Description: This course, presented by Statistics Department, is based on the conceptual framework of the 2008 System of National Accounts (2008 SNA). It covers advanced methodological and practical issues related to the compilation of the sequence of accounts of the SNA (current and capital accounts, financial accounts, other changes in volume of assets accounts, revaluation accounts, and balance sheets) by institutional sectors. The course also examines the linkages between institutional sectors as a basis for establishing from-whom-to-whom accounts. The aim of the course is to provide participants with the necessary skills to compile—or further enhance—their country’s institutional sector accounts and the balance sheets. The course consists of lectures covering conceptual and methodological issues, workshops sessions on practical compilation issues, discussions on emerging financial issues such as fintech and crypto assets. It reviews case studies involving new applications of ISA such as household distributions to examine income, consumption and wealth accumulation by various cohorts and intergenerational transfers and pensions. The myriad ways in which the ISA supports economic policy is also examined. The lectures provide a thorough review of the methodological framework, concepts, and definitions relating to sectoral institutional sector accounts and balance sheets, examine potential data sources for the compilation of annual and quarterly ISA, and illustrate possible compilation techniques and procedures. The course also provides a forum for participants to share country practices and experiences relating to the compilation of sectoral institutional accounts and balance sheets.
Target Audience: Officials whose main responsibility is compiling national accounts, including financial accounts statistics and balance of payments statistics (specifically responsible for the sectoral accounts, household distribution accounts and accounts on a from-whom-to-whom basis), who are employed by national statistical agencies and central banks.
Description: The digital economy heavily relies on ICT for information management, enhancing productivity supported by ICT goods, services, and trade. This economy is characterized by core technologies (e.g., semiconductors, computers), enabling infrastructures (e.g., the Internet), and digitalized sectors like finance and media. Despite widespread digitalization, traditional economic metrics often overlook digital aspects. The Digital Supply-Use Tables (SUTs) framework addresses this by incorporating digital products and actors into national statistics. The 5th International Seminar aims to equip staff from developing countries' NSOs with skills to produce high-quality digital economy statistics, supporting informed policymaking and sustainable development.
Description: The United Nations Statistics Division, under the guidance of the Inter-Secretariat Working Group on Household Surveys (ISWGHS), is embarking on a project to revise and update the series of United Nations methodological publications on household surveys. A technical meeting is conducted to assess what the revised Handbook will cover and how the revision will be carried out. More specifically, the experts will (a) discuss what will be covered by the revision and how to offer a practical guide based on sound theories, tested and backed up by academic work; (b) discuss topics to be covered by the revision and further steps to cover additional topics, given a wide range of topics that household surveys encompass; and (c) agree on the timeline and processes for the revision.
Description: Nowadays the conditions for the use of Earth Observation (EO) data for agricultural statistics are very favorable. The generous availability of free and open high resolution satellite data (such as from the Copernicus program) offer an unprecedented possibility to detect crop phenology and spectral traits, and to derive accurate agricultural statistics. Moreover, the expansion of cloud storage and computing capabilities, and the rise of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) has opened the door to high flexibility and alternatives for deploying low-cost infrastructures and automation. Despite all this, the actual uptake of EO data for operational use in national statistical offices is still relatively low globally, especially in developing countries, due to a series of barriers, such as the complexity of image pre-processing, low availability and low quality of in-situ data due to high cost of surveys and inconsistent use of georeferencing methods in the field, and models are area and time dependent, and a lack of user-friendly EO platforms. The 4th International Seminar was organized by the Global Hub on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics of China together with UNSD and the UN task team on EO data for agriculture statistics. The topic of the seminar was remote sensing for agriculture statistics. The program of the seminar was led by experts from FAO, Mexico and Brazil and consisted of (i) Collection and validation of in-situ data, (ii) Pre-processing of the Satellite data, (iii) Classification of crops using various ML methods, (iv) Quality assessment of the classification, and (v) Crop yield estimation and data analysis and dissemination. In addition, various Chinese experts as well as experts of Rwanda shared their experiences in this field. The audience of the seminar consisted of about 20 participants from Asia and Africa and 80 participants of China. The opportunity of the seminar was taken to launch the laboratory of remote sensing for statistics. This laboratory is part of the Global Hub and will be used by experts from around the world.
