I.
ORGANIZATION OF THE SESSION
A.
Openingof the session
1. The first session
of the Governing Board of the Statistical Institute
for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP) was held from
11 to 13 March 1996 at the premises of the Institute
in Tokyo.
2. The Executive Secretary
of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific (ESCAP) opened the meeting and
welcomed the participants.
B.
Attendance
3. The session was attended
by representatives of all the members of the
Governing Board: Australia, Fiji, India, Indonesia,
Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore
and Thailand.
4. The Chairperson of the
Committee on Statistics attended the session.
5. Representatives of the
following members and associate members of ESCAP
attended the session as observers: Bangladesh,
China, Viet Nam and Macau.
6. The representatives of
the following United Nations bodies and agencies
participated as observers: United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
7. Representatives of
the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the South
Pacific Commission (SPC) also attended as observers.
C. Electionof officers
8. The Board elected the following
officers:
- Chairperson: Mr Sugito
Suwito (Indonesia)
- Vice-Chairperson: Mr
Timoci Bainimarama (Fiji)
D. Agenda
9. The session adopted the
following agenda:
- Opening of the meeting.
- Election of the chairperson
and vice-chairperson.
- Adoption of the agenda.
- Adoption of rules
of procedure of the Governing Board.
- Operations of the
Institute: brief review of activities since
its establishment.
- Report of the Director
of SIAP.
- Future programme
of work and resource mobilization.
- Review of guidelines
for the annual report of the Governing Board
to the Commission.
- Other matters.
- Adoption of the report.
10. The Governing Board agreed
that the Terminal Tripartite Review Meeting
of the project on assistance to the Statistical
Institute for Asia and the Pacific: a programme
in human development indicators should be discussed
in conjunction with the Board Meeting. A review
of the deliberations of that Tripartite Review
is included in the present report. The Board
noted that the detailed report on the meeting
would be prepared by UNDP.
E. Documentation
11. The documents that were
before the Governing Board at its first session
are listed in annex I.
II.
ADOPTION OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE GOVERNING
BOARD
12. The Governing Board considered
a draft of the rules of procedure of the Governing
Board of SIAP, prepared by the secretariat and
contained in document STAT/SIAP/GB/1. In examining
the draft rules of procedure, the Governing
Board recognized that it functioned under the
provisions of the Statute of the Statistical
Institute for Asia and the Pacific.
13. The Board agreed on amendments
to the drafts of rules 4, 11, 15, 16, 17 and
23. The full text of the rules of procedure
of the Governing Board of the Institute as adopted
by the Board is contained in annex II.
III.
OPERATIONS OF THE INSTITUTE: BRIEF REVIEW OF
ACTIVITIES SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT AND REPORT
OF THE DIRECTOR
14. The Director presented
an overview of the activities of the Institute
since its establishment in 1970, as described
in document STAT/SIAP/GB/2. He highlighted the
origins of the Institute, the funding arrangements
and the programme of work.
15. The Governing Board was
informed that during the period from the Institute's
establishment until March 1995 SIAP had functioned
as a UNDP project with the United Nations as
the executing agency, the Government of Japan
as the host Government and other Governments
as participants in the project. In April 1995
an agreement was made between the United Nations
and the Government of Japan relating to the
Institute. The Commission at its fifty-first
session, held in 1995, adopted a statute of
the Institute.
16. The Director noted that
the objectives of the Institute had changed
over the period and that during the first phase,
the purpose had been to provide training to
professional statisticians for government service,
research and related activities. The Board noted
that by the sixth phase the objectives had become
more specific:
- To meet the special needs
of the national statistical offices in the
region, particularly those of the least developed
and the island developing countries, and the
countries with economies in transition;
- To improve through training
the capacity of national statistical offices
to analyse and interpret data;
- To include in its training
courses those emerging subject areas of concern
to policy makers;
- To bring a greater awareness
of management practices to senior official
statisticians of national statistical offices;
- To assist countries of
the region in establishing or strengthening
their statistical training capability.
17. The Board noted
the changes in the structure of funding for
the Institute's expenditure under the different
categories over the various phases, including
those for United Nations institutional staff,
fellowships, in-kind contribution by the host
government and the outreach programme.
18. With regard to the programme
of work, the Director informed the Board of
the programme of courses conducted in Tokyo
as well as the outreach programme conducted
in the countries of the region. The Board was
provided with a short description of the genesis
of the following courses conducted annually
in Tokyo:
- Six-month Group Training
Course in Practical Statistics (30 fellowships
offered by the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA);
- Two-month Group Training
Course in Automatic Data Processing for Trainers
(20 fellowships offered by JICA);
- Two-month Special Group
Training Course in Analysis and Interpretation
of Statistics (10 fellowships offered by JICA);
- Course/Workshop on Sample
Design for Household and Establishment Surveys
(20 fellowships from institutional funds).
