E/ESCAP/STAT.10/11/Add.1
3 October 1996
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Committee on Statistics
Tenth session
25-29 November 1996
Bangkok

INTRODUCTION

1. To promote close coordination of all aspects of the statistical activities of specialized agencies, relevant United Nations bodies and other international organizations in regard to their work in the Asian and Pacific region, an experimental presentation of work programmes in statistics in the region was first introduced at the ninth session of the Committee on Statistics in November/December 1994. The Committee welcomed the exercise and suggested improvement of the format by including a section on objectives and, if available, information on priorities for each of the work categories presented.

2. This document is another attempt to provide an integrated presentation of work programmes for 1996-1997, of which a draft was presented to the Bureau of the Committee at its meeting in January 1996. The Bureau noted the purpose of an integrated presentation of work programmes and suggested further development of the exercise. In preparing this paper, 28 agencies and organizations ADB, ASEAN, CIS, ECO, FAO, ICAO, ILO, IMF, INSTRAW, MRC, OECD, SAARC, SIAP, SPC, UNCHS, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNIFEM, WHO, the World Bank, WTO and WTO-OMC. were invited to participate. ADB, CIS, FAO, ICAO, ILO, OECD, SIAP, UNFPA, UNIDO, WHO and WTO-OMC provided ESCAP with information on their work programmes and major statistical activities to be undertaken in the region in 1996-1997. The same classification of statistical activities was utilized as for the previous presentation; the ACC Subcommittee on Statistical Activities is currently examining possible changes to the relevant part of the ACC programme classification.

3. The Committee may note some problems and difficulties that the secretariat has encountered in preparing the presentation. The period covered by this paper, 1996-1997, or indeed any timebound period, is not readily applicable to some agencies such as SIAP which do not have fixed two-year or four-year plans, but rely mainly on extrabudgetary assistance. In some cases, at the time of collecting information for preparing the paper, work programmes had not yet been developed - a process which may occur only when funds become available. Not many agencies have contributed to this exercise, only 11 so far; thus, the presentation is far from complete. However, the secretariat expects to have information from more agencies in the future if it is directed to pursue the matter. It should be noted that compilation of the paper is rather time-consuming for the secretariat, and would become more so if more agencies contribute to the exercise. To fill in some of the gaps in certain major fields of statistics, the secretariat has conducted some library research and searched through the Internet.

4. The Committee is invited to comment on the presentation, especially on the new format, and give its views on the usefulness (actual and potential) of the exercise. In addition, the comments of the Committee on the problems encountered would be helpful. Assuming that the exercise should continue, the Committee may also like to identify which agencies or organizations should be invited to participate and discuss how the secretariat can improve the response rate from those agencies as well as obtain information from other sources.

EXPERIMENTAL PRESENTATION OF WORK PROGRAMMES 1996-1997

A. DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL STATISTICS

1. Population and housing statistics

CIS

(i) Study of vital statistics, including changes in population number of CIS States, the application of the International Classification of Diseases, Injuries and Causes of Death (tenth revision) and a study of migration processes. (ii) Preparation of materials on policy and methodological issues related to the population and housing censuses scheduled for 1999. (iii) Statistical study of housing conditions of population; improvement of indicators which characterize the housing market (including a secondary one), hotel services, as well as housing and public services.

ESCAP

Objectives:

To assist developing countries in the region in improving the quality of demographic statistics produced, and in preparing for the 2000 round of population and housing censuses. To cooperate with and support the United Nations Statistics Division on the 2000 World Population and Housing Census Programme.

Activities:

Activities of the Statistics Division

To improve the quality of demographic statistics produced in the region, activities of the Division are focused on: (i) advisory missions undertaken by ESCAP staff/CST advisers, on planning, conducting, processing and analysing population censuses and surveys in developing countries; and (ii) technical meetings on applying new technology in population data collection, processing, dissemination and presentation.

Activities of other Divisions

Population Division: Activities of the Population Division on this subject include: (i) advisory services focusing on population analysis; (ii) training workshops on population data analysis; and (iii) annual publication of ESCAP Population Data Sheet.

SIAP

Activities:

Many of SIAP's in-country courses are focused on the analysis of population censuses and surveys.

