2 February 1993

2nd plenary meeting

Establishment of a Statistical Committee within the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

The Economic and Social Council,

Realizing the importance of coordinating statistical work at the regional level and of standardizing statistical methods and concepts in accordance with the circumstances and potential of the countries of the region covered by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and their economic and social development requirements, which induced other United Nations regional commissions to establish standing statistical committees to undertake the coordination of statistical work in their regions,

Aware of the necessity of supporting the participation of the statistical organizations of States members of the Commission in planning and developing statistical activities and in identifying the priority of statistical plans and programmes in the regions,

Aware also of the need to strengthen coordination and integration with regard to statistical policies, programmes and activities between regional Arab organizations and the Commission, with a view to meeting the needs and requirements of statistical organizations in member States and to developing those organizations in order to achieve the economic and social development goals of the countries of the region,

Noting that the meetings of heads of central statistical organizations of the States members of the Commission, held in 1985, 1987 and 1989, have proved effective in directing, coordinating and evaluating the statistical programmes of the Commission and in associating them with the statistical programmes and activities of regional Arab organizations and of member States,

Stressing the need for the meetings of heads of central statistical organizations of the States members of the Commission to assume a permanent institutional form,

1. Decides to establish a Statistical Committee comprising representatives of the central statistical organizations of the States members of the Commission to undertake the following activities:

(a) To familiarize itself with the statistical activities of the States members of the Commission and to follow up the progress made in those countries in the development of their statistical programmes, drawing up recommendations regarding the status, implementation and evaluation of programmes of statistical work and organizing symposiums, workshops and seminars related to statistics;

(b) To study international statistical systems, classifications and projects, adapting them to suit the conditions and priorities of the countries of the region;

(c) To provide advice on the statistical training requirements of the States members of the Commission, proposing training programmes in coordination with appropriate regional institutions as needed;

(d) To standardize national statistics to make them more comparable at regional and international levels, taking into consideration relevant recommendations of the United Nations Statistical Commission and other appropriate bodies;

(e) To coordinate the exchange of statistical data and information between the Commission and its member States for the benefit of all concerned;

(f) To coordinate the statistical programmes of the States members of the Commission, in particular in matters relating to statistical surveys and censuses and dates of implementation;

2. Recommends that the Statistical Committee of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia meet biennially;

3. Calls upon the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia to follow up the present resolution and to submit to the Commission at its seventeenth session a report on the achievements of the Statistical Committee.