19. The Director informed
the Board that beginning in 1972, the Institute
had conducted an outreach programme with support
from UNDP with a few courses supported by other
donors. The Board noted that the programme comprised
country courses, advanced workshops/seminars
for statisticians and for chiefs of national
statistical offices, joint training in collaboration
with Governments and agencies, a research programme
and the development of training materials.
20. The meeting had before
it the report of the Director of SIAP contained
in document STAT/SIAP/GB/3. The Director summarized
the activities of the Institute since the commencement
of the sixth phase in April 1992, and also reported
the priorities relating to statistical training
in the context of changes in the region.
21. He touched upon the programme
of work completed since 1 April 1992. The Board
was informed that during the sixth phase, the
Institute had conducted the following training
programmes: (1) four group training courses
in practical statistics, with 136 participants
from 43 countries; (2) four special group courses
in analysis and interpretation of statistics,
with 44 participants from 17 countries; (3)
three group training courses in automatic data
processing for statisticians, with 63 participants
from 30 countries; (4) one group training course
in automatic data processing for trainers, with
23 participants from 23 countries; (5) two microcomputer
courses for training of trainers, with 25 participants
from 16 countries; (6) one course/workshop on
sample design for household and establishment
surveys, with 21 participants from 20 countries;
(7) one training course in analysis and computerization
of human development indicators, with 14 participants
from 12 countries; (8) fifty-five country courses,
with 1,178 participants; (9) other outreach
programmes in collaboration with Governments,
organizations and agencies, one workshop in
Bangkok with 34 participants from 25 countries,
and six advanced courses/workshops with 121
participants from 20 countries; and (10) three
research projects, with three participants from
two countries.
22. The Board noted that the
Institute had tried gradually to focus some
of its programmes to assist the least developed
statistical offices in the region by increasing
the intake of trainees from those countries
to its Tokyo-based courses as well as by conducting
country courses. The Board also noted that the
Institute played a major role in training statistical
personnel from the least developed countries
and the island developing countries of the Pacific,
whose offices were engaged in building the basic
infrastructure of a statistical system.
23. The Board was informed
that the Institute had also placed great stress
on assisting countries with disadvantaged economies
in transition; the statistical systems of those
countries were also changing and needed a large
number of general statisticians in the present
phase of development of their statistical systems
in addition to specialists particularly in the
fields of household and establishment surveys
and in national accounts.
24. The Board noted that country
courses conducted by SIAP had greatly contributed
to the statistical capability-building of member
countries in the region and had been highly
appreciated. In that context, the Board expressed
the hope that the programme support by UNDP
for the country courses and other elements of
the outreach programme would be extended under
appropriate themes to cope with important problems
in statistics.
25. The representative of
the host Government, Japan, informed the Board
that it would make utmost efforts to maintain
smooth operations under the new institutional
scheme. The Board also welcomed the information
that, in order to meet the growing needs, the
Government of Japan intended to expand its in-kind
contribution, including the release of resource
persons and government officials as lecturers
in training activities, and also further develop
the Institute's computer-related training facilities.
26. The Board also urged that
since the status of the Institute had changed
from that of a project under an assistance agreement
between the Government of Japan and the United
Nations Development Programme to that of a subsidiary
body of ESCAP, the Institute should be supported
multilaterally by members and associate members
to enable the Institute to operate on a stable
financial basis.
27. The Board noted that the
Government of Japan's share of the total cash
contributions to the Institute was approximately
90 per cent, which reflected an extremely imbalanced
situation. The representative of Japan informed
the Board that the financial authorities of
his Government strongly requested that the share
of cash contributions of Japan be reduced because
the financial viability of the Institute was
the responsibility of all the members and associate
members. He suggested that concrete measures
be discussed to address the imbalance.
IV.
FUTURE PROGRAMME OF WORK AND RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
28. The draft long-term
programme of work of the Institute for the period
1995-2000, and the programmes of work for 1995/96
and 1996/97, as contained in document STAT/SIAP/GB/4,
were presented to the Board.
29. The Board was informed
that the draft long-term programme of work of
the Institute for the period 1995-2000 contained
the objectives, duration, and contents of the
programme which included five activities to
be conducted in Tokyo: (a) Group Training Course
in Practical Statistics, (b) Group Training
Course in Automatic Data Processing for Trainers,
(c) Special Group Training Course in Analysis
and Interpretation of Statistics, (d) Training
Course in Sample Design for Household and Establishment
Surveys, and (e) research relevant to the development
of statistics in the region. The outreach programme
of training would be organized on a priority
basis depending on the availability of funds.
30. The Board noted that the
objectives of the Institute included two essential
functions for the next five years: (a) to strengthen
the capability of the members and associate
members with regard to the collection, analysis,
interpretation and dissemination of data, and
(b) to strengthen their statistical training
capability. The Board also noted that the recommendations
of the Committee on Statistics on statistical
training should be taken into consideration
in developing future objectives of the Institute.