Description: This course, presented by the Statistics Department, provides participants with an introduction to the compilation of monetary statistics covering the central bank (CB) and other depository corporations (ODCs) in accordance with international standards. Course materials are based on the Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual and Compilation Guide (MFSMCG). The course discusses the principles of residency and sectorization of institutional units, the characteristics and types of financial instruments, valuation principles, and other accounting issues that are relevant to the compilation of monetary statistics. Participants also become familiar with the defining characteristics of depository corporations (DCs), notably their role as money issuers, and with the main principles on which analysis of monetary and credit aggregates is based. The course consists of lectures, and exercises covering practical aspects of compiling monetary statistics, especially the use of financial statements for filling out standardized report forms (SRFs 1SR and 2SR) and the derivation of the respective surveys for the CB, ODCs, and the consolidated DCs sector. Participants should be prepared to ask questions and discuss challenges related to MFS compilation practices. This course is an abbreviated version of the longer, introductory MFS course traditionally offered by STA in-person.
Description: The main goal of the workshop is to assist the participants to gain better understanding of the concepts and definitions set out in the Frascati Manual 2015; Oslo Manual 2018, Guidelines for Collecting, Reporting and Using Data on Innovation, 4th Edition; and share best country and international practices, including STI indicators, statistics, and analyses.
Description: This course, presented by the Statistics Department, acquaints participants with the fundamentals of compiling and using FSIs in support of macroprudential analysis. The course covers methodological and technical issues in the construction of FSIs, as discussed in the 2019 Financial Soundness Indicators Compilation Guide (2019 FSI Guide). The course takes an interactive approach using hands-on exercises in discussing the main topics as follows: Preparation of the sectoral financial statements and compilation of FSIs for deposit takers; Regulatory framework for deposit takers; Accounting principles and data consolidation for the compilation of FSIs for deposit takers; and Overview of key points and changes in the 2019 FSI Guide.
Organizer(s): UNCTAD International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals UN CCDRR Esri PVBLIC Foundation
Description: At the mid-point of the time foreseen for enacting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, there is an urgent need for more timely information for measuring the progress achieved so far and identifying the main bottlenecks and areas lagging behind. The COVID-19 crisis put in clear evidence the importance of timely and granular information for monitoring trends and for guiding the policy responses. However, many SDG indicators rely on official data that still suffer from long publication delays or that is only available incompletely or with insufficient coverage. In recent years, statistical methodologies, space technologies, and online data tools, including those based on machine learning methods, satellite remote sensing images, cloud-end big data platforms, and new data sources have been applied to comprehensively address those information gaps. UNCTAD co-organizes an event on ways for increasing timeliness and coverage of SDG indicators at the 4th UN World Data Forum (24-27 April, Hangzhou, China).The forum will bring together 1 500 in-person and nearly 20 000 virtual participants from national statistical offices, international organizations, the geospatial community, academic organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations to showcase innovations and build impactful partnerships. The Forum is organized under the guidance of the UN Statistical Commission and the High-level Group for Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in close consultation with UN Member States and international partners. This session will highlight some recent examples of the works utilizing statistical methods and earth observation data in relation to specific SDG indicators. Rather than focusing on technical or computational details, the panelists will highlight the main challenges faced when applying their methods/utilities, as well as solutions and lessons learned that could help other actors to continue improving timeliness of SDG indicators at the national and international levels. Daniel Hopp, Statistician at UNCTAD, will present innovative methods of nowcasting using artificial intelligence. Daniel Hopp has a strongexperience in data ecosystems, machine learning, and programming to drive innovation in the domains of trade statistics, economic forecasting, and official statistics. Seakers: * Qunli Han, Executive Director, Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) International Programme Office * Huadong Guo, Academician & Director General, International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals * Yana Gevorgyan, Secretariat Director, Group on Earth Observations (GEO) * Jianhui LI, Professor, Vice-President, CODATA of the International Science Council * Gretchen Kalonji, School of Disaster Reconstruction and Management, Sichuan University - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University * Daniel Hopp, Statistician, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) * Charles Brigham, Geographer, Esri · Stephen Keppel, President, PVBLIC Foundation
