related Statistics Pilot Project Estimating economic losses from disasters: practices, challenges and way forward 15:00–16:00   16:00–17:00   17:00–19:00   Break Break Break 19:00-19:55 (UTC+7) 12:00-12:55 (UTC) Evening Session (Hybrid) 1. Setting the scene 4. Defining direct and indirect impacts of disasters 7. Estimating direct material impact and economic loss from disasters Meeting of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Disaster-Related Statistics (virtual meeting for members only) (19:00-21:00h, UTC+7) 20:00-20:55 (UTC+7) 13:00-13:55 (UTC) 2. Assessing and mapping risk exposure, vulnerability, and coping capacity 5. Measuring human impacts of disasters 8. Accounting for disaster risk reduction expenditures 21:05-22:00 (UTC+7) 14:05-15:00 (UTC) 3. Classifying and harmonizing hazards and disasters 6. Measuring disaster impacts on the environment and cultural heritage 9. Summary and conclusion   , Contacts Forum host - ESCAP Mr. Hakan Yazıcıoğlu Associate Statistician Statistics Division Tel: + 66 2288-1521 E-mail: hakan.yazicioglu(at)un.org Ms. Piyapat Nakornchai Research Assistant Statistics Division Tel: + 66 2288-1519 E-mail: nakornchai(at)un.org Forum co-organizers UNECE Mr. Michael Nagy Statistician UNECE Statistical Division Tel: +41 22 917 3109 E-mail: michael.nagy(at)un.org UNDRR Mr. Rahul Sengupta Programme Management Officer UNDRR Office in Bonn Tel: +49 228 8150303 E-mail: sengupta(at)un.org UNESCWA Ms. Wafa Aboul Hosn Chief of Economic Statistics Statistics, Information Society and Technology Tel: +961 1 978 353 E-mail: aboulhosn(at)un.org UNECLAC Ms. Georgina Alcantar López Statistician Statistics Division E-mail: georgina.alcantarlopez(at)cepal.org Mr. Alberto Malmierca Associate Statistician Statistics Division Email: alberto.malmierca(at)cepal.org UNECA Mr. Andre Nonguierma Chief of the Geospatial Information Section E-mail: nonguierma(at)un.org Ms. Aster Denekew Geospatial Information Officer E-mail: denekewa(at)un.org UNSD Ms. Reena Shah Senior Statistician Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Tel: +1 212 963-4586 E-mail: shahr(at)un.org Mr. Greg Scott Inter-Regional Advisor UN GGIM Tel: +1 212 963-8578 E-mail: scott12(at)un.org Mr. Emil Ivanov Statistician Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Tel : +1 212 963-7989 E-mail: ivanove(at)un.org Mr. Mark Iliffe Statistician Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Tel: +1 917 367-3475 E-mail: mark.iliffe(at)un.org

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Description: The annual expert forums are organized to advance the production and use of disaster-related statistics for risk-informed development in support of the aim of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Disaster-related Statistics (IAEG-DRS) of the United Nations Statistical Commission.

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Course Language: English

Description: The TWG was held its 22nd virtual meeting on Wednesday, 31 May 2023, 14:00 – 15:30 hours, Bangkok time (GMT+7). The objectives of the meeting were: To discuss the rationale as well as data and methodological considerations for DRSF tables (1) tables D1b: Summary table of direct material impacts by hazards types and geographic regions, and E1b: Summary table of direct material impacts by hazards types and geographic regions. To share initial results of the review of DRSF tables D1b and E1b by Bangladesh and Malaysia. To provide opportunities for TWG participants to reflect on and discuss the experiences from their national statistical systems. To get volunteers for the next DRSF table review on table F Summary of material impacts to Agriculture by hazards types. , Home: TWG Confluence Previous TWG Meetings

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Description: The regional workshop for the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Inequality Assessment project in Asia and the Pacific will take place in Bangkok on 8 to 9 May 2023. The workshop provides an opportunity for countries which undertook an inequality assessment to share experiences and lessons learned with other countries, and to document best practices for other countries which may be interested in undertaking an inequality assessment in the future. The invitations have been sent to participants, and the concept note can be viewed from the file below.

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Description: The TWG held its 21st virtual meeting on Wednesday, 29 March 2023, 13:30 – 15:00 hours, Bangkok time (GMT+7). The objectives of the meeting were: To discuss the rationale as well as data and methodological considerations for DRSF tables (1) tables C2: Summary table of human impacts by hazard type and geographic regions and (2) C3: Summary table of affected population by demographic and social categories. To share initial results of the review of DRSF tables C2 and C3 by Sri Lanka and on Türkiye. To provide opportunities for TWG participants to reflect on and discuss the experiences from their national statistical systems. To get volunteers for the next DRSF table review on tables D: Summary tables of direct material impacts in physical terms. , Home: TWG Confluence Previous TWG Meetings

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Description: In 2020, UNODC, ESCAP, UNCTAD, UNODC ROSEAP, inaugurated a new Development Account project called “Statistics and data for measuring illicit financial flows in the Asia-Pacific region”. The project aimed at consolidating existing and testing new methodological guidelines for the measurement of Indicator 16.4.1 “Total value of inward and outward illicit financial flows (IFFs)”, as well as to build and strengthen statistical capacity by providing technical assistance and guidance to pilot countries for the measurement of such indicator. An UNCTAD/UNODC Conceptual Framework for the Statistical Measurement of Illicit Financial Flows was published in October 2020, and in June 2021, UNCTAD published Methodological Guidelines to Measure Tax and Commercial IFFs for pilot testing, while UNODC is measuring crime related IFFs. Pilot testing has been ongoing in 2021-2022 of the UNCTAD Guidelines in two countries, namely, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and crime related IFFs were tested in Viet Nam, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal by UNODC. A hybrid final workshop of the project is being organized to discuss the implementation of activities IFFs in the six Asian countries. The meeting objectives are: * Report on improved statistical capacity to measure illicit financial flows; * Report the estimates of the illicit financial flows; * Share experiences and best practices among the pilot countries within the region; * Facilitate continuation of measurement by national statistical offices and national agencies; * Disseminate testing guidelines (both crime-related and tax and commercial) which were updated as a result of this pilot testing round; * Discuss future work, interregional cooperation, and policy implications for measuring illicit financial flows

Course Language: English, Russian

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Description: The UN Statistics Division is organizing an expert group meeting on ways to harnessing data generated by citizens to make an impact on public policy including the SDG monitoring.

