Description: This TrainForTrade e-learning course on IMTS was developed and produced jointly by UNSD, UN Trade and Development, and WTO in close collaboration with the Inter-Agency Task Force on International Trade Statistics. The main goals of the course are to enhance statisticians' ability to apply the most recent internationally agreed recommendations on IMTS, define best possible data sources, set up adequate (or enforce existing) collection systems, and enhance statistics compilation and production processes.
Description: Body BackgroundUNCTAD’s Trade-in-Services Statistics Information System (TiSSTAT) is an integrated platform designed to streamline and standardize the collection, validation, and analysis of trade in services data. Developed to address the challenges countries face in producing accurate and harmonized trade in services statistics, TiSSTAT facilitates improved survey design, data collection, data cleaning, and reporting. By enabling a more systematic approach to data management, TiSSTAT supports policymakers in making informed decisions that enhance the competitiveness of their economies.As part of the United Nations Development Account project “Strengthening capacity for evidence-based policymaking and the economic resilience of CARICOM” and in response to requests from countries, a TiSSTAT Playground has been developed, allowing countries to explore its environment and functionalities before making a commitment to full installation. This strategic initiative aims to ensure that countries can assess the system’s relevance, benefits, and feasibility for national implementation without requiring immediate deployment.ObjectiveThe main objective of the training is to guide participating countries through the TiSSTAT Playground, enabling them to explore its functionalities and understand how it can enhance trade in services data collection. By providing hands-on experience with the system, the training aims to help countries evaluate its relevance and potential benefits for their national statistical processes, ensuring a smooth transition to full-scale implementation.As part of its phased implementation strategy, UNCTAD has developed the TiSSTAT Playground and structured online training sessions to strengthen the capacity of countries before full-scale implementation and software deployment. This approach allows countries to familiarize themselves with the system in a controlled environment, building confidence and ensuring they are well-prepared for the transition to the full version of TiSSTAT. The explorer and online training sessions are designed to gather user feedback, refine the system based on real-world experiences, and ensure a more effective and tailored rollout.By allowing countries to explore TiSSTAT in advance, UNCTAD ensures a more effective and customized implementation strategy, maximizing the impact of the full-scale deployment. This proactive approach reflects UNCTAD’s commitment to capacity building, ensuring that national statistical systems are well-prepared for the digital transformation of trade in services statistics.
Description: Body The meeting aimed to engage countries in detailed discussions on the presentations and topics covered during the initial kickoff workshop held in Barbados on 21-22 May 2024. It was meant to ensure all participants have the opportunity to contribute and clarify outstanding points, discuss and refine the selection of priority sectors for analysis and pilot testing, review and confirm focal points for each country, address any remaining questions from the workshop, and plan next steps, including the installation of TiSSTAT, piloting activities, and scheduling the next regional events. The objective was to foster collaboration among countries, ensuring the project aligns with their development goals and priorities.
Description: Main goals of the course are to enhance the capacity of trade statisticians to apply the most recent internationally agreed recommendations as contained in the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010 (MSITS 2010); to define best possible data sources; to set up or enforce collection systems; and to strengthen statistical production processes. Furthermore, the course would raise awareness of SITS and its concepts, enhance statisticians’ capacity, and help them to better understand the MSITS 2010.
Joint UNSD and SACU Training Workshop on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS), Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange (SDMX), and Data Tools
Description: UNSD and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) jointly organized a Workshop on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS), Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange (SDMX), Structured Query Language (SQL), and Trade Data Tools. The Workshop involved 31 participants from SACU Member States’ institutions (customs offices, national statistical offices, central banks, and Ministries of Finance), 13participants from international organizations(UNSD, UNCTAD, SACU, COMESA and Office of the Resident Coordinator, United Nations -South Africa) of which 6 participated virtually. Participants shared best practices regarding the implementation of the International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Concepts and Definitions 2010 (IMTS 2010), especially for scope and coverage, issues of bilateral asymmetries, quality and data comparability, data dissemination, analyses and uses. The meeting also discussed emerging issues in merchandise trade statistics, including Digital trade, Big data, Trade by Enterprise Characteristics (TEC), and the revision of the international standards for trade statistics. Furthermore, the participants were introduced to the Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX), Structured Query Language (SQL), and the new UN Trade Data Tool (TDT). Participants acquired new knowledge and information that will be applied to improve their work and programs in international trade statistics. Furthermore, the new perspectives and information shared in this Workshop will be further reflected upon in the ongoing processes for revising the international standards for trade statistics.
