African Statisticians are in Addis Ababa for the sixth statistical commission for Africa (statcom-Africa-VI). The four-day long symposium, which was started on Monday, is being attended by Statistics bureau heads, representatives of national mapping agencies, NGOs and research institutes.
Oliver Chinganya, Africa Center for Statistics (ACS) Director at ECA, said the symposium was very critical for African statisticians and the whole continent and noted that reliable statistical data was very critical for policy decisions. He said, “The discussion with group of people that produce data which is used for policy decisions in their country is very critical.”
Noting that there are countries which try to run national statistics agencies through foreign funding, Chinganya appreciated the experience in Ethiopia saying that it enabled the agency to improve its capacity.
Vincent Hendericks, Professor of Formal Philosophy at Copenhagen University and Director of the Center for Information and Bubble Studies (CIBS), said statisticians had to make sure that policy makers were provided with factual data and information in order to introduce proper policies and make accurate political decisions.
The Statistics Committee, implemented as Statistical Commission for Africa (StatCom-Africa), was established in 2005 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. StatCom-Africa acts within the United Nations policies and procedures framework and subject to the general supervision of the ECA Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. StatCom-Africa members are composed of African countries represented by Heads of National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Regional Statistics Training Centers, international partners and high level experts also attend the meeting. StatCom-Africa is a forum where the African Symposium on Statistical Development (ASSD), the Forum on African Statistical Development (FASDEV), the Regional Committee of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Africa (UNGGIM: Africa) and other initiatives report on their progress. StatCom-Africa meets on a biennial basis.
Ethiopian News Agency and UNECA’s Official Website