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Description: The thirteenth meeting of the Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) will be held in person from 7 to 9 November 2022 at the UN Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. This will be the first in-person meeting of the IAEG-SDGs since October 2019 in Addis Ababa.

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Description: SIDE EVENT: Implementing Digital Identity Systems without Leaving Anyone Behind Third Ministerial Conference on Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok and Online, 28-30 September 2022 Digital identity is a set of electronically captured and stored attributes and credentials that can uniquely identify a person when interacting with government and private services and the digital economy. Digital identity systems are underpinned by mechanisms which verify and authenticate an individual’s personal data and require strong legal frameworks to uphold data protection, security, privacy and consent. Historically, governments have operated primarily foundational ID systems which are created to provide identification to the general population for a wide variety of transactions and which can be digitized or paper-based. Providing documents and records for individuals to establish their legal identity is an important element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, explicitly so in target 16.9. Governments in Asia and the Pacific are implementing civil registration and vital statistics systems underpinning identity management systems to issue national identity cards and numbers as well as digital credentials for establishing uniqueness and enabling secure identity verification. Full inclusion in digital identity systems is essential to facilitate access to the benefits and protections of the State. As services increasingly transition to digital, disparities in coverage of hard to reach and marginalized populations can further compound disadvantages and exclusion and deepen the digital divide.   Registration link: https://forms.office.com/r/xRhjjxK4Gk MS Teams link: https://bit.ly/3cPP8Em  

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Description: The session will inform governments and other stakeholders of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator 17.3.1 on "additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources", adopted in March 2022. It will also spearhead dialogue to empower Southern countries to report their own data for global debates related to development support and consider how the indicator will help manage and mobilize resources for the recovery from the pandemic and progress towards the 2030 Agenda. The SDG indicator is based on the first globally agreed voluntary Conceptual Framework to Measure South-South cooperation. UNCTAD is organizing this session as part of its role to coordinate future testing and refinement of the framework, and global reporting and capacity building based on it. The work will be carried out under the leadership of Southern countries relying on country-owned mechanisms. Countries will share their experience and expectations.

Course Language: English

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Description: Measuring South-South cooperation to mobilize financing for SDGs The session will inform governments and other stakeholders of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator 17.3.1 on "additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources", adopted in March 2022. It will also spearhead dialogue to empower Southern countries to report their own data for global debates related to development support and consider how the indicator will help manage and mobilize resources for the recovery from the pandemic and progress towards the 2030 Agenda. The SDG indicator is based on the first globally agreed voluntary Conceptual Framework to Measure South-South cooperation. UNCTAD is organizing this session as part of its role to coordinate future testing and refinement of the framework, and global reporting and capacity building based on it. The work will be carried out under the leadership of Southern countries relying on country-owned mechanisms. Countries will share their experience and expectations. Programme * Opening by UNCTAD Secretary-General Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, UNCTAD Secretary General * Moderator Mr. Rachid Bouhia, Economic Affairs Officer, UNCTAD * New SDG indicator – central for progress towards the SDGs Mr. Stefan Schweinfest, Director of UN Statistics Division, UNDESA * Conceptual framework on South-South Cooperation Mr. Sukhbir Singh, Chair of the IAEG-SDGs subgroup on SSC, India * National mechanisms for South-South cooperation Mr. Aminuddin Mat Ariff, Senior Coordinator of Regional Cooperation, Islamic Development Bank * Country experience in the measurement of South-South cooperation Mr. Bernardo Córdova Tello, Ambassador of Mexico to Thailand Ms. Viviana Manrique, Director General, Agencia Presidencial de Cooperación Internacional, Colombia Ms. Andreia Rigueira, Coordinator for Planning and Communications, Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) Mr. William Maundu Munyoli, Senior Economist, State Department for Planning, Kenya Join the meeting About GSSD Expo 2022 The Global South-South Development Expo is an annual event organised by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) to showcase evidence-based successful development solutions and initiatives, in collaboration with United Nations agencies and all other partners.

Course Language: English

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Description: Objectives Official statistics are part of the larger and complex data ecosystem. Tapping into the opportunities created by that ecosystem can lead to a delivery of better information to policymakers and citizens. In order to benefit from these opportunities, national statistical offices must be able to produce data to support robust legal and policy instruments and facilitate engaging state and non-state actors in data for decision-making, monitoring and follow-up. In this respect, regional dialogue and peer learning are key to finding efficient and equitable resolution of many data governance challenges. The regional meeting on data governance will build on the discussions during the UN ESCAP Expert Dialogues, and provide the opportunity to deep dive into some of the key challenges and development opportunities. About the Expert Dialogue 3 - PARIS21 2022 Fall meetings PARIS21’s 2022 Fall Meetings brought partners together to showcase good data practices and partnerships from across the world, providing the opportunity for more in-depth discussions and collective learning. The key takeaways from this meeting will culminate with the PARIS21 2022 Fall Meetings, where it is envisaged to showcase outcomes of this subregional PARIS21/ESCAP event, as a good example of inter-regional cooperation and highlighting key partner initiatives. Results will be presented at the PARIS21 Board Meeting at the OECD in Paris on 9-10 November 2022. The meeting discussed the following issues: Data stewardship: what does this mean for NSOs and what is needed to ensure effective data governance The enabling environment for ensuring inclusive data governance: new partnerships and innovative approaches , Committee on Statistics, 8th Session Expert Dialogue 1 Expert Dialogue 2 Expert Dialogue 3 (PARIS21)

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Description: About the event The National SDG Tracker is a tool for countries to track progress on the SDGs. It allows countries to add their data, enter national target values, and visualize progress in a few simple steps. The clinic provided the opportunity to learn from experience of some countries adopting the tool. It also provided an opportunity for all countries to exchange views on challenges and concerns regarding national SDG progress measurement and how the tool can support them. Key areas which will be covered during the clinic include: Engagement with key national stakeholders in the process Approaches to selection of indicators to assess “national” progress Importance of setting nationally relevant target values Country’s access & ownership rights to the tool , Committee on Statistics, 8th Session Side events during the CST8 week

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Description: Asia–Pacific Migration Data Report 2021 The Asia–Pacific Migration Data Report series is the flagship publication for the region since 2020. The Asia–Pacific Migration Data Report 2021 consolidates the latest evidence on the migration landscape in the region in 2021, principally through the lens of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of 2021, Asia and the Pacific endured COVID-19 pandemic conditions, complex humanitarian challenges and political changes in Afghanistan and Myanmar and pronounced effects of climate change. Migration patterns were altered by these crises, but migrants showed remarkable resilience and were essential to early recovery efforts. Drawing on available international, regional and national data sources, the report is structured around the six Thematic Pillars of IOM Asia–Pacific Regional Data Hub: Migration Policy, Migration Statistics, Types of Migration, Migration and Vulnerabilities, Migration and Development, and Migration and Innovation. The newest thematic pillar, Migration and Innovation, investigates how migration influences and is affected by innovation. The report monitors progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Migration Governance Indicators. It also provides recommendations on strengthening the much-needed evidence base on migration in the region.