Title in French: Cours d'apprentissage en ligne sur les statistiques du commerce international de marchandises
Organizer(s): UNSD UNCTAD WTO
Description: Les principaux objectifs sont de renforcer l’aptitude des statisticiens à appliquer les recommandations les plus récentes sur les SCIM, décidées au niveau international, à identifier les meilleures sources de données, à mettre en place des outils adaptés à la collecte des données et à améliorer les modalités d’élaboration des statistiques. De plus, le cours insiste sur la qualité, les métadonnées, la diffusion des statistiques ainsi que sur l’apport des SCIM à l’analyse économique et la formulation d’objectifs nationaux de politique économique.
Description: Main goals of the course are to enhance statisticians' ability to apply the most recent internationally agreed recommendations on IMTS, define best possible data sources, set up adequate (or enforce existing) collection systems, and enhance statistics compilation and production processes. The course focuses on the following topics: Conceptual Framework, Institutional Arrangement, Production and Compilation, Metadata and Quality, Dissemination and Analysis and New Areas of Work. Furthermore, the course emphasizes the importance of quality, metadata, timely dissemination, and links to economic analysis and national policy objectives.
Description: Within the framework of its Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC will organise a Training Course on ‘International Trade Statistics’ in collaboration with Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics (AITRS) for the benefit of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) of OIC countries on 13-15 September 2022 through an online video conferencing platform. Mr. Husam KHALIFA, Director, Foreign Trade Statistics Department of Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) will conduct the course and cover the following topics: Classifications and Correspondence tables Trade systems Data sources in merchandise trade Linking trade with business statistics Data dissemination The SESRIC StatCaB Programme was initiated in early 2007. It is the flagship capacity development programme of SESRIC. Within the framework of StatCaB Programme, the Centre collects information from the NSOs of OIC member countries through the biennial StatCaB Questionnaire, assesses their statistical training needs and capacities, matches these needs and capacities, and organizes statistical capacity development activities between the beneficiary and provider countries. For more information on SESRIC Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, please visit: http://www.oicstatcom.org/statcab.php
Description: التجارة الدولية هي تبادل رأس المال والسلع والخدمات عبر الحدود أو الأراضي الدولية بسبب الحاجة إلى السلع أو الخدمات. في معظم البلدان ، تمثل التجارة الدولية حصة كبيرة من الناتج المحلي الإجمالي (GDP) وتزداد أهميتها في المجالات الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والسياسية في العقود الأخيرة. تم اعتماد نظامين تجاريين في تجميع التجارة في السلع ، ونظام التجارة العامة ، ونظام التجارة الخاصة ، مع ملاحظة أن معظم البلدان تطبق نظام التجارة العام. يتم استخدام رمز السلع المنسقة ونظام الوصف (HS) على نطاق واسع من قبل مجمعي التجارة الخارجية في تصنيف السلع وكذلك في معاقبة مؤشرات التجارة. من ناحية أخرى ، ميزان المدفوعات (BOP) هو الطريقة التي تستخدمها البلدان لمراقبة جميع المعاملات النقدية الدولية في فترة محددة. عادة ، يتم حساب ميزان المدفوعات كل ربع سنة وكل سنة تقويمية. يتم احتساب جميع الصفقات التي يتم إجراؤها من قبل كل من القطاعين العام والخاص في ميزان المدفوعات لتحديد مقدار الأموال التي تدخل وتخرج من بلد ما. نظرًا لأن صياغة السياسات الوطنية السليمة المتعلقة بالتجارة تعتمد على بيانات عالية الجودة ، فإن إحصاءات التجارة هي من بين أكثر الإحصاءات تطورًا وتداولًا في مجتمع الإحصاءات الرسمية. ومع ذلك ، فإن ضمان قابلية هذه المؤشرات للمقارنة بين البلدان يتطلب نهجًا شاملاً ومنهجيًا لجمع وتصنيف وتجميع ومعالجة ونشر إحصاءات التجارة الدولية في السلع وميزان ميزان المدفوعات. وتهدف الورشة الى : أبرز المفاهيم والمصطلحات استعراض لأهم أرقام التجارة الدولية في العالم مصادر بيانات إحصاءات التجارة الدولية السلع التي يتم إدراجها/ استثناءها في إحصاءات التجارة الدولية نظم التجارة التصنيفات وجداول الربط توصيات IMTS نشر البيانات تمارين المرآه الربط بين إحصاءات التجارة والأعمال
