Regional Workshop on International Statistical Classifications
- Santiago, Chile
- 20 - 22 May 2025
Overview
UNSD and ECLAC are jointly organizing this regional workshop on International Statistical Classifications for countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region in Santiago, Chile, on 20-22 May 2025, with the aim to help participants acquire knowledge and skills to deepen their understanding on the principles and methodology on international classifications.
The workshop will review international recommendations and standards on statistical classifications, with a focus on the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC, Rev. 5) and the Central Product Classification (CPC Ver. 3.0). It will provide guidance on implementation strategies and address challenges faced by countries in the region. Additionally, the workshop aims to create a platform that encourages participants to engage in peer learning and share country experiences in the adoption and use of statistical classifications. Participants will be able to share knowledge with other national statistical authorities on recently published international guidelines on statistical classifications and discuss regional priorities for future development.
Programme
Day 1 - Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Welcome and Introduction
9:00am – 9:30am
- ▪ Registration
9:30am – 10:00am
- ▪ Opening remarks by ECLAC (Xavier Mancero)
- ▪ Roundtable Introductions
Session 1: Introduction to Classifications
10:00am – 10:45am
- ▪ Presentation 1.1: Introduction to UNCEISC (Andrew Hancock)
- ▪ Presentation 1.2: Overview of ECLAC regional survey concerning statistical classifications (Alejandra Ovalle, ECLAC)
Break and Group photo (10:45am – 11:15am)
Session 2: International Standard Industrial Classification, Revision 5 (ISIC Rev. 5)
11:15am – 12:30pm
- ▪ Presentation 2.1: Introduction to ISIC, Rev. 5 (Julian Chow, UNSD)
- ▪ Presentation 2.2: Practical cases on classifying activities on selected industries in ISIC Rev.5
- • Outsourcing and Factoryless Goods Producers (FGP) (Claude Macchi, Eurostat)
- • Section C – Manufacturing (Claude Macchi, Eurostat)
- • Section G – Wholesale and retail trade & Intermediation service activities (Pedro Farinas, UNSD)
- • Sections J and K (Andrew Hancock)
- • Section L – Finance and insurance (Andrew Hancock)
Lunch break (12:30pm – 2:00pm)
Session 3: Implementation of ISIC, Rev. 5
2:00pm – 3:15pm
- ▪ Presentation 3.1: ISIC Rev.5 implementation plan (Julian Chow, UNSD)
- ▪ Presentation 3.2: Implementation of ISIC, Rev. 5 in Statistical Business Registers and Backcasting (Claude Macchi, Eurostat)
- ▪ Presentation 3.3: Regional Experience – development of NACE Rev. 2.1 (Claude Macchi, Eurostat)
- ▪ Presentation 3.4: Mexico - Country Experience in the Development and Use of the North American Industrial Classification System (SCIAN)
- ▪ Presentation 3.5: Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) (Andrew Hancock, New Zealand)
- ▪ Open discussion
Break (3:15pm – 3:30pm)
Session 4: Use of ISIC, Rev. 5
3:30pm – 4:45pm
- ▪ Presentation 4.1: Survey to regional countries to gather insights on the current status and use of ISIC (Alejandra Ovalle, ECLAC)
- ▪ Presentation 4.2: Costa Rica - Implementation of ISIC Rev. 5 in the Business and Establishment Directory
- ▪ Presentation 4.3: Uruguay - Implementation and use of ISIC Rev. 4
- ▪ Presentation 4.4: Brazil - National Classification of Economic Activities – CNAE
- ▪ Presentation 4.5: Argentina – development and use of industry classification
- ▪ Presentation 4.6: Paraguay - Update/Adaptation of economic activity classifiers based on ISIC Rev. 5
- ▪ Presentation 4.7: Peru - International Standard Industrial Classification Rev.5
- ▪ Presentation 4.8: St. Lucia – Country experience with ISIC
- ▪ Presentation 4.9: Colombia - Adaptation process of ISIC Rev. 5
- ▪ Presentation 4.10: Chile - Country Experience - ISIC
Session 5: Roundtable Discussion
4:45pm – 5:00pm
- ▪ Roundtable discussion (led by Andrew Hancock):
- • Current status & use of industry classifications in countries