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Description: Background Speed dat(a)ing is designed to be a time efficient and effective networking event where participants gather together to exchange information and generate professional contacts. Participants greet each other in a series of brief exchanges during a set period of time in order to allow attendees to get to know many more and a wider variety of other attendees and with less effort than they individually could, especially given the length of time which has passed since the last face to face meeting. During an interaction, participants are encouraged to ask a work question and a non-work question to get to know each other both professionally and personally. Participants will be requested to bring and share business cards and to jot down any interesting details they find on those cards Participants will be standing around a large room, placed in groups according to their sub-regions, and the session will start with a brief introduction explaining how it will work (2-3 mins). While for all rounds participants will be encouraged to pair up with someone they have never met before, for the first round, they will also be asked to find someone who is not from their subregion. They will then have 5 minutes to ask each other at least one work and one non-work question and to rotate between as needed. Sample questions will be put onto the screen for participants to look at but they can ask anything. A bell will ring at the end of 5 minutes and participants will be encouraged to go and find a new partner (preferably someone they do not know). There will be a total of 11 rotations. At the end of the session, there will be a few minutes for participants to share any reflections. , Suggested Questions Work questions: What experience did you have to get your job? How long have you worked here? What is your own background and experience? What is a typical work day like? How much variety is there in your work? What is the most enjoyable part of your job? Do you think your education prepared you for your current job? What is the biggest obstacle you have faced in your career so far? How would you describe the culture in your organization? What would you change about your job if you could? What is the greatest challenge facing statisticians today? What do you think is your role in the data revolution? Are you a revolutionary? Is statistics ‘old school’? Should we all be data scientists? Are you comfortable with using non official statistics? Is there enough diversity in our statistical community? Does the NSO have a future in the new data ecosystem? Do you think there is a culture of trust in statistics in your country? Do you think that data rights are sufficiently protected? Non-work questions: What is your favourite place to go on holiday? When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up? Who is your greatest role model? / Do you have any mentors or people you look up to? Tell me about one of them. If you could pass one global law, what would it be? What book changed your life? What do you like to do to relax? What is the best piece of advice you were ever given? What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever been given? And why was it so bad? When did you get your first mobile phone and what kind was it? What is the best purchase you have ever made? If you could live in another historical period, would you? If so, which one? If you were reincarnated as an animal, what would you choose and why? What’s a word or phrase in another language (or your own) that you really like? What’s your favorite thing about the place where you live? What’s one country you would love to visit and why? What’s an unusual family or national tradition you have? What’s your culture’s most underrated food? , Committee on Statistics, 8th Session Side events during the CST8 week

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Description: Background The Pacific region has recently finalised its next strategic framework for statistics covering 2022-2030 (replacing the previous Ten-Year Pacific Statistics Strategy). At the same time, the broader Asia-Pacific statistical community adopted a Collective Vision and Framework for Action in 2016, recognising the shared ambition for the 2030 Agenda. Separate thematic statistics strategies are also operating (for example, the Pacific Roadmap for Gender Statistics, the Asian and Pacific CRVS Decade 2015-2024 and Regional Action Framework). Objectives: To enhance awareness of existing regional statistics strategies, their use at the country level alongside national strategies for the development of statistics, and their role in guiding development partner support to the production and use of statistics in priority areas. Target Participants: National Statistics Office representatives, statistics users, regional and international partners engaged in statistical capacity building, donors. Issues to be explored: What gaps do/can regional statistics strategies fill that National Strategies do not? How can we monitor regional statistics strategies to ensure their full effectiveness (capacity development and outputs)? How does each key stakeholder benefit from regional strategies? How are thematic statistics strategies being used as effective tools for engaging data users? , Committee on Statistics, 8th Session Side events during the CST8 week

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Description: Background The commitment to “Leave no one behind” is central to the 2030 Agenda as it highlights the need to build inclusive systems and ensure different societal groups, including refugees, internally displaced and stateless people, are reflected in development efforts and policymaking. Linked to this commitment is the urgency to make everyone count in national data collection exercises, and consequently, produce quality official statistics for sound decision-making and monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Efforts to ensure national statistical inclusion have been central in the Asia-Pacific region in recent years, which are partly reflected in the Ministerial Declaration to “Get every one in the picture” (2014). The declaration focuses on the need to build universal and responsive Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems, and explicitly recognizes their importance for the prevention of statelessness and promotion of durable solutions for forcibly displaced populations. International guidance on how to better include refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in national statistical systems are available in the International Recommendations on Refugee and IDP Statistics (IRRS and IRIS), which were unanimously endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) in 2018 and 2020, respectively. A similar set of recommendations on statelessness statistics are currently being developed and will be discussed at the UNSC in 2023. Since their endorsement, increased momentum concerning the implementation of the IRRS and IRIS at national level has been observed in several countries. These examples provide good practices on the use of administrative data, sample surveys, and censuses to improve the availability and quality of official statistics on refugees, IDPs, and stateless persons, and can support advancing discussions on how to ensure these groups are accounted in national data systems in the Asia-Pacific region. Scope: In response to the unique window of opportunity presented through renewed and continued commitments, this session aims to spotlight work conducted by different national statistical offices (NSOs) and other technical experts in the EGRISS membership, to implement the IRRS and the IRIS and, therefore, ensure that everyone is represented in national data collection efforts. This session will be moderated by the Deputy Director of UNHCR’ Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. It will be divided into two parts. Key questions to be discussed in the side event: How can we improve our approach to the collection of official statistics on forced displacement and statelessness in line with existing international recommendations and standards? What are the critical gaps/challenges that hinder the inclusion of refugees, IDPs and stateless groups in national data collection exercises? How can we build on countries’ experiences to collaboratively improve the inclusion of refugees, IDPs and stateless groups in national statistical systems? What data sources/statistical outputs would be the most beneficial to help achieve national priorities concerning forcibly displaced and stateless persons? How can these data sources be strengthened? EGRISS side event at the 8th Session of the UNESCAP Committee on Statistics , Committee on Statistics, 8th Session Side events during the CST8 week