Title in French: Cours d'apprentissage en ligne TrainForTrade sur les statistiques du commerce international de marchandises, Organisé conjointement par la DSNU et la CNUCED en coopération avec l'OMC
Organizer(s): UNSD UNCTAD WTO
Description: Les principaux objectifs sont de renforcer l’aptitude des statisticiens à appliquer les recommandations les plus récentes sur les SCIM, décidées au niveau international, à identifier les meilleures sources de données, à mettre en place des outils adaptés à la collecte des données et à améliorer les modalités d’élaboration des statistiques. De plus, le cours insiste sur la qualité, les métadonnées, la diffusion des statistiques ainsi que sur l’apport des SCIM à l’analyse économique et la formulation d’objectifs nationaux de politique économique.
Description: This Workshop is organized jointly by the NBS of China, UNSD, and UNCTAD in cooperation with WTO, at the request of NBS, to help tackle some issues regarding the production and use of integrated international trade statistics, including digital trade and e-commerce, trade by enterprise characteristics, statistics of international trade in services by mode of Supply, foreign affiliates trade statistics (FATS, and other related economic statistics.
Description: Main goals of the course are to enhance the capacity of trade statisticians to apply the most recent internationally agreed recommendations as contained in the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010 (MSITS 2010); to define best possible data sources; to set up or enforce collection systems; and to strengthen statistical production processes. Furthermore, the course would raise awareness of SITS and its concepts, enhance statisticians’ capacity, and help them to better understand the MSITS 2010.
Title in French: Cours d'apprentissage en ligne TrainForTrade sur les statistiques du commerce international des services Organisé conjointement par la DSNU et la CNUCED en coopération avec l'OMC
Organizer(s): UNSD UNCTAD WTO
Description: L'objectif de ce cours est d’améliorer la capacité des statisticiens du commerce à appliquer les recommandations les plus récentes du Manuel des statistiques du commerce international des services 2010 (MSCIS 2010) adoptées au niveau international, de définir les meilleures sources de données possibles, de mettre en place ou appliquer des systèmes de collecte, et de renforcer les processus de production statistique.
Description: The Fourth Meeting of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Business and Trade Statistics (UNCEBTS) will take place virtually on 23-24 June and 7-8 July 2021 from 7:00am to 10:30am (NY time). The meeting will discuss follow up actions in response to the decisions of the United Nations Statistical Commission in March 2021 to initiate the revision of the trade statistics manuals and create a task team on the joint research agenda for the revision of the trade-related standards. The meeting will review the progress of work of its task teams, in particular, the progress in the identification of a principal core set of indicators for business and trade statistics and the maturity model for statistical business registers, and the future activities of the task teams for the period 2022-2023. Finally the meeting will also review new developments in business and trade statistics to ensure synergies and coherence between the workstreams of the Committee and the work undertaken by other groups of experts and organizations.
