1. Activities implemented in the field of Statistics
Item 4 of the Provisional Agenda

2. Coordination & partnership
Statistics related activities of ESCWA
better data for better evidence-based policymaking
Guidelines Handbooks
Capacity Development
Publications
Database
Data collection
& publishing
Improved data production
Training workshops
Data Portal
E-Learning
Knowledge of national data
Advisory services
Data sharing
Increased impact
South-South cooperation
Coordination & partnership
Regional RCM
Global CCSA
National UNCTs

3. Budget sources Work programme
A coherent work programme
funded from different sources – focused on one goal
Budget sources
RB 22
Economic and Social Dvlp. in Western Asia
Work programme
Capacity Development
Data production
Coordination
RB 23
Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation
RB 36
Development Account XB
Extrabudgetary projects (e.g. ICP, …)

4. Activities implemented in the field of Statistics
Follow up to recommendations made by the Stat. Committee
Item 4(a) of the Provisional Agenda

5. Addressed to the member states: 22 Addressed to the Secretariat: 12
E/ESCWA/C.1/2019/3(Part I)
Recommendations – 12th session of the Stat. Committee
Addressed to the member states: 22
Addressed to the Secretariat: 12

6. (a) Provide support to member states in statistics on refugees and IDPs
Contributing to the “International Recommendations on Refugee Statistics”
Working with UNHCR on recommendation for statistics on IDPs
Signing an MoU with UNRWA on assessing the completion of birth and death registration records

7. (b) Build capacity of countries to implement the 2020 World Population and Housing Census Programme
Regional meeting on technology use and on census planning in countries that did not conduct the 2010 round
Two studies on alternative methodologies in censuses and emerging methods to disseminate census results
Updated website on censues in the Arab region
Technical support (advisory missions)
Workshops on planning censuses in countries that face implementation difficulties & transfer of experience among countries

8. (c) Build capacity in 2008 SNA – SUTs, improving GDP estimates, household surveys
Estimating expenditure through the Model Report on Expenditure Statistics (MORES)
Seminar on SUTs
Regional workshop for validating the time series of national accounts data
Twinning projects to develop supply and use tables

9. (d) Continue updating and developing price statistics
CPI – quarterly inflation monitor
Improved dissemination of inflation rates (using Power BI)
Initiative to produce annual PPPs – combination and extrapolation and real data collection for “non ICP years”
Harmonised ICP, harmonising ICP and PPPs data collection – national and sub-regional levels
Implementing national projects on sub-national PPPs

10. (e) Strengthen partnerships
With LAS: meetings and research material on quarterly SNA
Joint workshops with AITRS, UNSD, SESRIC, AMF
Improving SEEA and environment stats. including geospatial data with UNSD, UNEP, EEA, LAS, AITRS, Uni-Malaga
Improving disability statistics with the Washington Group and other partners
Joint meetings/workshops on gender statistics with UNSD, WHO, UN-Women, FAO, ILO
Contributing to the regional WG on employment statistics

11. (f) Support in economic statistics infrastructure, trade in services statistics & use of business registers
National and regional workshops on international trade in services – with WTO, UNCTAD, AMF, UNSD
A study aimed at familiarising experts in NSOs with statistical business registers – aspects of legislation, coordination, linkages, etc.

12. (g) Arab framework of SDG indicators
Preparing the first draft of the Arab framework - assessment of data availability
Preparing a draft framework for disability statistics
Preparing an implementation framework for the environment dimension

13. (h) Regional Action Plan
Developing the Arab Regional Action Plan for Sustainable Development Data with its six strategic areas. E/ESCWA/C.1/2019/5-E/ESCWA/EC.5/2018/6/Rev.1 E/ESCWA/C.1/2019/5

14. (i) Official websites of NSOs for obtaining data
Updating ESCWA statistical database from national sources
Publishing gender statistics booklet based on national data
“Arab disability statistics in numbers 2017” from national data
Assessing availability of national data for the SDG indicators framework (Tier I and Tier II)
“Arab Society: A compendium of social statistics 2017” based on national data

15. (j) Support countries in SDG related statistics on environment and natural resources
E-training session on the Central Framework of SEEA
Workshop on contemporary approaches to environment statistics

16. (k) Develop methodologies for statistics production in crisis-affected countries.
Working Group and Workshops on alternative ways of conducting census / surveys of population and housing facilities
- Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Yemen
A plan of capacity development for the Syrian Arab Republic (with UNFPA)
National workshop for Libya on disability statistics
TC services and a consultative meeting on planning a survey of humanitarian needs - Yemen

17. (l) Transformative agenda for official statistics in the Arab region
Forming a Big Data Team at ESCWA
Survey on the use of geospatial information
UN-GGIM Arab states
ESCWA Online Statistical Information System and ESCWA Data Portal
E-learning plarrform

18. Action by the Statistical Committee
To take note of the report and review measures taken