UNFPA

Activities:

UNFPA is supporting many country projects in this field. Those projects are in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Fiji, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Vanuatu and Viet Nam.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

ESCAP: Meetings of the working party on the application of new technology in population data collecting and processing (two in 1997)

UNSD: Expert Group on the 2000 World Population and Housing Census Programme (New York, 9-13 September 1996)

Publications and other output:

ESCAP: ESCAP Population Data Sheet, 1996 and 1997

2. Labour statistics

CIS

Study of the dynamics of wages and salaries in the CIS countries. Methodological proposals for improving manpower balance and statistical study of labour markets and labour migration, as well as analysis of the state of labour protection and work conditions.

ILO

Objectives:

The development of national statistical systems in Member States and, in parallel, the greater relevance and international comparability of labour statistics.

Activities: (priority A: activities to be undertaken in 1996-1997)

Four means of action will continue to be used to achieve these objectives: (i) the establishment of new international statistical standards, or the revision of existing ones, (ii) the provision of technical advisory services to Member States, (iii) the holding of training courses and seminars on topics related to labour statistics, and (iv) the dissemination of a broad range of information on specific labour issues. Activities will include: (i) developing standards for statistics on income from employment, (ii) work on administrative records as a potential source of relatively inexpensive indicators on the state of the labour market, statistics of occupational accidents and diseases, statistics of working time, the International Classification of Status in Employment, a labour accounting system, employment in the informal sector, and surveys of child labour. With respect to the last two, an urban informal sector survey is being conducted in the Philippines to obtain a wide range of data on the informal sector in Metro Manila; and surveys of child labour are being conducted in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Turkey.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

ILO: Tripartite Meeting of Experts on Statistics of Income from Employment (1997)

Publications and other output:

ILO: Yearbook of Labour Statistics;
Bulletin of Labour Statistics;
Sources and Methods: Labour Statistics;
Draft resolution on statistics of underemployment: concept and measurement;
Draft resolution on statistics of income from employment.

3. Education statistics

CIS

It is envisaged that the state of secondary general education in the Commonwealth countries will be studied, as well as trends in secondary and higher education. Proposals will be prepared on the organization of statistical observation of training specialists with high and medium-level qualifications in the educational establishments of the CIS countries with due regard to the International Standard Classification of Education.

UNESCO

Compilation and publication of education statistics by country and region. PROAP, as UNESCO's principal focal point for Asia and the Pacific, serves as the forum for articulating and advocating common themes, trends and issues in the region, and as a channel through which information, documentation and expertise throughout the region can be made available to Member States.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

UNESCO: First session of the Regional Committee on Education in Asia and the Pacific (1996);

Second international congress on education and informatics (Moscow, 1-5 July 1996).

Publications and other output:

UNESCO: UNESCO Statistical Yearbook;
CD-ROM containing UNESCO databases and statistics on education.

4. Culture and mass communication statistics

CIS

Development of statistical forms and study of the work of cultural institutions in CIS countries in the conditions of economic reform.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

Publications and other output:

5. Health statistics

CIS

Statistical study of population morbidity and mortality in CIS countries as well as the state of health care institutions network.

WHO

Objectives: (for 1996-2001)

1. To develop and strengthen national capacities for assessing the general health situation and trends, particularly as they relate to priority problems.
2. To strengthen the capacity to collect, use and disseminate up-to-date information on delivery of services. This will be used for planning, implementation, control and evaluation of health systems designed to improve quality of life and environmental conditions.
3. To encourage necessary research and development of new methods, sources and resultant regional databases to monitor health protection and promotion activities.
4. To promote planning, design and implementation of adequate health management information systems dedicated to subnational management of the district health system.
5. To select and adapt appropriate informatics technology for data processing, storage and dissemination.

Activities: (for 1996-1997)

New concepts of management support will be required, and the identification of new measures to evaluate and monitor services and health status. Fundamental changes in measurement must focus on individual health achievements rather than health care systems.

The new focus for activities includes: the reformulation and construction of new WHO/WPRO databases; encouraging research on new indicators for monitoring and evaluation; upgrading human resources for management of health statistical systems; and strengthening management information support to primary health care at district levels.

