Economic Statistics in Asia and the Pacific

Zeynep Orhun Girard

Regional Seminar on Developing a Programme for the Implementation of the 2008 SNA and Supporting Statistics in the ECO member countries

Ankara, TurkeySeptember 2013

This presentation covers• What ESCAP does on economic

statistics• Background to the Regional

Programme on Economic Statistics (RPES) in A-P

• Links to the work of development partners

• Implementation of RPES & next steps

Capacity BuildingFramework: Regional Programme for

Economic Statistics (RPES)Core Set of Economic

StatisticsRelated projectsAdvisory services

Outputs: Advocacy Coordination Infrastructure Skills (SIAP)

Data Work

Economic indicators in DB>400 indicatorsCovering 8 topics

Statistical Yearbook Asia-Pacific Trade

and Investment Report

Economic Statistics at ESCAP

Regional Programme for Economic Statistics

Why? To improve soundness of economic analysis & related decision making

What? Increased capacity of NSSs to produce & disseminate the Core Set of Economic Statistics (in line with international standards)

When? By 2020

How? Governed by the Steering Group for RPES (countries & development partners), secretariat by ESCAP SD.

What is the Core Set of Economic Statistics?

• Prices and costs• Demand and output• Income & wealth• Money & banking• Government• Labour market• Natural resources and environment

How are RPES outputs organized?The roll-out of the RPES is at the national levelsupported by regional and sub-regional

activities as possible:• Advocacy (governments and development

partners) • Coordination (benchmarking and planning)• Statistical Infrastructure (methods and

processes) • Skills (human resources)

How did RPES come about?2009 20112010

CST 1 discusses•Overview of Statistics Development

•Towards an Action Plan for the Development of Economic Statistics in Asia and the Pacific

*TAG established

2012 CST 2 endorses•Proposed RPES (SD with guidance from TAG and in consultation with countries & development partners)

•Proposed Core Set (TAG)

*TAG SGRPES

CST 3 endorses•Implementation Plan for RPES

(SD with guidance from SGRPES)

Assessments

•Bhutan•Bangladesh

•Lao PDR (SD)

Phased Implementation of RPES2013-14 2018-202015-17

Phase 2 Accelerating regional and country level implementation

Phase 1•Capacity Screening

•Plans for economic statistics

Phase 3: Consolidating national and regional efforts to achieve the programme outcome

Value added of RPES• Raises the profile of economic statistics

development in A-P• Provides a common reference of the

minimum set of economic indicators • Provides a platform of coordination for

development partners in A-P (NOT solely an ESCAP programme)

What does RPES offer to countries?

• Assistance in planning or enhancing existing plans for economic statistics development

• Rallying support/resources for the implementation of national priorities

• Facilitating partnerships with resource countries and development partners

• Capacity enhancement geared towards improving statistical infrastructure and human resources for producing and disseminating the Core Set

What does RPES offer to development partners?

• A shared vision for capacity building at the regional level and implement it in countries based on national priorities

• Alignment of capacity building for economic statistics

• Identification and pooling of resources (including development partners and resource countries)

Cooperation with Development Partners

• ADB, ILO and SPC on the Steering Group

• Links to the 2008 SNA, Global Strategy for Agricultural Statistics, ICP

• Different development partners for different areas of the Core Set, e.g. FAO on natural resources

• At subregional levels, e.g. in the Pacific ESCAP, IMF and SPC programming in coordinated way

Current Status of Implementation• Governments are fully engaged in the

Programme• Fundraising efforts ongoing• Advocacy (member countries and

development partners), e.g. communicating results of capacity screening

• Next date: Steering Group meeting planned for 29-31 October in Bangkok

Example: Project for CIS countries

Project funded by the Russian Federation within the framework of RPES and with a focus on 2008 SNA (2013-14, 240K)

Desired results:• Advocacy for developing capacity to

produce/disseminate the Core Set • Capacity building to produce/disseminate the

Core Set Supplemented by other resources and

collaborationwith development partners.

Thank you!

http://www.unescap.org/stat/econ

• Proposed regional programme for the improvement of economic statistics in Asia and the Pacific (2010) at http://www.unescap.org/stat/cst/2/CST2-5E.pdf

• Proposed core set of economic statistics for Asia and the Pacific (2010) http://www.unescap.org/stat/cst/2/CST2-4E.pdf

• Implementation plan for the Regional Programme for the Improvement of Economic Statistics in Asia and the Pacific (2012) at http://www.unescap.org/stat/cst/3/CST3-CRP1E.pdf