31. The Board stressed that
the Institute should focus on strengthening
the current training programmes as well as on
developing new activities emphasizing, among
other aspects, the training of trainers, new
advances in statistical training methodologies
and modalities and exploitation of advances
in information technology for statistical activities.
Statistical concerns emerging from recent global
summit meetings should be given due consideration.
Priority subject topics should be included such
as gender statistics, environment statistics,
statistics on services, and international trade
and balance-of-payments statistics.
32. Since the budget was limited,
one way of developing training programmes was
to consider the restructuring of current training
courses. In that regard the representative of
the Government of Japan expressed the view that
it was necessary for the Institute to find appropriate
justification for restructuring the current
training courses, particularly the group training
course in practical statistics which was one
of the main components of the Institute's programme.
33. The Board recognized that
the change in the status of the Institute denoted
a need for a reassessment of the Institute's
focus and for a clear definition of long-term
objectives. In that regard, it was felt that
changes should be gradually implemented over
a transitional phase of two to three years without
any disruption of the existing programme for
1996/97. The Governing Board agreed that a task
force was needed to chart a new direction for
the Institute through a wide-ranging and detailed
examination of the modalities of operation and
training and other activities. In particular,
the Board directed the task force to examine
the above taking into account the following:
the various new thrusts that the Board had identified,
including an emphasis on the training of trainers;
the need to develop new strategic relationships
with its collaborating partners; the need for
an efficiency review and an assessment of the
efficiency of the deployment of staff. Any efficiencies
achieved and fresh resources mobilized should
be used for the outreach programme of the Institute.
It was agreed that the task force should be
composed of the outgoing and incoming Directors,
the UNDP consultant on the post-project evaluation
of the project on human development indicators,
and a representative of the Management and Coordination
Agency of the Government of Japan.
34. The Board noted that the
Institute was at a crossroads with the change
in its status, the appointment of a new Director,
and anticipated changes in its approach. It
was felt that the task force would help to provide
directions and guidelines to the new Director.
In discussing the future role of the Institute,
in particular its possible diversification away
from its central training function, the Board
noted that the Institute would continue to work
in very close collaboration with the Statistics
Division of ESCAP. Care would need to be taken
to exploit the relative strengths of each institution
in order to derive the maximum impact on the
strengthening of national statistical capabilities
in the region. The Board noted that the cross-references
between the terms of reference of the Committee
on Statistics and the Statute of the Institute
should ensure a strong degree of complementarity
between the statistical activities of SIAP and
ESCAP.
35. The representative of
UNDP expressed the view that the Institute should:
- Serve as a catalyst and
promote technical cooperation among developing
countries (TCDC) activities and networking
of statistical initiatives;
- Interact with other donors
and the private sector;
- Expand the modality of
services to include advisory and consultancy
services and on-the-job training;
- Contribute to national
programmes supported by UNDP and other donors;
- Contribute to the thematic
programme areas under the sixth intercountry
programme of UNDP, such as poverty, sustainable
human development, food security, gender issues,
and the human immuno-deficiency virus/acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS).
36. The representative
of FAO expressed the view that agriculture statistics
should be included in the training programmes
such as the practical statistics course, sampling
courses, and in the outreach courses, and suggested
that FAO might cooperate with the Institute
in conducting the practical training as well
as outreach training courses in the field of
agricultural and food statistics.
37. The Board noted that since
1996 was to be treated as a transitional period,
the programme of work for 1996/97 should be
adopted as presented.
38. The Board adopted the
long-term programme of work of the Institute,
1995-2000, with some amendments suggested by
members of the Governing Board. The programmes
of work as adopted by the Governing Board are
contained in annex III. The Board decided that
the revised objectives of the long-term programme
were as follows:
- To assist in developing
the economic and social statistics capability
of national statistical services particularly
those of the least developed and the island
developing countries, and countries with disadvantaged
economies in transition;
- To improve through training
the capability of national statistical offices
in the region in the analysis and interpretation
of statistics for policy-related work including
computer-assisted exploratory data analysis,
modelling and forecasting, report writing
and the presentation of results;
- To assist in improving
the capability of national statistical offices
in the region to design and conduct sample
surveys including the evaluation and improvement
of sample designs;
- To assist countries
in developing capabilities to compile and
use the 1993 SNA and satellite accounts in
support of planning and policy formulation
for sustainable development;
- To give emphasis to
the training of trainers in order to assist
countries to develop training capability and
in particular national statistical training
facilities;
- To assist countries
in the use of information technologies relevant
to the work of national statistical services.
39. The Board felt that
it was not possible to look into the status
of resources of the Institute during the current
session as funds had yet to be secured for 1996/97.
The Board agreed that the timing of its regular
sessions should take into account the availability
of financial information so that programmes
and budgets could be appropriately considered.
40. In relation to the financial
accounts, the Board indicated the need for the
secretariat to table at each of its regular
sessions the actual expenditure and revenue
statement for the past year and the anticipated
expenditure and revenue of the current year.
