United Nations Statistical Commission

Development data are critical for policy making and planning, and for monitoring and measuring progress towards national and global sustainable development goals. If the goal of "leaving no one behind" is to be realised, more and better-targeted funding is required for National Statistical Systems to have adequate statistical evidence to inform policies and critical interventions, and to measure progress, particularly in developing countries where statistical systems are often under-resourced and under-staffed. Following the Dubai Declaration launched at the United Nations World Data Forum 2018, which calls for an increase of financing for better data and statistics for sustainable development, there has been significant progress made by the High-level Group on Partnership, Coordination and CapacityBuilding (HLG-PCCB), as well as the Bern Network on Funding Data for Development, in developing mechanisms that can generate more funding, provide opportunities for better delivery of funds and promote mobilisation of domestic resources for data and statistics. With momentum gathering pace in the lead-up to the UN World Data Forum in October 2020, we have a significant opportunity to significantly increase and improve funding for data for development.

This event seeks to convene discussions between heads of NSOs, donors, international organisations and other key stakeholders to:

• Provide an update on the current state-of-play on financing for development data and statistics;
• Present cases where improved coordination between development partners and NSOs could be enhanced in order to ensure that additional resources are efficiently spent;
• Receive feedback from national statisticians on the progress made, and their main concerns and ideas for the way forward; and
• Pave the road to the deliberations and outcomes of the UN World Data Forum as an official 'Road to Bern' event.

Agenda

Welcome keynote 11:15 - 11:25

• Ambassador Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to UN
  

State of play of financing for development data 11:25 - 11:45

Lightning presentations by:

• Francesca Perucci, Chief, Development Data and Outreach Branch, United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD)
  Nada Hamadeh, Lead Economist and Program Manager, Development Data Group, World Bank
  Jurei Yada, Bern Network Coordination Lead, PARIS21
  Kerstin Hinds, Head, Data for Development Team, DFID

Perspectives from case studies: What works and what doesn't for funding development data and how can we achieve change? 11:45 - 12:15

Moderated panel discussion

• Panelists:
  Ariunzaya Ayush, Chair, National Statistical Office, Mongolia
  Halim Brizan, Director, Central Statistics Office, Grenada
  Ola Awad Shakhshir, President, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
  Mande Isaora Zefania Romalahy, Director-General, National Institute of Statistics, Madagascar
  
  Moderator:
  Johannes Jütting, Executive Head, PARIS21
  

Way forward to UNWDF 2020 12:15 - 12:30

• Open discussion and concluding words by Co-Chairs: Francesca Perucci, UNSD, and Benjamin Rothen, Deputy Head of International Affairs Unit, Swiss Federal Statistical Office