‘Need to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals’

Jabal Akhdar: The Statistical Committee of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on Tuesday began its 17th session in the Wilayat of Jabal Akhdar. The Sultanate of Oman is represented at the three-day session by the National Centre for Statistics and Information.

Participants in the session include heads and representatives of national statistic offices in Arab countries and officials from the United Nations and Arab, regional and international organisations, in addition to experts and specialists.

Dr. Rania Al Mashat, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the ESCWA, said, “This ESCWA session is being held at a time when the need is increasingly arising for reliable, timely, well-documented and comparable data in the backdrops of the rapid economic and social transformations, the digital revolution and the challenges posed to statistical systems through conflicts, disasters and displacements.”

Dr. Rania stressed that such challenges give rise to new opportunities to enhance the capacity of statistical systems to respond to different conditions. 

She noted that the current phase of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers an opportunity to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For his part, Dr. Mustafa Saad Badawi, Head of the Population Statistics and Censuses Sector in the Arab Republic of Egypt, said that statistical work is undergoing rapid transitions that extend beyond technology. These developments, he observed, cover the nature of demand for data, its sources and uses and the environment in which national statistical agencies operate.

Dr. Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Barwani, CEO of the National Centre for Statistics and Information, said that the Sultanate of Oman’s hosting of the ESCWA Statistical Committee’s 17th session reflects Oman’s commitment to consolidate Arab statistical cooperation and exchange expertise and experiences in a manner that ultimately leads to more integrated, flexible, and responsive statistical systems that are capable of adapting to rapid changes.

Al Barwani pointed out that the rapid progress in artificial intelligence, big data and digital resources is opening up broad vistas for statistical institutions to develop data collection, processing and analysis, in addition to accelerating the production of indicators. He also highlighted the Sultanate of Oman’s experience in using modern technology and artificial intelligence in implementing the AI-powered Household Income and Expenditure Survey project.