The Board recognized, however, that pursuant
to the provisions of the statute, auditing and
accounting functions would be undertaken under
the standard financial regulations and rules
of the United Nations.
41. The Governing Board deliberated
on the strategies for strengthening arrangements
for increasing cash contributions from the countries
of the region. It noted that several countries
had been receiving assistance from the Institute
on a sustained basis but had made no contribution.
The Board recalled that the Commission's guidelines
for minimum annual contributions to ESCAP regional
institutions were US$ 1,000 for least developed
countries and US$ 15,000 for other developing
countries of the region. It was agreed that
the Chairperson of the Governing Board would
send a letter to those countries that were not
contributing requesting them to do so, and also
to those countries not meeting the minimum amounts
to increase their contributions to at least
that level. The Board also felt that there was
considerable scope for a much more systematic
assessment of member countries' contributions,
especially as the ability to pay of many fast-growing
economies in the region had increased considerably.
42. The Board noted that although
it was not customary for United Nations bodies
to charge membership dues, or registration fees
or the like, for training courses and workshops,
such arrangements might be explored as a means
of increasing the financial resources available
to the Institute. The Board welcomed the fact
that a few countries had already partially financed
in-country courses from their own resources.
43. The Board, while acknowledging
with deep appreciation the increase in the contribution
of the host Government, Japan, and the provision
of equipment, requested the Government to at
least maintain the present level of contribution.
44. While appreciating the
contributions from some of the other participating
countries, the Board urged those countries to
increase their contributions and appealed to
other developed member countries to resume their
support to the Institute.
45. The Board also acknowledged
its deep appreciation to UNDP for its contribution
in continuing programme support for the human
development indicators project. The Board also
urged UNDP to continue its support for the Institute.
46. The Board also appreciated
the Institute's partnership and collaboration
with FAO, ADB, SPC and other agencies in conducting
joint activities and urged that such efforts
should be continued and further strengthened.
Terminal tripartite
review of the project on assistance to the Statistical
Institute for Asia and the Pacific: a programme
in human development indicators
47. In conjunction with the
meeting of the Governing Board, a terminal tripartite
review meeting for the sixth phase of UNDP support
to the Institute was held. The representative
of UNDP chaired the terminal meeting. UNDP would
prepare a report on the meeting for circulation
to the members of the Governing Board and other
participating countries. Two Institute lecturers
gave examples of UNDP-financed courses conducted
during the sixth phase.
48. The meeting noted that
the financial contribution of UNDP over the
past 25 years had reached US$ 8.6 million, which
was provided for institutional support to build
a core organizational capacity and for programmes
in support of national statistical capacity-building.
The focus of the programmes, particularly those
to meet the needs of the least developed and
the island developing countries and the countries
with disadvantaged economies in transition,
had also changed from basic statistical capacity-building
to addressing needs more directly related to
rational development goals and priorities.
49. The meeting was requested
to review the progress made and achievements
attained by the project in support of national
priority initiatives for human development on
the basis of the project progress report and
the draft terminal report which had been circulated.
50. It was felt that sustained
progress had been made in the Institute's programme
of work relating to human development indicators.
51. The representative of
UNDP informed the meeting that the UNDP country
offices in participating countries were requested
to provide their views as well as the Government's
views on the capacity development support provided
by the Institute. In general, it was noted that
the country responses had been numerous and
very positive, indicating that a large number
of countries had benefited from the Institute's
outreach programme.
52. With regard to the future
directions of activities in support of national
statistical capacity-building, the meeting discussed
various issues including in-service and on-the-job
training; advisory and consultancy services;
building national training capacity; subregional
training; analysis, interpretation and application;
human development indicators on specific priority
themes (poverty, the environment, gender); TCDC
and networking; the use of modern information
technologies; closer integration with national/regional
development programmes; institutional and financial
sustainability; the potential role of the Institute
in the sixth phase of the UNDP intercountry
programme. The meeting concluded that support
provided by the Institute needed to be driven
by critical needs and demands at the country
level and that future cooperation and collaboration
between UNDP and the Institute would be through
the thematic programmes adopted under the sixth
phase of the intercountry programme.
53. The meeting, particularly
noting the cost-effective nature of the Institute's
outreach programmes, strongly felt the need
for UNDP programme support to continue and it
requested that at least the current level of
support be maintained.
54. The representative
of UNDP informed the meeting that a post-project
evaluation of the project would take place in
June/July 1996. He further stated that the main
purpose of the evaluation was to make an overall
assessment of the effectiveness and relevance
of UNDP support of the Institute provided over
the years for the development of institutional
and technical capacities of the national statistical
agencies of the participating countries. The
evaluation would also assess, in particular,
the extent to which those national agencies
had been able to contribute to the formulation
of national development objectives, targets
and programmes, and their achievement through
monitoring and assessment, which would lead
to an indication of how the Institute would
be able to contribute to the achievement of
national development priorities with enhanced
effectiveness. UNDP had circulated the draft
terms of reference for the evaluation and requested
that comments from countries be sent to UNDP
before the end of March 1996.