Description: Within its recently initiated Webinar Series on Statistical Experience Sharing, SESRIC will organise a webinar on ‘International Trade in Services Statistics’ on 13 April 2021 in collaboration with the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) with the participation of official statisticians working in National Statistical Offices of the OIC countries. The webinar will be conducted through a video conferencing platform by following synchronous learning and instruction approaches designed in line with the virtual training solutions undertaken by SESRIC in order to better serve the Centre’s training activities and keep participants motivated and engaged during this time of global crisis due to COVID-19. For more information on the SESRIC Statistical Experience Sharing Webinar Series, please visit: http://www.oicstatcom.org/webinar-series.php
Description: Within its recently initiated Webinar Series on Statistical Experience Sharing, SESRIC will organise a webinar on ‘International Trade in Goods Statistics’ on 6 April 2021 in collaboration with the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) with the participation of official statisticians working in National Statistical Offices of the OIC countries. The webinar will be conducted through a video conferencing platform by following synchronous learning and instruction approaches designed in line with the virtual training solutions undertaken by SESRIC in order to better serve the Centre’s training activities and keep participants motivated and engaged during this time of global crisis due to COVID-19. For more information on the SESRIC Statistical Experience Sharing Webinar Series, please visit: http://www.oicstatcom.org/webinar-series.php Documents: Concept Note (English)
Description: Main goals of the course are to enhance statisticians' ability to apply the most recent internationally agreed recommendations on IMTS, define best possible data sources, set up adequate (or enforce existing) collection systems, and enhance statistics compilation and production processes. The course focuses on the following topics: Conceptual Framework, Institutional Arrangement, Production and Compilation, Metadata and Quality, Dissemination and Analysis and New Areas of Work. Furthermore, the course emphasizes the importance of quality, metadata, timely dissemination, and links to economic analysis and national policy objectives.
Title in French: Cours d'apprentissage en ligne TrainForTrade sur les statistiques du commerce international de marchandises
Organizer(s): UNSD UNCTAD WTO
Description: Les principaux objectifs sont de renforcer l’aptitude des statisticiens à appliquer les recommandations les plus récentes sur les SCIM, décidées au niveau international, à identifier les meilleures sources de données, à mettre en place des outils adaptés à la collecte des données et à améliorer les modalités d’élaboration des statistiques. De plus, le cours insiste sur la qualité, les métadonnées, la diffusion des statistiques ainsi que sur l’apport des SCIM à l’analyse économique et la formulation d’objectifs nationaux de politique économique.
Description: UNSD in collaboration with ECLAC, WTO, UNCTAD will conduct Regional Workshop on Statistics of International Trade in Services. The workshop aims to assess implementation of SITS 2010 and at the same time to share the latest development on the measurement of Digital Trade.
Description: (9:00am Mexico City, 10:00am New York, 12:00pm Chile, 4:00pm CET) The objectives of the workshop are the following: <ul>a. advance in the implementation of the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010 (MSITS 2010) recommendations, especially with an in-depth focus on most challenging categories of Trade in Services; b. enhance capacities to produce high quality data and meet an increased demand for timely and relevant data for policy needs in the Decade of Action and era of Covid-19 pandemic; c. raise awareness of the development of a statistical conceptual framework for measuring digital trade in services; and d. build capacities of national statistical offices and other relevant agencies in the use of technology for SITS.</ul>The workshop is also an opportunity for countries to share their experiences and challenges in the compilation of SITS, especially on challenging categories.
Description: Economic globalization, advancement in technology and the emergence of Big Data present many new challenges, but also new opportunities for International Trade Statistics in goods and services. Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic has made the measurement of digital trade and e-commerce more pertinent. The objective of the workshop is to assist countries in better understanding the concepts and definitions of IMTS-2010 and its implementation, but also improve capacity in new and emerging areas. More information is available from the Workshop website.