Organizer(s): UNSD UN-GGIM Ministry of Natural Resources China
Description: The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in its resolution 2022/24 entitled 'Enhancing global geospatial information management arrangements' on 22 July 2022, recognized the sustained efforts of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) to establish the United Nations Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre (UN-GGKIC) in Deqing, China to provide opportunities to develop and expand global geospatial capacity, competence and capabilities, and to strengthen geospatial information management arrangements in countries, especially developing countries. Further, ECOSOC reiterated "the importance of strengthening and enhancing the effectiveness of the Committee of Experts, particularly for the achievement of its operations focused on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework, to strengthen and ensure its continued effectiveness and benefits to all Member States." In making decision 12/101 at its twelfth session in August 2022, UN-GGIM noted the progress and efforts to finalize the modalities for the establishment of the UN-GGKIC in Deqing, China, and appreciated the involvement of the International Advisory Committees (IAC) throughout the setup process, and encouraged them to remain engaged and to regularly share progress with UN-GGIM as the Centre's operationalize their activities. The Agreement for the establishment of the UN-GGKIC in Deqing, Zhejiang Province, China and a Memorandum of Understanding on the operationalization of the UN-GGKIC were signed by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and China"s Minister for Natural Resources in a virtual ceremony on 20 May 2022. The overarching goal of the UN-GGKIC is to work towards the ambitions of implementation of the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF) set by Member States to develop capacity, promote and support the required innovation, leadership, coordination and standards to develop, strengthen, integrate and deliver national geospatial information policy, data, systems, tools, services and capabilities into their national government development policies, strategies and arrangements. The objective of the UN-GGKIC is to strengthen and advance the geospatial information management capacity development capabilities of Member States, especially developing countries, and to strengthen knowledge sharing and innovative cooperation. The modalities for operationalizing the UN-GGKIC, as provided in the Memorandum of Understanding, include a Framework Plan and the formation of a Steering Committee and an International Advisory Committee. The UN-GGKIC will develop and implement its annual programme of work in accordance with the Framework Plan. The International Advisory Committee (IAC), comprised of international geospatial experts with balanced geographical representation and diversity from UN-GGIM, will provide the required guidance and advice on the development, implementation, and review of the substantive annual programme of work of the UN-GGKIC. The First Meeting, in-person, brings together all members of the UN-GGKIC: IAC at Deqing, China. Over the three days, the UN-GGKIC: IAC is expected to substantively guide and advice the UN-GGKIC in its development of a medium term and annual programme of work in accordance with the agreed Framework Plan.
Description: The United Nations Statistics Division and the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS) are jointly organizing an international seminar on Measuring Shared Prosperity and Inclusion: Challenges and Innovative Approaches, 2-4 November 2022. The meeting aims to provide a platform for exchange of experiences in bringing innovations into the measurement of poverty and prosperity.
Description: The workshop aims to provide an update on the progress of the work to update the SNA; present the proposed outline of the 2025 SNA; discuss the guidance notes on the priority areas (communication, globalization, digitalization and well-being and sustainability) and thematic topics (financial and payments systems, informal economy and Islamic finance); and invite participating economies to participate in the experimentation and testing exercises for some guidance notes. Overseas participants who want to attend the workshop virtually should submit the online registration form by 5 pm, 31 August 2022, Beijing time.
Description: The focus of the symposium will be the inauguration of the UN Global Platform Regional Hub in Hangzhou and its cooperation with the UN Global Platform. The meeting aims to increase knowledge and skills of statistical offices in using new data source, tools and methods, and to foster collaboration among countries in the Asia-Pacific region in the use of big data for official statistics. The UN Global Platform and the UN Global Platform Regional Hub in Hangzhou serve as digital platforms enabling international and regional collaboration. The platforms enable statisticians, data scientists and other researchers from different countries and locations to work together on projects, for example satellite data to estimate crop production, the use of mobile phone data for tourism statistics and migration.
Description: The first United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress held in Deqing, Zhejiang Province, China from 19 to 21 November 2018, convened under the purview of the United Nations, substantively improved and strengthened the role of geospatial information management, innovation and related technologies towards implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to keep the promise to leave no one behind.