At country level, WHO will (i) provide necessary technical support for the development, reorientation or refinement of national health information systems to assure adequate management support; (ii) provide promotional support for human resources development in use of health information and health literature in management. This will be achieved by reorientation or redesigning of curricula for health and medical personnel to meet the needs of all levels of health systems management; and (iii) develop appropriate health information and literature support for continuing education, health promotion and technology transfer to primary health care workers at the district level.

At intercountry level, new, more sensitive measurement devices, indicators and analytic methods will be developed. These will be introduced to assess health outcomes that will have a longer-term and sustainable impact on the quality of life of individuals and communities.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

WHO: Seminar/Workshop of informatics specialists from 8-10 countries on appropriate informatics technology in support of district health systems - health management information systems (DHS-HMIS) activities (Manila, 1997)

Publications and other output:

WHO: A regional database using new indicators to measure "positive health status" will be established in the Regional Office

6. Distribution of income and consumption

CIS

Statistical study of living conditions of population in CIS countries (including the financial position of less well-to-do groups of the population), social differentiation of incomes and their consumption. Recommendations are being prepared for that purpose on the application of international experience in the statistical study of poverty problems.

In the framework of household statistics it is envisaged that the following will be studied: money incomes and consumer expenditure of the population; structure of households consumption depending on their size, composition and availability of children. With that end in view, great attention will be paid to the improvement of multi-purpose household survey methodology.

7. Social security

CIS

Development of statistical forms and statistical study of activities on the social security of the population in conditions of economic reform.

8. Poverty monitoring

ESCAP

Objectives:

To assist developing countries in the development and utilization of data on poverty in support of poverty alleviation; to provide guidelines and assistance to countries through a workshop on methodologies of poverty measurement.

Activities:

Activities of the Population Division: As well as demographic data estimates and projections, the Division also collects data on changes in family composition and rural-urban migration, and their implications for poverty alleviation.

ILO

Objectives:

To strengthen the capacity of the ILO and its constituents to monitor national and international changes in poverty and related issues.

Activities: (priority A: activities to be undertaken in 1996-1997)

Data compilation, analytical work, preparation of draft international standards on the measurement of poverty and the development of poverty monitoring systems by the ILO Interdepartmental Task Force on Poverty Statistics and Indicators. Active participation in inter-agency meetings on statistical measurement of poverty.

SIAP

Activities:

As well as providing training support, disseminating statistical information and promoting awareness of poverty alleviation, the Institute conducts a series of country courses on this subject.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

• ESCAP: Committee on Poverty Alleviation, third session (Bangkok, 16-18 October 1996)
• SIAP: Four training workshops on planning and evaluating poverty-related programmes (China, April 1996; Mongolia, April-May 1996; Lao People's Democratic Republic, May-June 1996; and Viet Nam, June-July 1996)

Publications and other output:

ILO: Reports of the Interdepartmental Task Force on Poverty Statistics and Indicators

9. Role of women

CIS

(i) The study of individual aspects of status of women in the Commonwealth States; continuation of work on the improvement of a system of indicators characterizing the socio-economic status of women; and (ii) development of methodological materials for a survey of farmer households and their approbation.

ESCAP

Objectives:

To support the improvement of statistics and indicators on the role of women through group training, seminars and workshops on related subjects.

Activities:

Activities of the Statistics Division

The Division's activities include: (i) training and technical meetings on the development of statistics on children and women; (ii) advisory missions to assist in the conduct of surveys; and (iii) the compilation and dissemination of data. Two ongoing projects on gender statistics are being implemented: (i) the Netherlands-funded project "Improving Statistics on Women in the ESCAP Region"; and (ii) the UNIFEM/SIDA-funded project "Improving Statistics on Gender Issues".

UNIFEM

The UNIFEM regional programme for Asia and the Pacific is very active in providing funds for national and regional projects on women's development, including gender statistics.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

ESCAP: Third regional workshop for core members of the national working groups on gender statistics (Bangkok, 10-12 December 1996)

Publications and other output:

• ESCAP: Six national reports (for India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam) on the priority gender concerns and list of required statistics, deficiencies in the existing statistics on priority gender issues, and national plans of action;
• Six national statistical booklets on the situation of women and men (for India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam);
• Regional publications of the situation of women and men in the countries of the region;
• Nineteen national profiles on women for 19 countries in Asia and the Pacific.

