Fifth Meeting of the United Nations Network of Economic Statisticians

7:00 am - 7:10 am

Session 1| Welcome and objectives of the meeting

• Aishath Shahuda, Co-Chair of the United Nations Network of Economic Statisticians and Deputy Chief Statistician Maldives Bureau of Statistics

7:10 am - 7:45 am

Session 2| Keynote presentation: Big data for official statistics: a perspective from prices statistics in Brazil

• Presentation: Big data for official statistics: a perspective from price statistics in Brazil
• Presenter: Vladimir Goncalves Miranda, Planning Manager, Price Indices Coordination, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics

The path towards the implementation of new data sources and techniques into the production of official statistics is not straightforward as it is influenced by factors such as the features of the source being incorporated, the application that it is aimed at, the requirements for integration with existing sources and routines, and development of new staff skills and IT infrastructure. The statistical community has been exploring and adopting the use of alternative data sources and data science techniques to improve the compilation of consumer price indices. This presentation will showcase some of the steps that the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics has taken so far in using web scraping techniques to improve the compilation of price statistics. The presentation will also discuss related initiatives aiming to promote the use of Big Data for official statistics in the Latin American and Caribbean region. These initiatives are among the activities of the UN Regional Hub for Big Data in Brazil.

Discussion: 15 minutes

7:45 am - 8:20 am

Session 3| Outcomes of the Beyond GDP Sprint 2023 - establishing an Expert Group

This session will present the plan forward to establish an Expert Group tasked with the development of a Framework for Inclusion and Sustainable Well-Being as proposed by the Network and approved at the 55th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission.

• Presentation:Proposals for the Expert Group on Wellbeing Measurement
• Presenter: Richard Heys, Deputy Chief Economist, UK ONS

• Background Document:
• •  Implementing the Expert Group on Wellbeing Measurement

Discussion (15 minutes)

8:20 am - 8:55 am

Session 4| Discussion on the implementation of the Network's work program for 2024

This session will provide the participants with an opportunity to provide comments on the approaches the Network will take in carrying out its work program for 2024, namely the two sprints on Housing and Data Strategy, as well as a potential event on the use of artificial intelligence in statistical production. Of particular interest would be the proposal to produce, as concrete outcomes from each of the two sprints, a document that would be a primer on the topic, encapsulating what had been learned and which could serve as a tool for organizations working on developing a Data Strategy or a Housing statistical framework.

• Presentation: Implementation of the Network's work program for 2024
• Presenter: André Loranger, Co-Chair of the United Nations Network of Economic Statisticians and Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada

Discussion (15 minutes)

8:55 am - 9:00 am

Session 5| Concluding remarks

• Aishath Shahuda, Co-Chair of the United Nations Network of Economic Statisticians and Deputy Chief Statistician Maldives Bureau of Statistics