Better data - for people and planet

With the help of trusted data, our world can track progress on development targets. How is the world faring when it comes to eliminating extreme poverty, combating climate change or achieving gender equality? Reliable and timely statistics hold some of the answers. During the COVID-19 crisis, data have also played a critical role in efforts to save lives.

On 28 February to 2 March and 4 March, statisticians from across the globe will come together virtually at the UN Statistical Commission to advance this work further.

”This important annual gathering comes at a time when we continue to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its devastating impact has created an urgent need to harness the power of data,” UN DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin said when he opened the 53rd session on 28 February.

Our Common Agenda, the UN Secretary-General’s vision on the future of global cooperation, features prominently a green, sustainable COVID-19 recovery and efforts to address the twin biodiversity and climate change crises. The report asks the global community to identify complimentary measures to GDP and “urges Member States and others to start implementing the System of Environmental Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting” (SEEA EA).

At the opening session, Mr. Liu highlighted the Statistical Commission’s contribution to go beyond GDP through its work on “updating the System of National Accounts and the development of the System of Environmental Economic Accounting” to obtain “new measurements of progress of sustainability and people’s well-being.”

During its 53rd session, the Commission is expected to adopt a global framework for climate change statistics and indicators. This framework has been developed to support countries in preparing their own sets of climate change statistics and indicators and will support international climate change reporting to the Paris Agreement as well as the climate-related SDG indicators.

To effectively address the climate crisis, policy makers need to assure that nature is properly accounted for in economic decision-making. This can be accomplished through the realization of the SEEA, which was adopted at last year’s session. A global implementation strategy for the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting, aimed at scaling up activities, will be presented to the 53rd session.

As in previous years, the Commission will consider almost 40 substantive reports addressing a wide range of issues including data stewardship, open data, national accounts and censuses.

Learn more about the UN Statistical Commission and follow the session live via UN Web TV.