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Description: The Committee discussed statistical development in the region, regional cooperation and the formulation of regional positions to advance official statistics in line with existing commitments, including the collective vision and framework for action by the Asia-Pacific statistical community, endorsed by the Committee at its fifth session in December 2016 and supported by ESCAP in May 2017, and the Declaration on Navigating Policy with Data to Leave No One Behind, adopted by the Committee at its sixth session in October 2018 and endorsed by ESCAP in May 2019. The session will included preparatory seminars to facilitate the holding of interactive dialogues on emerging issues of relevance to statistical systems in Asia and the Pacific. , CST8 Vox Pop Interview , .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Mr. Batdavaa Batmunkh, Chairperson, National Statistics Office of Mongolia .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Ms. Catherine Kruger, Inter-Regional Advisor, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Ms. Maria Musudroka, Acting Chief Executive, Fiji Bureau of Statistics, Fiji , .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Mr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin, Chief Statistician, Department of Statistics, Malaysia .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Mr. G.P. Samanta, Chief Statistician of India-cum-Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), India .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 50%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Mr. Gogita Todradze, Executive Director, National Statistics Office of Georgia (GEOSTAT), Georgia

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Description: Background: The UNODC-KOSTAT Centre of Excellence (CoE) previously contributed to the 7th Session of the ESCAP Committee on Statistics, 26-28 August 2020, by making an intervention and providing contributions to Action Area A: Engaging users and investing in statistics. The intervention presented UNODC’s contributions and plans of the CoE to improve crime and criminal statistics in the Asia-Pacific region and provided an opportunity for the statistical community to further learn of the role and support offered by the CoE which was also made available in the report.1 In August 2022, the 8th Session of the ESCAP Committee on Statistics provided the opportunity for development partners to inform the Chief Statisticians of the Asia-Pacific region on statistics-related work undertaken over the last two years to advance official statistics for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Alongside the Formal Session and Expert Group Meetings, the Session also hosted several side events to supplement the main proceedings. Objectives: To continue to enhance the capacity of Asia-Pacific Member States and Associate Members in the areas of crime and criminal justice statistics, the CoE, in collaboration with UNODC Headquarters, hosted a side event at the 8th Session of the ESCAP Committee. As the custodian entity of SDG indicators predominantly found in SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, UNODC continuously develops tools to enhance the quality and quantity of data available at the national level; this side event showcased recent UNODC methodological developments to ensure high-quality data for evidence-based policymaking. 1 ESCAP/CST/2020/INF/9, Advancing official statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: initiatives by global, regional and subregional organizations with respect to the collective vision and framework for action, July 2020. The three methodological tools which presented at the side event were: SDG 16 Survey Initiative2 Statistical framework for measuring the gender-related killing of women and girls (also referred to as “femicide/feminicide”)3 International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes4 This side event aimed to highlight UNODC innovative methodological tools to: Encourage Member States and Associate Members to enquire about and receive UNODC technical assistance in relation to the aforementioned methodological tools. Advocate for the prioritization of crime and criminal justice statistics, particularly but not limited to, National Statistics Offices and other entities working in the areas of crime and criminal justice statistics. Continue to highlight the role of the CoE as the regional hub for crime and criminal justice statistics. 2 UNODC, UNDP, & OHCHR, SDG 16 Survey Initiative Questionnaire & SDG16 Survey Initiative Implementation Manual, March 2022 3 UNODC & UNWOMEN, Statistical framework for measuring the gender-related killing of women and girls (also referred to as “femicide/feminicide”), March 2022 4 UNODC, The International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes, March 2016 , Committee on Statistics, 8th Session Side events during the CST8 week

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Description: Background The Bureau of the Committee has identified data governance, non-traditional data sources, including big data, and inclusive policymaking and its impact on national statistical systems (including data literacy) as emerging priority issues for the region. More and more requests are coming to national statistical offices to conduct surveys that will provide results in almost near real-time and be nationally representative. Household surveys over the phone conducted by National Statistical Offices and supported by UNICEF and World Bank represent non-traditional data sources that provide nationally representative data, with findings usually disaggregated by area of residence, age, sex, education, wealth quantiles, and other relevant stratifiers. This side event will contribute to the Committee on Statistics agenda by providing an insight into the methodologies and implementation of surveys conducted over the phone, its advantages, and limitation. The event will also contribute to capacity building and strengthening national statistical systems. Scope: The scope of the side event was to present the methodologies of conducting surveys over the phone in detail and experiences from the countries where surveys were successfully conducted. The methodology was presented by representatives of UNICEF and the World Bank, while examples for implementation was presented by representatives of the National Statistical Offices from Mongolia and Nigeria (tentatively). The presentation included the main features of MICS Plus, supported by UNICEF, and High-frequency phone surveys supported by the World Bank. The approaches and methodologies that was presented can be used for numerous purposes, such as collecting indicators with high frequency and seasonal changes, for emerging issues such as crisis monitoring, measuring program coverage, testing new questions, and opinion polling. Primarily, MICS Plus surveys are designed to collect data and changes on the situation of children, families, and households on a frequent basis and with near real-time reporting, while World Bank surveys are designed to track the socio-economics impact of Covid-19 and economic shocks. All relevant documents as well as survey results, can be found on MICS Plus and World Bank web pages , Key questions to be discussed in the side event: The methodology of conducting household surveys over the phone - the non-traditional data source becoming traditional data sources? The significance of surveys conducted over the phone in national statistical systems in a rapidly changing world How do real-time reporting of phone survey results contribute to inclusive policy and decision-making and its impact on national statistical systems - challenges and benefits Ethics, equity, and inclusion in surveys conducted over the phone. , Committee on Statistics, 8th Session Side events during the CST8 week

