UNCEISC meeting 2025
Overview
The annual meeting of the UN Committee of Experts on International Statistical Classifications will be held virtually on 4, 6, and 12 November 2025, from 6:00 to 9:00 am (EST).
The Committee is the central coordination body established by the United Nations Statistical Commission for the work on international statistical classifications that are the responsibility of the United Nations Statistics Division, and for the coordination and review of other international statistical classifications that are the responsibility of other international organizations and that have been proposed for adoption by the Statistical Commission. The Committee works towards ensuring harmonization and convergence in the development of the classifications within the International Family of Statistical Classifications and the adoption of best practices.
The meeting will review the Committee's progress of work, discuss its work plan, and its follow-up actions to the decisions of the 56th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission on international statistical classifications. Key agenda items include the finalization of the following classifications: The Standard International Energy Product Classification Version 2.0, the Classification of Statistical Activities Version 2.1, the Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification 2026, the International Statistical Classification on Alternative Care of Children and the International Classification of Dying Places. The meeting will also review the progress of work of the Committee's task teams and discuss other ongoing developments in the field.
Programme
▼Day 1 - Tuesday, 04 November 2025
6:00 am - 6:10 am
Session 1. Opening remarks
- • Shantanu Mukherjee, Acting Director, UNSD
- • Andrew Hancock, Statistics New Zealand and Chair of the Committee of Experts on International Statistical Classification (UNCEISC)
6:10 am - 6:50 am
Session 2. Revision of the Standard International Classification of Energy Products (for decision)
The 56th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission recommended the submission of the revised Standard International Energy Product Classification (SIEC) at its 57th session in 2026. This session will review the draft SIEC Version 2.0 structure submitted for endorsement.
Presentations and discussion
- • Update on the SIEC revision and results of the global consultation process (Vincent Russo, US BLS, Chair of TT-SIEC)
- • Outcome of the review of the SIEC Ver. 2.0 structure (Franklin Assoumou Ndong, Statistics Canada)
- • Discussion and decision
Background documents
6:50 am - 7:20 am
Session 3. Revision of the Classification of Functions of Government (for information)
The session will provide an update on the revision of the Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG) and the outcome of the global consultation on the list of issues for the revision of COFOG.
Presentation
- • Update on the COFOG revision (Tom Orford, UK HM Treasury, Chair of TT-COFOG)
Background documents
7:20 am - 7:30 am
Coffee break
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Session 4. Update on the Revision of the Extended Balance of Payments Services classification and other trade-related classifications (for decision)
The session will review the draft Extended Balance of Payments Services classification (EBOPS) 2026 submitted to the Committee for endorsement. It will provide an update on the emerging developments on other trade-related classifications, mainly focused on the Standard International Trade Classification.
Presentations and discussion
- • Extended Balance of Payments (EBOPS) 2026 (Nancy Snyder, UNSD)
- • Outcome of the review of the EBOPS 2026 (Tom Orford, UK HM Treasury)
- • Discussion and decision
- • Update on the other trade-related classifications (Markie Muryawan, UNSD)
Background documents
- 📄 2026 Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification (Annexes to the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2026)
- 📄 Review of the Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification (EBOPS) 2026
- 📄 Revision of the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC, Rev. 4) - concept note
▼Day 2 - Thursday, 06 November 2025
6:00 am - 6:10 am
Session 5. Summary of the 1st day
6:10 am - 6:40 am
Session 6. Revision of the Classification of Statistical Activities (for decision)
The 56th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission approved the initiation of a limited update of Version 2.0 of the Classification of Statistical Activities (CSA) to consider a stand-alone food security and nutrition domain. This session will review draft CSA Version 2.1 submitted to the Committee for endorsement.