V.
REVIEW OF GUIDELINES FOR THE ANNUAL REPORT OF
THE GOVERNING BOARD TO THE COMMISSION
55. The Board reviewed
a set of draft guidelines on its report to the
Commission as contained in document STAT/SIAP/GB/5.
It noted that the reporting format was similar
to those of other regional centres and institutions
of ESCAP.
VI.
OTHER MATTERS
A.
Directorof the Institute
56. The Board recalled
that the Executive Secretary had informed members
of his plan to recommend that the Secretary-General
of the United Nations appoint Mr Lau Kak En
of Singapore to take up the post of Director.
57. The Board was informed
that as required by the Statute of the Institute,
the appointment of the Director would be made
after consultation with the Board. The Director
of the Statistics Division of ESCAP elaborated
on the search, selection, and appointment procedures
for the post, including the requirements for
medical clearance and Headquarters approval.
58. The Board welcomed the
fact that the candidate was from the region,
and strongly supported the recommendation of
the Executive Secretary.
B.
Dateand venue for the next session of the Governing
Board
59. The Board decided
that its regular annual sessions should normally
be held in Tokyo in the month of October. However,
it decided that as a transitional measure and
subject to the availability of conference facilities,
the next regular session would be held in Bangkok
on 21 and 22 November 1996 just prior to the
tenth session of the Committee on Statistics
(25-29 November 1996), with the adoption of
the Board's report on 25 November if necessary.
C.
Appreciationto the present Director of the Institute
60. Noting that the term of
office of the present Director would end soon,
the Board expressed its deep appreciation to
Mr S. Ananda Meegama for his dedicated service
to the Institute over the last eight years,
particularly in enhancing its reputation and
in guiding it through a period of institutional
transition.
VII.
ADOPTION OF THE REPORT
61. The Governing Board adopted
the report of its first session on 13 March
1996.
Annex
I: LIST OF DOCUMENTS
- Provisional agenda
(STAT/SIAP/GB/L.1) (Item 3)
- Draft rules of procedure
of the Governing Board of the Statistical
Institute for Asia and the Pacific (STAT/SIAP/GB/1)
(Item 4)
- Overview of activities
of the Institute since its establishment in
1970 (STAT/SIAP/GB/2) (Item 5)
- Report of the Director
of SIAP (STAT/SIAP/GB/3) (Item 6)
- Draft long-term programme
of work of the Institute 1995-2000, programme
of work for 1995/96 and programme of work
for 1996/97 (STAT/SIAP/GB/4) (Item 7)
- Draft guidelines on
the report of the Governing Board of the Statistical
Institute for Asia and the Pacific (STAT/SIAP/GB/5)
(Item 8)
- General information
(STAT/SIAP/GB/G.1)
- Provisional schedule
of the meeting (STAT/SIAP/GB/G.2)
- List of documents (STAT/SIAP/GB/G.3)
- Provisional list of
participants (STAT/SIAP/GB/G.4)
Background documents
- Agreement between the
United Nations and the Government of Japan
relating to the Statistical Institute for
Asia and the Pacific, 14 April 1995
- Commission resolution
51/1 on the Statute of the Statistical Institute
for Asia and the Pacific, 29 April 1995
- Report of the fifty-first
session of the Commission: (chapter on statistics)
- Programme of work and
priorities of the statistics subprogramme,
1994-1995 and 1996-1997.
- Report of the ninth
session of the ESCAP Committee on Statistics.
- Provisional agenda
for the terminal tripartite review of RAS/92/005
- SIAP - human development indicators.
- Project performance
evaluation report for RAS/92/005 - the Statistical
Institute for Asia and the Pacific (phase
VI) - A programme in human development indicators.
- Draft terminal report
for RAS/92/005 - assistance to the Statistical
Institute for Asia and the Pacific (phase
VI) - A programme in human development indicators.
- Comments from countries
on project RAS/92/005 for the terminal tripartite
review (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Federated States
of Micronesia, Fiji, Indonesia, Kiribati,
Lao People's Democratic Republic, Maldives,
Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Republic
of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga and Tuvalu)
Annex
II: RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE GOVERNING BOARD
OF THE STATISTICAL INSTITUTE FOR ASIA AND THE
PACIFIC
Chapter I
SESSIONS
Rule 1
The following principles shall
apply as regards date and place for the sessions
of the Governing Board:
- The Governing Board (hereinafter
referred to as the Board) shall have one general
session each year and such special sessions
as are required;
- Special sessions of the
Board shall be held: (i) by decision of the
Board; (ii) at the request of a majority of
the members of the Board; or (iii) at the
request of the Executive Secretary of the
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (ESCAP) (hereinafter referred
to as the Executive Secretary), in consultation
with the Chairperson of the Board;
- The Board shall at each
session, in consultation with the Executive
Secretary or her/his representative, specify
the date and place of its next session;
- The date and place of the
next session may be altered on the recommendation
of the Secretary of the Board (hereinafter
referred to as the Secretary) in consultation
with the Chairperson.