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Description: Background: Statistical systems around Asia and the Pacific region play a key role in providing evidence for effective implementation of the 2030 agenda. In particular, in preparation of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and national monitoring of the SDGs. Increasing demand for SDG data has challenged statistical systems to fill in data gaps and has strained already shrinking resources for statistical development. This side events aimed to provide the latest findings of three studies conducted by UN Environment Programme, UNICEF and ESCAP (on entire SDG indicator framework) looking into the extent to which child and environment related indicators have been used in VNRs presented by Asia-Pacific countries and main sources of data on SDG indicators. The side event expected to support countries in harnessing the knowledge and experiences from the VNRs as vehicle to strengthen implementation, monitoring and reporting progress of SDGs and related targets, in particular for environment and child related topics. Scope The side event was co-organized by UNEP, UNICEF and ESCAP and opened to all statistical systems, national SDG implementing focal points, and development partners. Key questions to be discussed in the side event: What are effective institutional structures to ensure that the environment and child-related indicators are sufficiently discussed in the VNRs? How to improve environmental reporting in VNRs, in view of only 29% of environment-related targets using data and indicators in VNRs by Asia-Pacific in 2016-2021? To what extent child-related indicators have been used in VNRs by Asia-Pacific? And 4. Are the data gaps and major sources of environment and child-related SDG indicators, and top priorities for investment and capacity building for statistical development in Asia-Pacific region? , Committee on Statistics, 8th Session Side events during the CST8 week

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Description: Background These two expert dialogues will provide an opportunity for heads of NSOs to help to shape global and regional data governance work. It is an opportunity for Chief Statisticians in Asia and the Pacific to explore the two emerging issues which the Committee will be considering: Measuring Progress Beyond Gross Domestic Product [ESCAP/CST/2022/5: 中文 | English | Français | Русский] and Data Governance in a Changing World [ESCAP/CST/2022/6: 中文 | English | Français | Русский]. The overarching theme of the expert dialogues is Data Governance and hence beyond GDP progress measures will feature and be discussed within this theme. It is expected the dialogues will identify opportunities for regional action to strengthen data governance, including the increased production and use of complementary progress measures. The expert dialogues will also provide an opportunity for countries to share their experiences and challenges around data governance as well as to engage with a range of regional and global data governance initiatives. About the Expert Dialogue 2 The second expert group will provide an opportunity for countries to hear more about different regional and global data governance and broader measures progress initiatives as well as a way for those managing these initiatives to hear more about country experiences. This expert dialogue will use a world café format to provide a way to link country experiences to global and regional initiatives. The use of an informal cafe setting will allow participants to explore a number of data governance issues by discussing them in small table groups. Each table will have a host who will be a representative of one of the regional or global initiatives on data governance. The process will start with each table host giving a one to two minute lightning talk on the regional or global initiative they are representing. The process then begins with the first of three or more twenty-minute rounds of conversation for small groups seated around a table. At the end of the twenty minutes, each group moves to the next table. The “table host” will stay for the next round, they will welcome the next group and briefly fill them in on what happened in the previous round. The conversation will then continue with the new group building on the earlier discussion. This process will be repeated for four cycles of twenty minutes to allow participants to join four different discussion tables. Table hosts will also have an ESCAP resource person who will stay at the table throughout the event. The table host may choose to move round but will need to return to their table towards the end so they can sum up the key messages. , Committee on Statistics, 8th Session Expert Dialogue 1 Expert Dialogue 2 Expert Dialogue 3 (PARIS21)

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Description: Background These two expert dialogues will provide an opportunity for heads of NSOs to help to shape global and regional data governance work. It is an opportunity for Chief Statisticians in Asia and the Pacific to explore the two emerging issues which the Committee will be considering: Measuring Progress Beyond Gross Domestic Product [ESCAP/CST/2022/5: 中文 | English | Français | Русский] and Data Governance in a Changing World [ESCAP/CST/2022/6: 中文 | English | Français | Русский]. The overarching theme of the expert dialogues is Data Governance and hence beyond GDP progress measures will feature and be discussed within this theme. It is expected the dialogues will identify opportunities for regional action to strengthen data governance, including the increased production and use of complementary progress measures. The expert dialogues will also provide an opportunity for countries to share their experiences and challenges around data governance as well as to engage with a range of regional and global data governance initiatives. About the Expert Dialogue 1 The first expert dialogue will provide an opportunity for countries to share their experiences on data governance issues. The use of a “world café” format will allow participants to explore a number of data governance issues by discussing them in small table groups. There will be five tables in the room [5 subregions; one table will have 2 bureau hosts] and each table will have a Bureau member and an ESCAP staff who together will be the “table host”. Each table will have a data governance topic to discuss in more detail. The ESCAP staff can help with the preparation and with the smooth running of the dialogues. The ESCAP staff will remain at the table throughout the discussion whereas the bureau member may choose to move around to take part in the discussions, however, they will need to return to their table near the end so they can summarise the key points. , Committee on Statistics, 8th Session Expert Dialogue 1 Expert Dialogue 2 Expert Dialogue 3 (PARIS21)

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Description: The event is sponsored and hosted by the Government of New Zealand given the impressive steps taken to use broader measures of progress to formulate and monitor national development policy in the country. This side event shared different perspectives on how countries are developing and using measures which go beyond traditional GDP. They shared what motivated this shift as well as some of the challenges in getting policy makers to use measures of progress other than GDP.

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Description: The 78th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will be held in a hybrid modality from 23 to 27 May 2022 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok and online. Guided by the theme “A common agenda to advance sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific”, the annual session will be an opportunity to discuss and shape the future of regional cooperation centred around a new form of multilateralism and regional cooperation. ESCAP will be commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of its establishment in 2022, and the seventy-eighth session will mark the culmination of the commemorations. As the Commission approaches this landmark milestone, it is poised to engage in dialogue on the future of regional cooperation to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and deliver on its promise of leaving no one behind. As countries stand at a crossroads where building back better is within reach, the Commission will also offer a space to identify and discuss the mechanisms and means to build the resilience of people and nations in Asia and the Pacific in the aftermath of COVID-19.

