Shaping the future of global statistics

The United Nations Statistical Commission is holding its 54th session from February 28 to March 3, 2023, at the UN headquarters in New York. Established in 1947, the Commission is the apex body responsible for the development of global statistical standards, bringing together chief statisticians from around the world to deliberate on a wide range of important statistical issues, such as data stewardship, data innovation, SDG indicators, social and demographic statistics, economic statistics, and many more topics.

This year, the main session of the Commission is preceded by a series of 58 in-person side events as well as 26 virtual side events. More than 30 official documents have been published to aid the discussions among chief statisticians, addressing issues of key importance in the field of global statistics, ranging from data and indicators for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to environmental-economic accounting and beyond.

The Commission currently consists of 24 Member States elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for a term of four years, based on an equitable geographical distribution. The Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs acts as the Commission’s secretariat. During the session, delegates work together to share national practices and provide strategic direction towards improving the compilation and dissemination of national, regional, and global statistical information, developing standards for statistical activities, and supporting the strengthening of national statistical systems.

In June 2022, the ECOSOC updated the 50-year mandate of the Statistical Commission to ensure that its work is adaptive to the changing statistical and data ecosystem with an emphasis on technological innovations. This will allow the global statistical system, under the leadership of the Commission, to continue delivering high-quality and reliable statistical data for evidence-based policymaking and achieve the vision of a data-driven and interconnected world that supports sustainable development for all.

For more information on the 54th session of the UN Statistical Commission, please visit: https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/statcom/54.