1. Report on UNSD activities since the last meeting of the Expert Group on International Economic and Social Classifications Meeting of the Expert Group on International Economic and Social Classifications New York, 8-10 December 2003

2. The Expert Group At its 30th session on 1-5 March 1999 the United Nations Statistical Commission recommended that the Expert Group on International Economic and Social Classifications: –Be the central coordinating body for implementing the work programme on classifications proposed at the same meeting –Ensure harmonization and convergence among classifications in the family –Recommend, examine changes/updates –Adopt schedules for updates

3. The Expert Group Recent work plan: –Set in 2001 –Focus on ISIC and CPC revisions (2002 and 2007) Installed Technical Subgroup for creating drafts for ISIC and CPC

4. Projects and meetings ISIC and CPC update 2002 –TSG finalized drafts of ISIC Rev.3.1 and CPC Ver.1.1 –Final versions submitted for editing, translation and publication –Machine-readable versions available in the Classifications Registry on the UNSD website

5. Projects and meetings ISIC and CPC update 2002 –Updated correspondence tables for the new versions of ISIC and CPC, showing relationships: between the two classifications between the new and the previous versions of the classifications to other classifications such as: –the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE) –the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) –the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) –the Harmonized Commodity Coding and Description System (HS) –the Extended Balance of Payments Services classification (EBOPS)

6. Projects and meetings ISIC and CPC revision 2007 –UNSC mandate: Involve countries through questionnaires and regional workshops –Work steps: conceptual issues high level structure full structure –Carried out in cooperation with the Technical Subgroup –Reviewed and approved by the Expert Group

7. ISIC and CPC revision 2007 ISIC/CPC Questionnaire 2001 Questionnaire on: –Conceptual and structural issues –Cross-cutting issues –Boundary definition and detail issues Consultation period August-November 2001 50 responses received Focus mostly on ISIC Responses resulted in draft Concepts Paper and Preliminary Draft Higher-Level Structure for ISIC

8. ISIC and CPC revision 2007 ISIC/CPC Questionnaire 2003 Draft Concepts Paper and draft high-level structure of ISIC presented to the UN Statistical Commission in March 2003 Formed the basis for the second questionnaire Set of four documents: (a)The Concepts paper for the 2007 ISIC and CPC revision (b)A draft paper of a possible structure for ISIC Rev.4, focusing on higher-level categories (c)A discussion paper on coding options for ISIC (d)A set of questions for the ISIC and CPC revision

9. ISIC and CPC revision 2007 ISIC/CPC Questionnaire 2003 Consultation period May-October 2003 70 responses received Resulted in a number of changes / clarifications to the existing paper and a new draft of the high-level ISIC structure

10. UNSD Workshops United Nations Workshop on Classifications for ASEAN member countries, Hanoi, Vietnam, 10 - 14 June 2002 United Nations Workshop on Classifications, Santiago, Chile, 8 - 12 September 2003 United Nations Workshop on Classifications, New Delhi, India, 14 - 16 October 2003

11. UNSD Workshops Objectives –presenting the conceptual and structural changes planned for ISIC and CPC –obtaining input relevant to the regions –addressing special user needs (statistical and non-statistical applications of classifications) –facilitating cooperation in the field of classifications among countries in the region and coordinating work on regional classifications. –receiving country feedback on the revision process and proposals

12. Other meetings and activities Working group on convergence between NAICS and NACE Technical Group on Classifications of ASEAN countries, June 2003 Discussions with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with respect to the treatment of agricultural activities and products in the current ISIC and CPC revision –FAOSTAT2 project –applicability of ISIC/CPC in the areas of agriculture, forestry and fishing

13. CPC index Complete index for the CPC Covering goods and services additional review necessary for chemical products

14. UN List of industrial products Review of the UN List of Industrial Products In cooperation with the Industrial Statistics Section of UNSD Original introduced during the 1973 World Programme on Industrial Statistics Forms the basis of data collection for industrial commodity production statistics in UNSD Criteria for review: –link to current product classifications (CPC and HS) –consideration of links to PRODCOM –Relevance (adding of of new products) –Evaluating the relevance of existing products Target: first half of 2003 for consultation

15. Contacts with users / distribution of information Classifications Newsletter Classifications Hotline Classifications Website and Registry

16. Classifications Newsletter Summarizes recent developments in the field of international classifications Published by UNSD in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish Published three times a year –Starting 2004: published twice a year as an annex to the UNSD newsletter Regular mailing list of about 280 statistical offices Online subscription covers more than 600 individuals

17. Classifications Hotline Set up following a recommendation by the Statistical Commission to provide a tool for fast communication with users Can be reached by e-mail, fax or regular mail Typically address: –interpretations of the classifications –proposals for changes to existing classifications –requests for particular information related to the classifications Annual volume: about 2000 messages received or sent Substantive questions recorded in the Classifications Registry

18. Classifications Website http://unstats.un.org/unsd/class Important tool for the distribution of classifications related information Revised in 2002 Contents: –information on the Family of International Economic and Social Classifications –information on international cooperation in the field of classifications Expert Group and Technical Subgroup Classification workshops and other meetings –Classifications Registry

23. Classifications Registry Depository of information related to classifications Includes information on existing classifications –complete searchable structure and explanatory notes –tools such as correspondence tables and indexes Records issues received through the Classifications Hotline –Interpretations –Proposals –Decisions Reflects current revision process of ISIC and CPC

24. Classifications Registry Information on national adaptations of statistical classifications –covers currently 296 classifications from 89 countries One of the most accessed areas of the UNSD website –Daily number of users: 500 to 1000 –Covered by many search engines –Total number of sessions for 2003: 3.5 million Free “Downloads” section –49,000 downloads

30. Beyond ISIC and CPC

31. Can we define rules for links between these classifications? Can we set priorities for links? Are there other restrictions? How can the Expert Group coordinate this network?