10. Human development indicators

ESCAP

Objectives:

To assist Governments in the improvement of social statistics and indicators, including human development indicators. To support national work on human development indicators. SIAP

Activities:

In response to the increasing demand for statistics on human development planning, SIAP has been conducting several training courses on the subject.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

Publications and other output:

B. ECONOMIC STATISTICS

1. National accounts

CIS

Providing national statistical services of the Commonwealth with methodological documents and forms related to the transition of statistics to SNA. Collection, processing and analysis of data on the basis of CIS questionnaire on national accounts, including main indicators of SNA.

ESCAP

Objectives:

To assist developing countries in the implementation of the revised System of National Accounts, through advisory services and the provision of guidelines.

Activities:

Activities of the Statistics Division

The Division's activities are oriented towards: (i) reviewing the current systems of national accounts in the light of the 1993 SNA; (ii) identifying the methodological changes between the 1968 SNA and the revised SNA; (iii) providing advisory services in new areas for data generation in relation to the adoption of the revised SNA and compilation of accounts of institutional sectors; (iv) verifying data sources and the treatment of special cases, in particular the privatization of government bodies; (v) exploring means of producing sub-annual estimates; (vi) reviewing benchmark deflators; (vii) examining the possibility of regional or island-based estimates; and (viii) organizing subregional workshops on various aspects of the revised SNA.

OECD

Objectives:

OECD has been offering assistance to all CIS member countries on the implementation of the 1993 SNA since 1992. Preliminary accounts for the years 1990 to 1993 exist for most of those countries that are members of ESCAP. In 1995/1996 and 1996/1997, the assistance will concentrate on four areas (i) the development of timely indicators of the evolution of GDP, (ii) integration of improved basic data into SNA compilations, (iii) improved constant price measures and (iv) improved means of measuring small-scale activities.

Activities:

Three types of activities will continue: (i) missions by OECD staff to individual countries, (ii) workshops for small groups of countries where common problems can be discussed and regional developments can be exchanged, (iii) more general seminars and meetings for national accounts staff from all countries of the CIS or also including OECD countries. One instance is the annual OECD/ECE meeting of national accounts experts. Participants are invited from ESCAP countries that are also members of OECD or ECE. Other United Nations member countries may also attend on request.

OECD prepares working documents specifically for countries in transition on the problems of implementing national accounts. Agreements have been reached with several countries in the region to issue joint publications containing estimates of the accounts and descriptive text.

OECD also publishes more general handbooks and compilation guides on various aspects of national accounts. In 1995-1997 these will include revised versions of COICOP (household expenditure classification), COFOG (classification of government expenditure by function), a handbook on inflation accounting and guides to sources and methods in services statistics, and methodological reports on the International Comparison Programme.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

ESCAP: Subregional workshops on selected topics in the 1993 System of National Accounts (Beijing, Jakarta and Suva, 1997)

OECD: The programme of regional workshops is likely to involve staff of each office in two meetings per year. The joint OECD-ECE meeting of national accounts experts will be held in April or May of each year. The main topic will be implementation of the 1993 SNA.

Publications and other output:

2. Agriculture statistics

CIS

Statistical study of the state of agricultural production in the Commonwealth countries and sales of agricultural products; calculation of price indices for industrial and agricultural products; making projections of livestock production in the CIS countries.

FAO

Objectives:

1. To improve national agricultural statistical systems through (i) promotion of standardized concepts, definitions and classifications; (ii) provision of advice on methodological aspects; (iii) training of appropriate officials in processing and analysis of food supply and consumption data for deriving indicators of the food situation; and (iv) provision of technical assistance in the field of food and agricultural statistics.

2. To maintain a database of long-term statistical series for the Asian and Pacific region regarding food and agriculture, and disseminate the information in the region.