Topics:
Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link
Description: China is one of the project countries for the “Natural Capital Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services” (NCAVES) jointly implemented by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) in collaboration of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) with funding by the European Union. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China is leading the project nationally. Building on the SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EEA), the project will strengthen and support the national compilation of natural resource balance sheet on land, forest and water and pilot ecosystem accounting following the SEEA EEA approach in both physical and monetary terms in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guizhou Province. The project will also conduct a study of ecosystem compensation standards in Xijiang basin in Guangxi based on scenario, with an objective to fix up the ecosystem compensation standards in Xijiang basin for the reference of regional ecosystem compensation policy making. This event is organized as part of the NCAVES project funded by the European Union and as part of the project on strengthening statistical capacity development in China and other partner countries funded by the Chinese Government. The objectives of the events are to: * Explore the emerging opportunities for Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) to support national priorities in China, including the deliberations at CBD CoP 2020 * Present early highlights from China’s work on natural capital accounting * Facilitate sharing of experiences and lesson learnt from NCAVES project countries the mainstreaming and implementation of the NCA * Deepen participants understanding of the accounting principles and methodology in ecosystem accounts based on the SEEA EEA, with a focus on ecosystem valuation and scenario modelling analysis
Description: This meeting was organized in the framework of the 'Roadmap to Improve the Quality and Availability of Crime Statistics at the National and International Level' (E/CN.3/2013/11 and E/CN.3/2015/8) that was endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission and the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ). Building on the work of the "First Regional Meeting on Crime Statistics and Victimization Surveys" in Bangkok, Thailand in 2014 and the "Second Regional Meeting on Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics" in Seoul, Republic of Korea in 2016, the "Third Regional Meeting on Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics: Towards modern and efficient crime statistics systems" was held in Chengdu, P.R. China, and is the latest regional collaboration in the field of crime and criminal justice statistics. The meeting brought together national experts of the Asia and the Pacific region to review recent progress on crime and criminal justice statistics and identify ways to improve data quality and availability in the region, specifically related to reporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators, supporting responses to the UN-Crime Trends Survey (UN-CTS) and implementation assistance for the International Classification of Crimes for Statistical Purposes (ICCS).
Topics:
Original webpage was deleted, archived version from the Internet Archive (not a UN service): Link
Organizer(s): UNSD Ministry of Natural Resources China
Description: The Deqing International Workshop and Seminar on United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management, with the theme “The Data Ecosystem for Sustainable Developmentâ€, provided a forum for participants to discuss and exchange information, experiences and knowledge on available integrative technologies and processes to bring together data from multiple sources, collected for differing uses to deliver information and evidence on interactions and relationships between people, place, events and activities. The workshop and seminar deliberated key motivations, features and considerations for a data ecosystem for sustainable development that delivers the evidence on 'where' people interact with their place and environments, events and activities (including economic activities), and to deliver timely and reliable information necessary for citizens, businesses, organizations and governments to build accountable actions and evidenced-based decisions. The United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management Section, Statistics Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in collaboration with the Government of China through the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Zhejiang Provincial Government, jointly organized the Deqing International Workshop and Seminar with the support of the Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Asia and the Pacific (UN-GGIM-AP) and the Deqing County Government.
Description: The symposium aims to increase the knowledge and skills of statistical offices in using new data source, tools and methods, and to foster collaboration among countries in the Asian-Pacific region in the use of Big Data for official statistics. The symposium will give an overview on the work of the GWG and its Task Teams. Special attention will be devoted to the UN Global Platform as a digital platform enabling international and regional collaboration. This platform enables statisticians, data scientists and other researchers from different countries and locations to work together on projects involving, for example, satellite data to estimate crop production. The UN-China Centre on Big Data is being set up as a regional hub of the UN Global Platform, giving countries in Asia a better opportunity to advance the work on Big Data. This Centre will be useful to initiate and execute innovative data projects. The Centre will also serve as a training institute to develop new skills for staff of national statistical offices. Participants at the symposium will be statisticians from national statistical offices in Asia as well as resource persons from national and international statistical agencies as well as from private sector and other stakeholder groups.
Description: This High-Level Seminar on the Future of Economic Statistics offers an opportunity to interact, exchange and learn from leading economists, statisticians and academics in the fields of economic policy, data and statistics. Bringing together economists and statisticians in debate and discussion, and thus providing the collaboration necessary between the two disciplines should ensure a robust dialogue on economic statistics that are responsive and relevant, particularly in a rapidly changing policy and data landscape. Renewed interest in economic policy and statistics has been initiated by the UN Secretary‐General, who recently requested the formation a UN network of economists, led by the UN Chief Economist, to better address the issues of sustainable development. The Seminar will seek a collaborative Asia and Pacific region response to the need for economic statistics that support evidence‐based policy making within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This response may call for a step‐change in the conceptual framework of economic statistics combining measures of economic activity on trends in technological breakthroughs, demographic and social change, urbanization, globalization and digitalization with broader measures on equitable and sustainable economic performance.