- • Challenges faced & solutions discovered
Day 2 - Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Summary of discussion on Day 1
9:30am – 9:40am
- ▪ Brief summary on the outcome of Day 1 discussions (Andrew Hancock)
Session 6: Central Product Classification, Version 3.0 (CPC Ver. 3.0)
9:40am – 11:00am
- ▪ Presentation 6.1: Survey to regional countries to gather insights on the current status and use of CPC (Alejandra Ovalle, ECLAC)
- ▪ Presentation 6.2: Introduction to CPC Ver. 3.0 (Julian Chow, UNSD)
- • Revision process
- • Main changes compared to CPC Ver. 2.1
- • Alignment with ISIC, Rev. 5
- • Alignment with HS 2022
- • Alignment with 2025 SNA
- ▪ Presentation 6.3: More topics on CPC Ver. 3.0
- • Classification rules and principles of CPC Ver. 3.0 (Andrew Hancock)
- • Definition of Goods & Services & Treatment of Energy Products (Pedro Farinas, UNSD)
- • Practical cases on classifying products (Claude Macchi, Eurostat)
Break (11:00am – 11:15am)
Session 7: Implementation of CPC
11:15am – 12:30pm
- ▪ Presentation 7.1: Future work on CPC Ver. 3.0 (Julian Chow, UNSD)
- ▪ Presentation 7.2: New Zealand - Country experience in the development and use of product classification (Andrew Hancock)
- ▪ Presentation 7.3: Mexico - Country experience in the development and use of Mexico's 2023 SCPM product classification system
- ▪ Presentation 7.4: Development of CPA - Regional experience from the European Union (Claude Macchi, Eurostat)
- ▪ Questions and answers
Lunch break (12:30pm – 2:00pm)
Session 8: Use of CPC Ver. 3.0
2:00pm – 3:15pm
- ▪ Presentation 8.1: Overview of ECLAC regional survey concerning statistical classifications (Alejandra Ovalle, ECLAC)
- ▪ Presentation 8.2: Other product classifications related to CPC (Pedro Farinas, UNSD)
- ▪ Presentation 8.3: Brazil - Product Lists - PRODLIST
- ▪ Presentation 8.4: Ecuador - Country experience with the application of CIIU 4.1 and CPC 2.1 classifications
- ▪ Presentation 8.5: Barbados - Implementation of Central Product Classification
- ▪ Presentation 8.6: El Salvador - Adaptation of International Classifications: CIIU Rev.5, CPC Ver.3, and COICOP 2018
- ▪ Questions and answers
Break (3:15pm – 3:30pm)
Session 9: COFOG and COICOP
3:30pm – 4:15pm
- ▪ Presentation 9.1: Introduction to COFOG (Pedro Farinas, UNSD)
- ▪ Presentation 9.2: Introduction to COICOP (Julian Chow, UNSD)
- ▪ Presentation 9.3: State of Adoption of COICOP 2018 in Latin America and the Caribbean (Ernestina Perez, ECLAC)
Session 10: ECLAC Regional Update on Classifications
4:15pm – 5:00pm
- ▪ Roundtable Discussion - ECLAC Regional Experience
- • Review results of regional survey on classifications of expenditure according to purpose (Alejandra Ovalle, ECLAC)
- • Roundtable discussion (moderated by ECLAC) use of classifications in the national statistical programmes in each ECLAC country
Day 3 - Thursday, 22 May 2025
Summary of discussion on Day 2
9:30am – 9:40am
- ▪ Brief summary on the outcome of discussion of Day 2 (Julian Chow, UNSD)
Session 11: Dissemination of statistical classifications
9:40am – 10:45am
- ▪ Presentation 11.1: Overview of ECLAC regional survey concerning statistical classifications (Alejandra Ovalle, ECLAC)
- ▪ Presentation 11.2: Overview of the International Family of Classifications (Pedro Farinas, UNSD)
- ▪ Presentation 11.3: Dissemination and use of classifications – Experience in the European Union (Claude Macchi, Eurostat)
- ▪ Presentation 11.4: Paraguay - Good Practices in the Adaptation Process
- ▪ Presentation 11.5: Guatemala - Classifiers used
- ▪ Q & A
Break (10:45am – 11:00am)
Session 12: The future of classifications
11:00am – 12:00pm
- ▪ Presentation 12.1: Strategic view on the future of statistical classifications (Andrew Hancock)
- ▪ Presentation 12.2: Work plan on classifications in 2025 and beyond (Julian Chow, UNSD)
- ▪ Roundtable discussion (led by Claude Macchi)
Conclusions
12:00pm – 12:30pm
- ▪ Closing remarks (ECLAC, Andrew Hancock and Julian Chow, UNSD)
Background documents
Workshop materials and additional resources will be posted here as they become available.