Rule 2
The sessions of the Board shall
ordinarily be closed and shall be limited to
the members, the Chairperson of the Committee
on Statistics, the Executive Secretary or her/his
representative(s), and the secretariat. Representatives
of Governments that are not members of the Board
and representatives of United Nations organs,
international bodies and national organizations
invited by the Board may attend a regular session
as observers. The Board may, if the need arises,
also decide to meet in executive session, which
shall be closed to observers.
Chapter II
AGENDA
Rule 3
The Secretary shall communicate
to the members of the Board, at least six weeks
in advance of each regular session and at least
two weeks before a special session, the provisional
agenda together with relevant documentation
and information.
Rule 4
The provisional agenda for
each regular session shall include:
- Matters arising from previous
sessions of the Board;
- A report by the Director
on the administration and financial status
of the Institute and the implementation of
its programme;
- Consideration and adoption
of the future programme of work of the Institute;
- Review and finalization
of the Board's annual report to be submitted
to the Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific;
- Items proposed by any of
its members;
- Items proposed by the Secretary.
Rule 5
At the beginning of each session,
the Board shall adopt its agenda. Any matters
within the competence of the Board not included
in the provisional agenda for a session may
be submitted to the Board by a member or the
Secretary and added to the agenda by a decision
of the Board. The Board may also amend its agenda
in the course of a session.
Rule 6
The provisional agenda for
a special session shall be prepared by the Secretary,
in consultation with the Chairperson, taking
into account the reason for convening the special
session.
Chapter III
OFFICERS
Rule 7
The Board, at its first meeting
of each regular session, shall elect from among
its members a Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson
who shall hold office until their successors
are elected at the next regular session. They
shall be eligible for re-election.
Rule 8
The Chairperson or, in her/his
absence, the Vice-Chairperson, shall preside
at meetings of the Board.
Rule 9
If the Chairperson and the
Vice-Chairperson are absent from a meeting,
the Board shall select one of the members present
to serve as Acting Chairperson at that meeting.
Chapter IV
SECRETARIAT
Rule 10
The Director of the Institute
shall be the Secretary of the Board. The Secretary
shall be responsible for the organization and
preparation of sessions and for the preparation
of the records and reports of the Board.
Chapter V
REPORTING
Rule 11
The Board shall submit an
annual report on the implementation of the programmes
of the Institute to the Commission at each of
its sessions. The Board's report shall also
be submitted to the ESCAP Committee on Statistics.
Chapter VI
CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
Rule 12
A majority of the members
of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
Rule 13
The Chairperson shall declare
the opening and closing of each meeting of the
Board, direct the discussions, ensure the observance
of these rules of procedure, accord the right
to speak, put questions to the vote and announce
decisions. The Chairperson may call a speaker
to order if her/his remarks are not relevant
to the subject under discussion.
Rule 14
During the discussion of any
matter, a member of the Board may raise a point
of order, on which the Chairperson shall immediately
give her/his ruling. If it is challenged, the
Chairperson shall forthwith submit her/his ruling
to the Board for consideration and decision,
and the ruling shall stand unless overruled
by a majority of the members present and voting.
Rule 15
Any member may at any time
move for the closure of the debate, even if
another member has asked for the floor. Not
more than two speakers may be granted permission
to speak against the closure. The Chairperson
shall take the sense of the Board on a motion
for closure. If the Board is in favour of the
motion, the Chairperson shall declare the debate
closed.
Chapter VII
VOTING
Rule 16
Each member of the Board shall
have one vote.
Rule 17
The Board shall make every
effort to reach its decisions by consensus.
In the absence of consensus, decisions of the
Board shall be made by a majority of the members
present and voting.
Rule 18
Between sessions of the Board,
when circumstances require an urgent decision
by the Board on policy matters, the Secretary
shall convey in writing such recommendation
as she/he deems appropriate to the members of
the Board. A recommendation, if approved by
a majority of the members of the Board, shall
be acted upon by the Secretary, who shall inform
the members thereof.
Chapter VIII
WORKING LANGUAGE
Rule 19
English shall be the working
language of the Board.
Chapter IX
CONSULTATIONS WITH
GOVERNMENTS
Rule 20
The Board may, where appropriate,
present its views on relevant matters to the
member and associate member Governments of ESCAP
through the Executive Secretary.
Chapter X
AMENDMENT OR SUSPENSION
Rule 21
The Board may amend or suspend
any of these rules of procedure except where
such rules are incorporated in the Statute of
the Institute.
Chapter XI
OTHER PROVISIONS
Rule 22
In the event of any matter
arising which is not covered by these rules
of procedure, the pertinent rules of ESCAP and
the Statute of the Institute shall apply mutatis
mutandis.
