IAOS 2014 Da Nang, Vietnam, from 8 to 10 October 2014

 1.Introduction  2. MEDSTAT program: Objectives and thematic coverage  3. MEDSTAT program: Outputs and benefits  4. MEDSTAT program: an evolutionary approach  5. From MEDSTAT to the Forum of Euro Mediterranean statisticians  6. Conclusion 

 Euro -Med Partnership (Barcelona Process 1995, ENP 2004, UfM 2008) to meet common challenges: enhancing dialogue on social policies, migration and security supporting economic development (free trade, energy alternative sources, transport infrastructure, sustainable development ).  Strong need of reliable, comparable and harmonized statistics for decision-making, monitoring and assessment  Development of a regional cooperation in statistics ( MEDSTAT Program ) The Context

About MEDSTAT program  3 phases: MI ( ), MII ( ), MIII ( )  The program was financed by EC & managed by an external contractor  Eurostat ensured the technical support & the follow up of the implementation of the activities  MED Partner countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia (Turkey, Cyprus and Malta were only concerned by MI)  Even if the partners are the representatives of the NSOs, the activities concerned the whole national statistical systems 

MEDSTAT: Objectives & thematic coverage  Main objective : strengthening the statistical capacity of the southern Mediterranean countries to produce and disseminate harmonized and comparable data.  Sectoral themes : Agriculture, energy, migration, social statistics, transport, external trade, tourism, environment and national accounts.  Horizontal themes : training courses, quality, publication dissemination

MEDSTAT program: Outputs and benefits  Visible Progress has been made in terms of production, availability, quality and comparability of statistics Harmonization process Regional & national publications MEDSTAT Sharing of best practices Common tools Promotion of emerging issues Regular exchage of data Regional network of statisticians Improvement of methodologies

Outputs & Benefits: Harmonization process Outputs & Benefits: Harmonization process  Ex 1: the countries agreed on a list of harmonized social indicators that have been published under Medstat III.  Ex 2: Development of performance indicators related to the sectors Energy & Transport. The performance indicators on transport were recently published and very welcomed by different users  Ex 3 : Support for implementing new standards & classification (trade, transport, energy..).  Ex 4: Mirror exercise on external trade

Outputs & Benefits: Improvement of methodologies Outputs & Benefits: Improvement of methodologies Ex1 on Energy Sector  As visible output, the elaboration of Energy balances in Mediterranean countries according to international standards.  Assistance for development of the methodology for a surveys on energy consumption Ex 2 on Transport sector  Technical assistance for development of a reflection on intermodal transport Ex 3 on Trade sector  Assistance for producing statistics on trade of services

Outputs & Benefits: Common statistical tools Outputs & Benefits: Common statistical tools  As concrete output, the design of the “harmonized Household Surveys to measure international migration ( MED-HIMS ) ◦ Large consultation (EC, international & regional organisations & PPM) ◦ Development of 7 questionnaires ◦ Development of a related manuals ◦ sampling, processing and tabulation ◦ Contribution of EU and MED experts ◦ Mobilisation of funds for the implementation of the surveys ◦ The surveys have been implemented in Palestine, Jordan & Egypt ◦ Will be conducted in Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia & Algeria.

Other Outputs & Benefits: Other Outputs & Benefits:  Regular training courses (ToT, e learning)  Strengthen of national coordination  Experts networking  Data collection and Visibility (quality & availability of data, MoU)  Users-producers relationship: “Regional guidelines for users-producers dialogue”  Quality assurance framework for the MED NSOs (Adapted CoP)

MEDSTAT program: an evolutionary approach MEDSTAT program: an evolutionary approach  Through the three phases of the MEDSTAT program, the “concept” of this regional cooperation has changed both in terms of content and management: ◦ Regular review of the thematic priorities according to the evolution of the needs (users producers relationship, quality issues) ◦ The evolution of the approach to ensure the ownership of the practices by PPM ◦ New orientations to focus on concrete outputs directly linked to more available data with a good quality. ◦ More & more involvement of the countries in the implementation of the activities / Enhancing the mobilization of MED experts ◦ Promotion of south/south cooperation The progressive evolution of the status of MED countries from “Beneficiaries "to “partners ”.

From MEDSTAT to the Forum of Euro Mediterranean statisticians From MEDSTAT to the Forum of Euro Mediterranean statisticians  Given the following findings: ◦ the value added of this regional cooperation has been proved and recognized by all partners ◦ even if visible progress has been accomplished, the needs of improvement and development are still important for the MED statistical systems ◦ It’s worth consolidating what has been achieved ◦ needs of data are growing up and the challenge for statisticians to accompany the demands is stronger ◦ The need of statistical cooperation in both national & regional level ◦ the willingness and commitment of different partner to continue working together It’s strongly needed to move towards a sustainable way of cooperation

From MEDSTAT to the Forum of Euro Mediterranean statisticians From MEDSTAT to the Forum of Euro Mediterranean statisticians  A new reflection has been launched under M III to progressively move towards a reshaped regional cooperation based on : ◦ a mutually beneficial partnership in statistics ◦ an active role of all the partners in both the design of the common orientations, the management and implementation of the joint work programs ◦ establishment of a long term, achievable, adaptable and mutually beneficial framework for serving the interest of all involved

14 Expert group Initial findings 2011 DC Istanbul April 2011 Discussion of the scooping study DC Lux Nov 2011 Endorsement & discussion of structures Finalisation of the ToR DC Athenes June2012 1st forum May nd Forum Brux Oct 2013 Adoption of all ToR 3rd Forum LUX October 2013

Objective 1 Improving statistical production Objective 2 Strengthening the technical and managerial capacity of HR of the NSS Objective 3 Empowering the users Objective 4 Establishing a LT framework for the cooperation Sectoral: employment, migration, energy, transport, trade, business register horizontal sectors :quality and training Selected areas

From MEDSTAT to the Forum of Euro Mediterranean statisticians From MEDSTAT to the Forum of Euro Mediterranean statisticians The Why?  Two years forum of EU MED Statisticians (Orientation – Monitoring & validation)  Support cell (secretariat) in Eurostat (Follow-up of the implementation of the activities)  Thematic working groups  Mecanisms of coordination (Chairs, NCs, PNCs)  Tool: knowledge plateforme( repository & archiving materials developped & communication )

Forum of Euro Mediterranean statisticians What has been done :  Forum of EU MED Statisticians : 3 sessions so far o Co- charing by Eurostat & Lebanon o Validation of the different structures & sectoral concept notes o Validation of the Working programmes ( Business register, Employment Energy Migration,Trade, Transport, Training ) o Elaboration of an adapted regional COP  Continuation of the activities after the end of MIII (Eurostat)  WGs are leaded by MED countries (except quality WG)

 successful practices were built under the regional program on statistics (MEDSTAT)  The value added of this regional approach was recognized by all partners  This cooperation platform couldn’t replace the bilateral tools that target specific development  An adequate articulation between the two tools would be efficient for the development of statistical systems in the region.  The development of a strategy for a sustainable regional cooperation is a decisive step reflecting the commitment of all partners to move towards a real partnership.

T HANK YOU Hasnae FDHIL