3. To monitor the per capita availability of food at the national level in terms of calories, protein and fat.

Activities:

(i) Monitoring developments in national systems of food and agricultural statistics; (ii) advisory missions on improvement of data collection, analysis and dissemination, and technical meetings on development of statistical techniques and methodologies; (iii) supporting field projects for assistance in food and agricultural statistics; (iv) compiling selected indicators in food and agriculture for dissemination; and (v) compiling production statistics through questionnaires, national statistical publications and other non-official sources.

Based on production, trade and utilization statistics collected by the Statistics Division, supply and utilization accounts are constructed for all food and agricultural commodities and for all countries. Food balance sheets are then derived from these accounts.

OECD

Objectives:

To contribute to work in developing recommendations for agricultural censuses and to ensure that the concerns and requirements of countries in transition (including those in the ESCAP area) are adequately reflected.

Activities:

Building and maintaining an agricultural database for countries in transition (including ESCAP members) for analysis.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

FAO: Sixteenth session of the Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics (October 1996);

Seminar on agricultural census 2000 (1997);

National Demonstration Centre on use/analysis of food supply/consumption data for assessing/ monitoring the food situation.

Publications and other output:

• FAO: Reports reviewing existing agricultural statistical systems, with recommendations for improvement;
• Reports of technical meetings, with methodological recommendations for adoption by countries;
• Annual publication of Selected Indicators of Food and Agriculture Development in the Asia-Pacific Region;
• A subset of WAICENT (AGROSTAT.PC) available at Regional Office;
• Food balance sheets for all countries are disseminated through printed materials and diskettes.

3. Industry statistics

CIS

Study of volume and indices of industrial production. Accounting of joint ventures and transnational companies created in the framework of the Commonwealth is to be organized, as well as the activities of enterprises with foreign investments located on the territory of the Commonwealth countries.

UNIDO

Objectives:

Dissemination of internationally comparable detailed industrial statistics that could serve as the basis of research, policy recommendation and decision-making by researchers, government officials, investors and other business people.

Activities:

1. Maintenance of UNIDO industrial statistics databases (ISIC 3-digit and 4-digit code levels): as part of the recent international rearrangement for data collection and dissemination responsibilities in the industrial sphere, UNIDO, in collaboration with OECD, will continue to assume sole responsibility for the collection and dissemination of global general industrial statistics. UNIDO is responsible for all countries/areas (including all ESCAP countries) that are not members of OECD while OECD collects data for its member States and provides them to UNIDO. The first edition of the new abbreviated UNIDO annual questionnaire was sent out in the first quarter of 1995. UNIDO plans to dispatch the second edition of the questionnaire to all non-OECD countries/areas in January 1996. UNIDO will continue to compile, estimate and disseminate global data on eight selected items: number of establishments, number of persons engaged, number of employees, number of female employees, wages and salaries, output, value added and gross fixed capital formation plus, in the case of ISIC 3-digit data, production indexes.

2. Maintenance of UNIDO commodity-balance statistics database: UNIDO will continue to compile and disseminate global time series on production, imports, exports and apparent consumption (all in physical units) of 120 selected manufactured products. A biennial update is planned for 1997.

3. Publication of the International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics. The data obtained by UNIDO and OECD through the annual surveys in 1996 and 1997 will be published in the UNIDO commercial publication, the International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics.

4. The improvement of data service functions will continue to be a priority issue and related software and user support systems will be developed further.

5. Technical assistance to national statistical offices.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

Publications and other output:

• UNIDO: Updated UNIDO industrial statistics databases (ISIC 3-digit and 4-digit levels);
• Updated UNIDO commodity balance statistics database;
• International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics 1996 and 1997 editions;
• Further modified versions of the UNIDO computer software, National Industrial Statistics Programme (NISP), which is to be installed in national statistical offices, ministries of industry, national producers' associations, etc. through UNIDO technical cooperation projects.

4. Energy statistics

CIS

The statistical study of fuel and energy complex functioning, output of oil refineries, industry products, as well as the production and consumption of electric energy in the Commonwealth countries.

ESCAP

Activities:

Activities of the Environment and Natural Resources Management Division: The Division conducts training workshops in methodologies of sample design and on techniques of data processing for improvement of sectoral energy demand. Meetings in 1996-1997:

Publications and other output:

ESCAP: Electric Power in Asia and the Pacific 1991-1992 (1996); for 1993-1994, forthcoming.