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Description: The Regional Workshop on Estimating Completeness of Civil Registration of Births and Deaths commenced with an Asia-Pacific Stats Café Series: Estimating completeness of vital events launch the recently developed guidelines on measuring completeness of civil registration of births and deaths. It run for 2.5-3 hours a day over five days from 28 March to 1 April 2022. Guidelines for estimating completeness of civil registration of vital events (PDF) The Regional Workshop is being held as part of a project to strengthen capacity to implement inequality assessments of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems, which has been initiated by ESCAP and includes both in-country and regional level capacity strengthening activities. One element of this project relates to training on demographic skills to enable countries to implement the inequality assessments. The Regional Workshop aimed to provide technical guidance and enhance expertise on demographic methods with a focus on measuring completeness of the civil registration of births and deaths. The training divided into 6.5 hours of instruction and 6 hours of practical and hands-on exercises. It run for 2.5-3 hours a day over five days from 28 March to 1 April 2022. For more information, please see the concept note. , HOME - Project: Implementing Inequality Assessments Project countries: Bangladesh Fiji Lao PDR Pakistan Samoa Resources Regional Events

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Description: The main objective of the workshop, the TWG members were able to: understand how establishing the business process (mainly involving the NSOs and NDMOs as principal agencies) in the form of committees, task force or working groups, and other institutional stakeholders facilitate the sharing of responsibilities among relevant agencies under the framework; contributing to the joint development of standard classifications and systems, and perform more disaster-related data specific tasks, including among others, cooperative data collection; exchange of information and best practices; and technical assistance and common training initiatives. More specifically, the workshop aimed: to review the division of labour among DRSF stakeholders to analyze the institutional arrangements necessary to establish DRSF to propose DRSF coordination structure and mechanisms aims , Home: TWG Confluence Previous TWG Meetings

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Description: The 77th session of Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Commission (ESCAP) will be held from April 26th to 29th 2021 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand and via videoconferencing. The annual Commission Session provides a forum for Governments of the region to review and discuss economic and social issues and strengthen regional cooperation. Moreover, it provides a platform for decision-makers to launch regional initiatives. This year's theme is “Building back better from crises through regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific.” The members will discuss regional perspectives, initiatives and subregional cooperation for scaled up actions in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and take stock of its socioeconomic impact.

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Description: The Training Workshop on Tourism Satellite Accounts was conducted by United Nations Economic and Social Commission in Asia & Pacific (ESCAP) in collaboration with UK Aid from British People and UNWTO. It was organized to strengthen national capacity to produce high quality tourism statistics. The Workshop provided a platform for sharing knowledge and experiences on how tourism satellite accounts are compiled, challenges faced and use of alternative methodologies to ensure accurate measures of the size of the tourism industry. Participants would also be informed of emerging approaches and methods to measure sustainable tourism. Learning objectives Explain the conceptual framework for the TSA; Highlight the benefits of establishing a relationship between TSA compilers and TSA users to prioritize TSA development; Identify data source challenges and requirements for developing a TSA; Explain the main TSA-tables with a focus on tourism demand and supply related issues; Measure tourism demand and reconcile demand and supply using practical examples; Apply emerging methods to integrate sustainable tourism in the TSA.

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Description: Background A quarter of a century since the adoption of the landmark agreement on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, more women are achieving better educational outcomes and political representation across Asia and the Pacific. However, progress has been slow and persisting patterns of inequality are stalling further progress on gender equality. Technological transformations and disruptions, demographic shifts, increasing migratory flows as well as natural disasters and climate change have profoundly impacted the development context for women, their risks and vulnerabilities as well as opportunities in the region. With the convergence of the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+25) and the 5-year milestone for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), the year 2020 marks a window of opportunity to take stock of progress made and actions required to address barriers to gender equality and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The 2030 Agenda has affirmed the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women as a standalone goal as well as a priority that cuts across all 17 SDGs. The Beijing+25 review will harness synergies with the 2030 Agenda to consolidate efforts to accelerate the achievement of key international commitments on gender equality. As mandated by ECOSOC Resolution E/RES/2018/8, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will lead the regional review of Beijing+25, in collaboration with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and with the support of the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordination Mechanism Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (RCM-TWG-GEEW). The regional review will culminate in the Asia-Pacific High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women: Beijing+25 Review, which will take place in November 2019, United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok. Three-Track Approach The regional review will adopt three tracks. The analytical track will comprise the regional synthesis of the national-level reviews conducted by Governments on progress made and challenges encountered in implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The consultative track will involve engagement of stakeholder participation through Civil Society Consultations. The intergovernmental track will engage Governments in the regional review to identify priority actions to accelerate the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women in the region. As part of this process, the Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 63rd Session of the Commission of the Status of Women,13-14 February 2019, Bangkok, engaged Asia-Pacific governments in preparations for the Beijing+25 regional review. Expectations The Asia-Pacific High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women: Beijing+25 Review will bring together Ministers and senior officials from relevant line Ministries (Ministries of Women, National Planning, Finance), civil society and other key stakeholders from across the Asia-Pacific region to: identify key strategic areas and actions required to overcome barriers to gender equality and the empowerment of women. provide a platform to highlight innovative solutions and exchange good practices and lessons learned on strategies for change. invigorate the momentum to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women through increased engagement with stakeholders of all ages. For further information, please contact: Ms. Cai Cai, Chief, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Section, Social Development Division, ESCAP ([email protected]).

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Description: From 23 to 24 September ESCAP and UNFPA organized the Expert Group Meeting on Monitoring implementation of the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok. This meeting followed the Midterm Review of the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development held in November 2018, during which Member States recommended that ESCAP and UNFPA develop a regional monitoring framework to monitor implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development. This framework is being developed in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The meeting provided an opportunity for experts from Governments, civil society, and academia to contribute to the draft monitoring framework which will be considered at the 76th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in May 2020. Backgroud document • Report of the Midterm Review of the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development (ESCAP/APPC/2018/5) • Suggested indicator framework for monitoring progress towards the implementation of the Asia and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development (ESCAP/APPC/2018/INF/1) • Report of the Sixth Asian and Pacific Population Conference • Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population Development[Arabic] [Chinese] [English] [French] [Russian] [Spanish]