Annex
III: LONG-TERM PROGRAMME OF WORK OF THE INSTITUTE
1995-2000
I. OBJECTIVES
- To assist in developing
the economic and social statistics capability
of national statistical services particularly
those of the least developed and the island
developing countries, and countries with disadvantaged
economies in transition;
- To improve through
training the capability of national statistical
offices in the region in the analysis and
interpretation of statistics for policy-related
work including computer-assisted exploratory
data analysis, modelling and forecasting,
report writing and the presentation of results;
- To assist in improving
the capability of national statistical offices
in the region to design and conduct sample
surveys including the evaluation and improvement
of sample designs;
- To assist countries
in developing capabilities to compile and
use the 1993 SNA and satellite accounts in
support of planning and policy formulation
for sustainable development;
- To give emphasis to
the training of trainers in order to assist
countries to develop training capability and
in particular national statistical training
facilities;
- To assist countries
in the use of information technologies relevant
to the work of national statistical services.
II. DURATION
Five years (1 April 1995 -
31 March 2000)
III. COOPERATING AGENCY
OF THE HOST GOVERNMENT
Management and Coordination
Agency
IV. CONTENTS OF
THE PROGRAMME
The programme consists of
two elements, those conducted in Tokyo and the
outreach programme. The contents of activities
conducted in Tokyo are:
(1) Group Training Course
in Practical Statistics:
Course participants: The best
talent among middle-level official statisticians
with three to five years' experience of work
in a national statistical office.
Course contents: This course
will provide training in basic statistical techniques
and operations together with introductory courses
regarding various fields of statistics including
training in statistical computing, report writing
and presentation. To meet the needs of each
participant, the course will allow an element
of specialization in a selected field. With
a view to training in the handling of statistics
in its widest sense, the participants will also
have to work on a statistical project, preparing
and presenting a report on it.
Number of times and duration:
Once annually for a duration of six months.
Number of participants: 30
Fellowship offered by: Government
of Japan (JICA)
(2) Group Training
Course in Automatic Data Processing for Trainers:
Course participants: Middle-level
official statisticians who are expected to be
trainers in statistical training.
Course contents: This course
providing training in processing and analysis
of statistical data using microcomputers is
geared to increasing the participants skill
as trainers as well as their knowledge of the
software available.
Number of times and duration:
Once annually for a duration of two months.
Number of participants: 20
Fellowship offered by: Government
of Japan (JICA)
(3) Special Group Training
Course in Analysis and Interpretation of Statistics:
Course participants: Middle
and/or senior-level official statisticians.
Course contents: This course
will provide training in data analysis and interpretation
through lectures, workshops, and case studies
in the use of statistics. The participants will
work on a statistical project, preparing and
presenting a report to illustrate the application
of statistical techniques to official statistics
relating to a selected subject.
Number of times and duration:
Once annually for a duration of two months.
Number of participants: 10
Fellowship offered by: Government
of Japan (JICA)
(4) Training Course in
Sample Design for Household and Establishment
Surveys:
Course participants: Senior
official statisticians
Course contents: This course
will provide training in basic theory and practice
regarding sample design for household and establishment
surveys.
Number of time and duration:
Once annually for a duration of two months.
Number of participants: 20
Fellowship offered by: SIAP
under its institutional budget
(5) Research relevant to
the development of statistics in the region:
Course participants: Senior
official statisticians
Course contents: Applied research
relevant to statistical development in respective
countries.
Number of times and duration:
Flexible
Number of participants: Flexible
Fellowship offered by: Governments/United
Nations agencies.
In addition to the above programme,
the Institute will facilitate communications
with former trainees by providing them with
information on developments at the Institute,
such as through the issuance of newsletters,
as well as the development and supply of appropriate
training material on various subjects.
Funding has been approved
for the above programme for the period 1 April
1995 through 31 March 1996. Details are provided
in the attachment of this annex.
The programme after 1 April
1996 is to be determined on the basis of the
relevant and applicable laws and regulations
of the Government of Japan, and in accordance
with its annual budgetary appropriations.
The outreach programme of
training will be organized on a priority basis
depending on the availability of funds and will
consist of the following:
(1) Country courses, on-the-job
training and other support to less developed
statistical offices;
(2) Advanced courses/workshops
to improve statistics on emerging policy-related
subjects.
V. OPERATIONAL
STRUCTURE
The staff members funded
through the institutional budget for this phase
will be as follows:
- Director 1
- Deputy Director (Training)/Lecturer
1
- Statisticians/Lecturers
5
- Administrative Officer
1
- Secretary to the
Director 1
- General Affairs Clerk
1
As in-kind contribution
of the Government of Japan, the services of
12 local personnel will be provided by the Management
and Coordination Agency of the Government of
Japan, on the basis of its relevant and applicable
laws and regulations, and in accordance with
its annual budgetary appropriations, to carry
out the cooperating work of the Government of
Japan to the Institute regarding the conduct
of the training.
