United Nations Statistical Commission

Data and statistics are at the center of the full implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the fulfillment of the global ambition to leave no one behind. Development data are critical for policy making, planning and monitoring. Through the Cape Town Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development Data1 (CTGAP), the global statistical and data communities have come together to define a strategic framework to strengthen statistical capacity necessary to achieve the full scope and intent of the 2030 Agenda. The CTGAP provides a roadmap for countries to modernize their statistical systems and strengthen the impact of data for development. Improving national statistical systems however requires adequate resources and strong political commitment. Meeting the data challenges of the SDGs will require increased investments in international and national data and statistical systems.

Implementation of the CTGAP will require that national statistical offices, together with national governments, stand behind the plan of action enabling their countries to take charge of promoting the mobilization of the required resources. But the strengthening of the statistical systems does not happen in a vacuum, and it is essential that all key donors, data communities and international agencies work closely together with the NSOs and related systems to secure broad support for statistical capacity development. This Forum builds on on-going discussions around financing for data and statistics.

The recent costing exercise carried out by Rachael Calleja and Andrew Rogerson for the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21) calls for the doubling of ODA towards statistics and development data, from the current 0.33% share of ODA to about 0.7%. While significant, filling this gap might be possible through increased and coordinated efforts using actions varying from increasing domestic resource allocations to innovative approaches to make better use of existing funds. The Statistical Commission’s High-level Group for Partnership, Coordination and Capacity-building has been working together with partners, such as PARIS21 and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), to support the CTGAP priorities and connect with stakeholders and donors to inspire coordinated actions that could fill the existing gap in capacity and funds. Recent meetings on financing for data and statistics have provided opportunities to donors and statisticians to come together to discuss priorities and coordination for more and better data and its financing.

To meet these data challenges, the Dubai Declaration, announced at the UN World Data Forum in October 2018, calls for "The establishment of an innovative funding mechanism, open to all stakeholders under UN membership oversight, that is able to respond in a fast and efficient manner to the priorities of national data and statistical systems, with a goal to mobilize both domestic and international funds and activate partnerships and funding opportunities to strengthen the capacity of national data and statistical systems. The funding mechanism, entirely demand-driven, will be created under the mandate of the UN Statistical Commission and operate under the guidance of representatives of national statistical systems and different data and donor communities who will support the decision making on the operational modalities and on raising resources to address the data needs for the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and will be serviced by a Secretariat located at an international institution with global membership."

Bridging the financing for development community and the statistical world is essential to continue the dialogue on how to address financing of the priorities of the CTGAP. Strengthening national data and statistical systems in a timely and efficient manner is essential to producing statistical evidence needed to monitor the progress towards achieving the SDGs. In this Forum, the keynote address will outline the needs and plans for a financing mechanism. Experts from the donor community, together with statisticians, will discuss global policy and advocacy, domestic resource mobilization, the evolving role of donors and innovative ideas to support more and better financing for data and statistics to improve the delivery and coordination of aid, under the scope of the CTGAP and the Statistical Commission.

Proposed Agenda



1. Moderator: Mr. Rajesh Mirchandani, UN Foundation
2. Keynote: Financing for data and statistics - Mr. Jørgen Elmeskov, Statistics Denmark


3. Panel 1

   Through a guided discussion, panelists will share their experience on global policy and advocacy on financing and share what works and where changes are needed to address the funding gap for more and better financing for data and statistics.

4. H.E. Ms. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Permanent Mission of Ghana to the UN (tbc)
5. H.E. Mr. Jürg Lauber, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN
6. Ms. Shari Spiegel, Financing for Sustainable Development Division, DESA
7. Ms. Mayumi Endo, Development Co-operation Directorate, OECD


8. Panel 2

   Reflecting on the first panel, the second panel will discuss domestic resource mobilization, the evolving role of donors and innovative ideas to support more and better financing for data and statistics, under the scope of the CTGAP and the Statistical Commission.

9. Ms. Malaefono Taua-Faasalaina, Samoa Bureau of Statistics
10. Mr. Zachary Mwangi, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and Chair of the UN Statistical Commission
11. Ms. Sarah Lucas, Hewlett Foundation
12. Mr. Arun Thangaraj, Global Affairs Canada
13. Mr. Stefan Andersson, Statistics Sweden


14. Concluding remark and the way forward
15. Mr. Julio Santaella, National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI)
16. Mr. Stefan Schweinfest, UNSD