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Description: At the beginning of the Decade, in 2015, all countries in Asia and the Pacific were invited to submit baseline reports and articulate goals corresponding with the Regional Action Framework. Thirty-nine countries submitted baseline reports analyzing the status of their CRVS systems, setting targets, highlighting progress made so far, as well as emphasizing areas necessitating support and resources to be achieved. To monitor progress in implementing the Regional Action Framework, a midterm review of the Decade will be held during the 2019 calendar year. The midterm review will form the basis for deliberations at the second Ministerial Conference to be held during the third quarter of 2020. To facilitate national reporting, ESCAP will send a questionnaire to all countries in Asia and the Pacific and develop the aggregated midterm report from the responses. At the fourth meeting of the Regional Steering Group in November 2018, members asked development partners to support preparations for the midterm review with a specific focus on facilitating and providing technical assistance for country assessments of CRVS systems. For this reason, ESCAP is organizing a workshop on 20 September 2019 to support selected countries in completing their CRVS self-assessment and their submission of midterm questionnaire. At the fourth meeting of the Regional Steering Group in November 2018, members asked development partners to support preparations for the midterm review with a specific focus on facilitating and providing technical assistance for country assessments of CRVS systems. For this reason, ESCAP organised the workshop on the midterm reporting of the Asia-Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade, 2015-2024 to support selected countries in completing their CRVS self-assessment and their submission of midterm questionnaire.   >>>Link to meeting website.

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: The Regional Steering Group is responsible for providing regional oversight and guidance for the implementation of the Regional Action Framework on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, as well as acting as the custodian of the Asia and Pacific CRVS Decade (2015 - 2024). Comprising 22 representatives from member states, along with 8 development partners, the 30 members of the RSG represent a balance of geography and sectors including civil registration, statistics, health and planning, and was endorsed by the ESCAP Commission at its seventy-first session in May 2015. The group has met annually since its establishment in 2015 and will do so for a fifth time between 17 - 19 September 2019, in Bangkok, Thailand. The Fifth Meeting will address, among other topics, the progress of country reports on the Midterm Questionnaire, ESCAP and development partner support for ensuring high quality responses, the continued preparatory work for the Ministerial Conference in 2020 (both the Main and Side Events), as well as the working arrangements of the RSG.   >>> Link to meeting website.

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Description: The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) organized a Regional Workshop to support its member States in establishing national mechanisms for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) monitoring and reporting. The workshop used a UNESCAP-developed end-to-end SDG process framework that helped countries to review the process of mainstreaming SDGs in their national planning process and identify necessary steps and tools for accelerating this process. It also provided an opportunity for sharing experiences and learning about existing tools and solutions available to countries to put in place SDG reporting mechanisms. The proposed process framework identifies steps in the national SDG implementation process where the National Statistical Office (NSO) is expected to play a leading role within the national statistical system. Such overall implementation process framework aims to provide a powerful tool to review the SDG mainstreaming process in its entirety, identify priority areas as well as required tools and resources for support. Furthermore, it facilitated the exchange of experiences and good practices among countries in the region by better identifying commonalities and differences across countries in their respective national approaches.

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Description: The Expert Meeting brought together national statisticians, officials from Ministries of Environment, representatives from disaster management authorities, civil society organizations and academic institutions to: Identify key priority thematic areas that are of high relevance to assess the connections between environmental and gender issues in countries of Asia and the Pacific. Building on UNEP’s “Unlocking information for action and measuring the SDGs” report and other existing work on the connections between gender and environment statistics, refine the set of gender-related indicators that could be best suited to measure these connections in Asia and the Pacific, noting that these indicators should be in line (to the extent possible) with internationally agreed indicators and frameworks. Discuss preparation and dissemination of documents, brochures or other information products on gender and environment statistics, with the expectation that these materials could be used to inform future production of related statistics, including to monitor the SDGs. Advocate for the importance of producing environment statistics from a gender perspective and enhancing financing of this endeavor. Identify needs and possible areas of future work in this field (including to improve indicators, data sources, reporting mechanisms and advocacy efforts, among others) in view of proposing the establishment of an expert group or other suitable mechanisms to enhance the production of environmental statistics from a gender perspective in the region. In the event that participants express interest to take this work forward, discuss the specificities associated with further country engagement, management/coordination of the work and any required funding to take it forward. Agenda Download group photo

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Description: In following-up to the first Regional Steering Group on Population and Social Statistics (RSG-PSS) meeting, the second meeting is called to review a number of challenges that countries in the Asia-Pacific region are facing to meet the requirements related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) monitoring in the area of population and social statistics. In particular, the meeting has the following key objectives:  To identify critical challenges where regional initiatives can support countries to develop an integrated system of population and social statistics and ensure they are properly used to monitor global and national SDGs; To review organization, activities and outputs of the RSG-PSS to effectively meet the needs of national statistical systems and in line with the Collective Vision and Framework for Action by the Asia-Pacific statistical community. Meeting report List of participants Agenda Concept Note Background documents Proposal on future of the Regional Strategy for Population and Social Statistics Stats Brief, July 2019 (Issue no. 19): Integrated Statistics: A journey worthwhile Report of the first meeting of the Regional Steering Group on Population and Social Statistics Report of the Committee on Statistics on its sixth session [ESCAP/CST/2018/6] Meeting the data and statistics needs for socially inclusive development for all: proposed implementation plan for the regional strategy to improve population and social statistics in Asia and the Pacific [E/ESCAP/CST(5)/3] Corrigendum – [E/ESCAP/CST(5)/3/Corr.1] Advancing official statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: a collective vision and framework for action by the Asia-Pacific statistical community [E/ESCAP/CST(5)/1/REV.1] , RSG-PSS Home 1st meeting (Aug. 2017) 2nd meeting (Jul. 2019) 3rd meeting (Sep. 2021)

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Description: SESRIC participated in the Second Meeting of the Subgroup on Gender Statistics Training (SGGST) organised by the UN Women’s Regional Office for Asia on 15-17 July 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Description: The Asia-Pacific Economic Statistics Week is designed as an annual forum of regular substantive exchange that is in sync with the capacity development agenda of the region defined by the Regional Programme on Economic Statistics. The Asia-Pacific Economic Statistics Week 2019 (APES 2019) will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, from 17-21 June 2019, under the theme of Integrating economic statistics in monitoring Agenda 2030. Link to seminar website.