Description: The facilitated e-learning course on Statistics of International Trade in Services aims to provide basic concepts and definitions on trade in services based on the Manuals on SITS 2010. The participants will be able to interact with facilitators during the duration of the course.
Description: The UN Committee of Experts on Business and Trade Statistics (UNCEBTS) was created by the United Nations Statistical Commission in 2018 to provide coordination and guidance for the development of business and trade statistics. The third meeting of the UNCEBTS, organized by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), will review the progress of work of the Committee’s task teams on globalization and digitalization; well-being and sustainability; exhaustive business registers; business dynamics, business demography and entrepreneurship; and capacity building (no one left behind) on statistical business registers and provide guidance on the future areas of work.
Title in French: Cours d'apprentissage en ligne TrainForTrade sur les statistiques du commerce international des services Organisé conjointement par la DSNU et la CNUCED en coopération avec l'OMC
Organizer(s): UNSD UNCTAD WTO
Description: L'objectif de ce cours est d’améliorer la capacité des statisticiens du commerce à appliquer les recommandations les plus récentes du Manuel des statistiques du commerce international des services 2010 (MSCIS 2010) adoptées au niveau international, de définir les meilleures sources de données possibles, de mettre en place ou appliquer des systèmes de collecte, et de renforcer les processus de production statistique.
Description: Main goals of the course are to enhance the capacity of trade statisticians to apply the most recent internationally agreed recommendations as contained in the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010 (MSITS 2010); to define best possible data sources; to set up or enforce collection systems; and to strengthen statistical production processes. Furthermore, the course would raise awareness of SITS and its concepts, enhance statisticians’ capacity, and help them to better understand the MSITS 2010.
Description: For IMTS compilers, data tools are required to process and verify the raw data, and for these, two distinct tools made their way into IMTS community: Eurotrace from Eurostat and PC Trade from Statistics New Zealand. To ensure that the tools are fit-for-purpose and sufficiently maintained, the meeting will bring together stakeholders to assess and reflect and to develop a plan for the future of Trade Data Tools.
Description: The African Centre for Statistics of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), jointly with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) is organizing a Capacity Building Programme on TiVA. The programme consists of a series of capacity-building activities in three phases: an e-training module, a virtual webinar, and follow-up national workshops and technical assistance. The first phase, an e-training on the measurement of TiVA, will start on 15 September and conclude on 8 October 2020 on the platform of Microsoft Teams. The purpose of the capacity building programme is to strengthen the capacity of national statistical officers to develop, produce and update national statistics used for the construction of Inter-Country Input-Output (ICIO) tables and the compilation of TiVA and Global Value Chain (GVC) indicators, in accordance with internationally recommended methodologies, so that the resulting figures can better support trade analysis and facilitate policy-making. The e-training will be organised with 4 modules, over the course of four weeks in both English and French, with below topics and contents: (a) WTO-OECD-ECA joint project description and introduction to TiVA and GVC concepts, indicators and key policy messages (b) National statistical requirements for integration into the ICIO tables (c) Construction of ICIO tables (d) The use of ICIO tables for the compilation of TiVA indicators The e-training is open for anyone interested, and the registration can be done online: https://events.uneca.org/registration/register?eventId=6a202bb3-99e7-ea11-80de-0050569360fe
Description: The UNSD in collaboration with AUC and SADC will conduct a follow-up training workshop in the area of SDMX IMTS. South Africa and Botswana will undertake codes mapping and apply it to produce SDMX IMTS.
Description: The current pandemic crisis has put great pressure on the statistical offices to continue operation and produce timely and relevant data. In light of these exceptional circumstances, the UN Committee of Experts on Business and Trade Statistics will hold a special virtual meeting on the impact of COVID-19 on business and trade statistics from 16 to 18 June 2020. The meeting will discuss the long term impact of COVID-19 sharing experiences in institutional, data and technology solutions that statistical offices have implemented to respond and adapt to new users’ needs and working environment. The meeting will provide an opportunity to collect ideas to scale up present initiatives to modernize our national and global statistical system now and post COVID-19.