Presentations and discussion
- • CSA update and results of the global consultation process (Zhiyuan Qian, UNSD)
- • Outcome of the review of CSA Ver. 2.1 (Vincent Russo, US BLS)
- • Discussion and decision
6:40 am - 7:10 am
Session 7. International Classification of Alternative Care for Children (for decision)
The session will review the draft International Classification of Alternative Care for Children submitted to the Committee for endorsement.
Presentations and discussion
- • Overview of the International Classification of Alternative Care for Children (Claudia Cappa, UNICEF)
- • Outcome of the review of the International Classification of Alternative Care for Children (Andrew Hancock, Statistics New Zealand)
- • Discussion and decision
7:10 am - 7:20 am
Coffee break
7:20 am - 7:50 am
Session 8. International Classification of Dying Places (for decision)
The session will review the draft International Classification of Dying Places being submitted to the Committee for endorsement.
Presentations and discussion
- • Overview of the International Classification of Dying Places (Barbara Gomes, University of Coimbra)
- • Outcome of the review of the International Classification of Dying Places (Andrew Hancock, Statistics New Zealand)
- • Discussion and decision
7:50 am - 8:30 am
Session 9. Update on the revision of the International Standard Classification of Education and the International Standard Classification of Occupation (for information)
The session will provide an update on the revision of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) and the International Standard Classification of Occupation (ISCO).
Presentations
- • Update on the ISCED revision (Olivier Labe, UIS)
- • Overview of the progress of work on the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08) revision (Lara Badre, ILO)
▼Day 3 - Wednesday, 12 November 2025
6:00 am - 6:10 am
Session 10. Summary of the 2nd day
6:10 am - 6:40 am
Session 11. Standing Task Team on the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) and Central Product Classification (CPC) (for information)
The session will review the progress of work of the Standing Task Team on ISIC and CPC and discuss emerging topics in this area, including the completion work on the already adopted ISIC Rev.5 and CPC Ver. 3.0 and the finalization of the initial list of the items on the research agenda.
Presentation
- • Update on the progress of work of the Standing Task Team on ISIC and CPC (Grant Arnold, ABS, Chair of STT-ISIC-CPC)
6:40 am - 7:10 am
Session 12. Regional initiatives on classifications (for information)
The session will discuss capacity development efforts undertaken by international/regional organizations to support the implementation and maintenance of international statistical classifications.
Presentations
- • Overview of ECLAC's Regional Survey on International Statistical Classifications (Maria Alejandra Ovalle, ECLAC)
- • Specialized Technical Group on Classification in Africa (Ali Yedan, ECA)
7:10 am - 7:20 am
Coffee break
7:20 am - 7:40 am
Session 13. International Macroeconomic Statistical Standards (for information)
This session will present an initial proposal for maintaining and updating International Macroeconomic Statistical Standards, covering the System of National Accounts, Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, Government Finance Statistics Manual, Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual, System of Environmental and Economic Accounting - Central Framework, System of Environmental and Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounts, International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, Central Product Classification and Price Index Manuals.
Presentation
7:40 am - 8:00 am
Session 14. Task Team on Best Practices and International Family of Classifications (for information)
This session will review the progress of the work of the Task Team on Best Practices and International Family of Classifications, with focus on the maintenance of International Family of Classifications.
Presentation
- • Update on the progress of work of the Task Team on Best Practices and International Family of Classifications (Andrew Hancock, Statistics New Zealand and Chair of TT-BPaIFC)
8:00 am - 8:20 am
Session 15. Linked Open Data and International Statistical Classifications (for information)
This session will present the ongoing collaboration effort by the classification community in promoting the publication of statistical classifications in linked open data format.
Presentation
- • Link open data and statistical classifications - Caliper pilot (Carola Fabi and Caterina Caracciolo, FAO; and Luis Gerardo Gonzalez Morales, UNSD)
8:20 am - 8:30 am
Session 16. Closing remarks
- • Matthias Reister, OIC Economic Statistics Branch, UNSD
- • Andrew Hancock, Statistics New Zealand and Chair of the Committee of Experts on International Statistical Classification