PROGRAMME OF WORK FOR
1995/96*
1. As required by the
Statute of the Institute, the Governing Board
shall also review and adopt the annual programme
of the Institute. The programme of work for
1995/96, covering the period 1 April 1995 to
31 March 1996, would normally have been submitted
for the Governing Board's review and adoption
in 1995. However, since the inaugural session
of the Board could not be convened in 1995,
the present programme of work for 1995/96 is
now being submitted to the Board.
2. The following courses have
been conducted in Tokyo during 1995/96:
- First Group Training
Course in Automatic Data Processing for
Trainers (15 May to 14 July 1995);
- Special Group Training
Course in Analysis and Interpretation of
Statistics (24 July to 22 September 1995);
- First Training Course/Workshop
in Sample Design for Household and Establishment
Surveys (31 July to 29 September 1965);
- Sixth Group Training
Course in Practical Statistics (5 October
1995 to 27 March 1996).
3. Under the outreach programme,
the following activities were undertaken:
Eight country courses
- Country Course on Statistical
Computing, 3 April to 5 May 1995, Alofi, Niue;
- Country Course on Practical
Statistics, 1 May to 14 July 1995, Phnom Penh;
- Training Workshop on
the System of Integrated Environmental and
Economic Accounting, 2-12 May 1995, Olongapo
City, Philippines;
- Country Course on Sampling
Design and Survey Operations, 29 May to 9
June 1995, Yangon;
- Training Course on
Statistical Analysis, 5 to 16 June 1995, Kuala
Lumpur;
- Country Course on Analysis
of Survey Data for Estimating Human Development
Indicators, 19 to 30 June 1995, Lahore, Pakistan;
- Country Course on Sample
Surveys, 23 August to 14 September 1995, Ulaanbaatar;
- Country Course on Human
Development Indicators for Planning, 14 to
24 November 1995, Ulaanbaatar.
One advanced course
Advanced Course on Analysis
and Interpretation of Statistics for Socio-economic
Planning, 6 to 28 July 1995, Bangkok.
--------------------------
* During the period 1 April
1995 to 31 March 1996.
PROGRAMME OF WORK FOR
1996/97*
1. The programme of
work for 1996/97 is submitted for the Governing
Board's review and adoption.
2. The courses scheduled to
be conducted in Tokyo are as follows:
- Group Training Course
in Practical Statistics;
- Group Training Course
in Automatic Data Processing for Trainers;
- Special Group Training
Course in Analysis and Interpretation of
Statistics;
- Course/Workshop on
Sample Design for Household and Establishment
Surveys.
The above courses are to be
finalized on the basis of the relevant and applicable
laws and regulations of the Government of Japan,
and in accordance with its annual budgetary
appropriations for fiscal year 1996.
3. The outreach programme
for 1996 will consist of the following:
A. Under UNDP RAS/92/005
(Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific
(Phase VI) - A programme in human development
indicators)
- Training mission on
analysis of household income and expenditure
surveys (assistance to the national Statistical
Office of Tonga).
- Two to three country
courses/missions relating to human development
indicators by SIAP staff/consultants (focusing
on island developing countries, the least
developed countries, and disadvantaged economies
in transition).
- Advanced workshop in
collaboration with the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on
information for food security in the framework
of an integrated agricultural statistical
system, targeted towards countries with disadvantaged
economies in transition (China, Cambodia,
Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Lao
People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Myanmar,
and Viet Nam).
- A workshop on training
of trainers in sample design in China, in
collaboration with the Statistical Training
Centre of China (if savings are available).
- A workshop on training
of trainers in sampling methods and their
applications in Pakistan, in collaboration
with the Pakistan Institute of Statistical
Training and Research (if savings are available).
B. Under RAS/95/001 component
4 (Regional Poverty Alleviation Programme)
Training workshops to increase
understanding and professionalism in the use
of data in designing and evaluating poverty
alleviation and gender sensitive policies and
programmes among data producers and users in
four countries (China, Lao People's Democratic
Republic, Mongolia, and Viet Nam) currently
experiencing fundamental economic and social
changes.
----------------------
* During the period
1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997.
Cash contributions
to the Statistical Institute for Asia and the
Pacific, by country or area, 1986-1996
(United States dollars)
| Donor
| 1986
| 1987
| 1988
| 1989
| 1990
| 1991
| 1992
| 1993
| 1994
| 1995
| 1996
|
| Australia
| 42
438.00
| 19
470.00
| 44
069.00
| 48
810.00
| 46
386.00
| 47
256.00
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|
| Bangladesh
| 5
039.02
| 2
490.00
| 5
000.00
| 7
573.71
| 5
000.00
| 5
000.00
| 2
500.00
| 2
500.00
| 5
025.00
| 5
016.48
| -
|
| Brunei Darussalam
| 5
000.00
| 5
000.00
| 5
000.00
| 5
| | 