Description: The webinar will present the BioTrade/DSIB “Trade and Biodiversity mechanism” being developed. It will focus on presenting the data and the information that can be extracted from it, as well as an introduction to UNCTAD’s statistics platform – UNCTADstat – on which the biodiversity trade data mechanism will be hosted. It is expected that this information will be used by BioTrade partners and other actors for the development of their activities, as well as to provide data on trade and biodiversity that could be an input for reporting in other national and international processes, including those led by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), UNCTAD and the UN system (e.g. national reports on the progress of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and CBD national biodiversity strategies and action plans).
Description: The webinar will present the BioTrade/DSIB “Trade and Biodiversity mechanism” being developed. It will focus on presenting the data and the information that can be extracted from it, as well as an introduction to UNCTAD’s statistics platform – UNCTADstat – on which the biodiversity trade data mechanism will be hosted. It is expected that this information will be used by BioTrade partners and other actors for the development of their activities, as well as to provide data on trade and biodiversity that could be an input for reporting in other national and international processes, including those led by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), UNCTAD and the UN system (e.g. national reports on the progress of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and CBD national biodiversity strategies and action plans).
Title in French: Cours de formation à distance sur les Statistiques du Commerce International des Marchandises
Organizer(s): UNSD UNCTAD WTO
Description: Ce cours de formation en ligne est destiné aux personnes impliquées dans la collecte, l’élaboration, l’analyse et la diffusion des SCIM. Il vise à les rendre mieux informées et plus autonomes dans l’utilisation de tous les documents de référence et supports de cours disponibles. Les principaux objectifs sont de renforcer l’aptitude des statisticiens à appliquer les recommandations les plus récentes sur les SCIM, décidées au niveau international, à identifier les meilleures sources de données, à mettre en place des outils adaptés à la collecte des données et à améliorer les modalités d’élaboration des statistiques. De plus, le cours insiste sur la qualité, les métadonnées, la diffusion des statistiques ainsi que sur l’apport des SCIM à l’analyse économique et la formulation d’objectifs nationaux de politique économique. Cette formation guidera les participants sur la manière d’utiliser au mieux les directives disponibles au niveau international, et en particulier de faire le meilleur usage possible du document “Statistiques du commerce international de marchandises : Concepts et définitions 2010” et du manuel “Statistiques du commerce international de marchandises : Manuel des statisticiens, Révision 1”. Le cours sera dispensé via la plateforme d'apprentissage à distance TrainForTrade. Dans cette plateforme, les participants auront accès à des manuels, des présentations multimédias, des évaluations de modules, des sondages d'opinion et des forums créés pour chaque module pour des discussions avec l'instructeur et d'autres participants. Ce cours a été conçu principalement pour les compilateurs de données commerciales; cependant, les utilisateurs des données commerciales peuvent également bénéficier du cours.
Description: The UNSD in collaboration with AUC and SADC will conduct a follow-up training workshop in the area of SDMX IMTS. South Africa and Botswana will undertake codes mapping and apply it to produce SDMX IMTS.
Description: Main goals of the course are to enhance statisticians' ability to apply the most recent internationally agreed recommendations on IMTS, define best possible data sources, set up adequate (or enforce existing) collection systems, and enhance statistics compilation and production processes. The course focuses on the following topics: Conceptual Framework, Institutional Arrangement, Production and Compilation, Metadata and Quality, Dissemination and Analysis and New Areas of Work. Furthermore, the course emphasises the importance of quality, metadata, timely dissemination, and links to economic analysis and national policy objectives. The course enhances trainees' capacity to make better use of the internationally agreed guidance, especially the IMTS Concepts and Definitions 2010 and the related Compilers Manual.