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Description: On 11-13 June, about 30 participants from across the Asia-Pacific region came together for a workshop on 'Communicating gender data promoting better use and delivering impactful messages'. They included data producers from national statistical offices (NSOs) and data users from civil society, line ministries and the media. The workshop was a unique opportunity for building dialogue between users and producers of data so they can better understand each others needs and challenges, and together advocate for more and better gender data. Data users learned the basics of statistical literacy, and how to use gender data in advocacy but also to advocate for better gender data. In turn, data producers learned from their stakeholders how to better communicate their data products, learned about gender data visualization techniques, received training on media messaging and techniques to make gender statistics appealing to the general public. One of the key outcomes of this workshop will be the development of a set of guidelines for communicating gender data, which will also set up standards for replicating this workshop in other regions.

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Description: Download group photo The Inception Workshop for the project Strengthening research and studies for improved quality of SDG statistics in Central Asia was organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Statistics Division in collaboration with the Russian Federation Federal State Statistics Service and the National Research University Higher School of Economics. The workshop was held at the United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok, Thailand, from 8-10 May 2019.  The aim of the project, which is funded by the Russian Federation, is to strengthen the capacity of the countries of Central Asia to produce data for priority SDG indicators through the development of training material, including in the Russian language, and the subsequent design and delivery of training courses through face-to-face and/or e-learning modalities.  The objective of the inception workshop was to agree on project priorities through presentations and discussion on the following issues:  For which thematic areas (e.g. goals and/or targets) and/or specific SDG indicators are countries in most need of training? What is the need for training related to the use of non-traditional data sources, such as geospatial information and big data, and possible new techniques such as small area estimation for the compilation of, especially disaggregated, SDG indicators? Who are in most need of training? Say, managers or methodologists? Should training be pitched at the basic, intermediate or advanced level? What are preferred training modalities? To what extent is their need for face-to-face versus remote / e-learning courses? For face-to-face training, in-country or subregional? What are countries currently doing to train staff in the production of SDG indicators? Do they have training material, experience and/or lessons to share?  

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Description: The Sixth Meeting of the Expert Group on Disaster-related Statistics in Asia and the Pacific was scheduled for 23-25 April 2019, in Bangkok Thailand. The meeting brought together statisticians and disaster risk management professionals, including the diverse group of experts who contributed to the development and finalization of the Disaster-related Statistics Framework (DRSF), the main outcome of the work of the Expert Group. Link to meeting documents Report of the 6th EGM on Disaster-related Statistics

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Description: The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific(ESCAP), with support from the Bloomberg Data for Health Initiative (D4H), held the second workshop of the Project to improve the capacity of national Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems in producing and disseminating vital statistics. The Project supports the implementation of the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, in particular Goal 3 which stipulates that accurate, complete and timely vital statistics (including on causes of death) are produced, based on registration records, and disseminated. This multi-phased Project consists of two, sequential training workshops between January and March 2019 and will lead the participating countries in creating a complete, national vital statistics report. Workshop website

Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link

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Description: In advance of the 6th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), the Asia-Pacific People's Forum, with the theme of 'Harnessing the Power of Peoples’ Movements for a Fairer, Just and Equitable Asia Pacific', brought together relevant stakeholders to review civil society organization (CSO) contributions to regional CRVS development, share lessons learned from assisting countries in meeting the targets for both the 2030 Agenda and the CRVS Regional Action Framework, and prioritize areas for continued engagement. In support of these activities, the CRVS team in ESCAP's Stats Division co-hosted a side event with World Vision entitled, "Working together to 'Get Every One in the Picture' - CSO engagement for the shared vision on civil registration and vital statistics in Asia and the Pacific". The agenda and presentations are now available for review.

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Description: The Replication Study Communication Workshop was held in Bangkok, from 4 to 8 March 2019. The six national teams joined the meeting to prepare the first draft of their replication study. The countries and project topics are: Bhutan – Producing Import and Export Price Indices (XMPI) in Bhutan (English) Cambodia – Supply Use Table and GDP Benchmarks Lao PDR – Statistical Law Maldives – Reviewing the National Statistical System of the Maldives 2020 (English) Myanmar – Developing a Statistical Business Register (SBR) in Myanmar (English | Burmese) Viet Nam – Use of unit record tax data in Statistical Business Register The workshop objectives were: Develop skills in written and oral communication, including presentation skills through theory, examples and practice. Allow national teams a dedicated block of time to prepare second and third drafts of their study with support from regional experts. Discuss options and modalities for presenting the studies at Asia-Pacific Economic Statistics Week. Develop an action plan for completing the studies and presentation materials. Documents List of participants Concept note Agenda Presentations Workshop presentation

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Description: The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Division and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, is organising a regional workshop on strengthening the collection and use of international migration data for the achievement of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development for selected countries in Asia. The meeting is organized under the 11th tranche of the development account capacity building project. The workshop aims to increase the capacity of participating countries to produce and analyze comprehensive national migration data that meets international standards, and to enhance understanding of the uses and limitations of migration data for policy purposes and for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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Description: Inclusion is at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Inclusiveness speaks to the notion of empowerment and the principle of non-discrimination and is reflected in the pledge to leave no one behind. To meet the data needs of the 2030 Agenda and address all vulnerable groups, it is important to strengthen national statistical systems to collect and use disaggregated data. In this context, the workshop aims to address some of the challenges faced by the national statistical systems in producing and using disaggregated data to monitor the sustainable development Goals and targets. The workshop is co-organized by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN-Women, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Asian Development Bank. It will be held at United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand, from 28 to 30 January 2019.

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Description: Data producers and users in Asia and the Pacific are working together to develop a curriculum for training on gender statistics, the first of its kind. The work on the curriculum, which begun in 2018 and has been guided by the Subgroup on Gender Statistics Training, is expected to be completed before the end of 2019. The curriculum will consist of three different training modules, each of which will include a number of chapters with recommendations on key thematic areas that training on Gender Statistics should include. In addition, chapters will be accompanied by a relevant syllabus, exercises, power point presentations and other useful materials. Once finalized and tested, the curriculum will be made available by UN Women for all countries to use. The second meeting of the Subgroup on Gender Statistics Training (SGGST), a subsidiary organ within the Network for the Coordination of Statistical Training in Asia and the Pacific, took place on 15-17 January 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting was organized by UN Women’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in coordination with UN-SIAP.

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