5. Services statistics

CIS

Analysis of the situation at consumer goods and services market, as well as of organizational and structural changes in trade in the conditions of market development.

ESCAP

Activities:

Activities of the Statistics Division: to improve statistical capability in the domestic services sector, including informal sector services.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

ESCAP: Seminar on statistics on services and the informal sector (Bangkok, May 1997)

Publications and other output:

6. Construction statistics

CIS

Statistical study of putting into operation of the dwelling houses, units of social sphere, fixed assets and production capacities, capital investments.

7. Trade statistics

CIS

The statistical study of commodity markets of the CIS countries and their external economic activities.

ESCAP

Objectives:

To promote international collaboration on research and development of statistics on trade in services through regional workshops and advisory services on various aspects of trade statistics, for developing countries and economies in transition.

Activities:

Activities of the Statistics Division

Activities in this field are focused on: (i) updating and maintaining data on international trade for countries of the region; and (ii) publishing detailed annual compilations of such data covering a recent five-year period.

Activities of other Divisions

International Trade and Economic Cooperation Division: The Division produces a monthly bulletin on Prices of Selected Asia/Pacific Products, and plans to provide detailed trade data in national format on CD-ROM.

FAO

Objectives:

To make available to users updated long-term statistical series on trade in food and agricultural products.

Activities:

(i) Compilation of the above statistics through magnetic tapes, diskettes, questionnaires, national statistical publications and other non-official sources, and (ii) dissemination through yearbooks, magnetic tapes, diskettes, printouts, etc.

WTO-OMC

[WTO-OMC has informed the secretariat that they do not have planned activities in this field, except those related to the regular preparation of the WTO annual report on International Trade, Trends and Statistics.]

Meetings in 1996-1997:

APEC: Tenth meeting of the Trade and Investment Data Working Group (Singapore, March/April 1997)

Publications and other output:

ESCAP: Publication of Foreign Trade Statistics of Asia and the Pacific, 1989-1993 (1996); update forthcoming.

Technical materials in response to requests for statistical information from users outside and within the secretariat, particularly in support of thematic analyses and studies, including data on investment flows;

Monthly bulletin on Prices of Selected Asia/Pacific Products, and plans to provide detailed trade data in national format on CD-ROM.

FAO: Statistics on trade in food and agricultural commodities for all commodities and countries in the world.

8. Transport statistics

CIS

Statistical observation of the work of transport in the CIS countries, of the activities of transnational spheres and units of transport, communication, gas and oil pipelines.

ICAO

ICAO does not have any specific statistical programme for the ESCAP region as such. However, it does have an extensive worldwide statistical programme which naturally encompasses data for States in the region.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

Publications and other output:

9. Communication and tourism statistics

CIS

The data will be collected and analysed on the development of foreign tourism in the CIS countries, and recommendations will be formulated on improving analysis and statistical observation of tourism and recreational activities.

10. Money and banking statistics

CIS

Study of incomes and expenditure of state budgets of the CIS countries, the issue and withdrawal of money, interest rates of credits and deposits, exchange rates; transactions with securities; external indebtedness of countries.

IMF

The database on international financial statistics is produced by the International Monetary Fund from data submitted by most member countries. The data consist of numerous international statistics by country. Some of the statistics include interest rates, exchange rates, inflation rates, gross domestic product, and balance of payments. The data are typically available on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis starting in 1948.

11. Prices, including the International Comparison Programme

CIS

Development of methods to estimate purchasing power parities and rendering assistance in introducing these methods in the CIS countries. Making comparative analysis of the level of prices and the level of economic development of the CIS countries on the basis of value comparisons results. A study of the dynamics of prices for consumer goods and paid services in the CIS countries is envisaged.

ESCAP

Objectives:

To assist developing countries in the ESCAP region in the adoption and implementation of phase VI of the International Comparison Programme (ICP).

Activities:

Activities of the Statistics Division

Activities of the Division include: (i) processing of data received from countries on national average prices and on expenditure; (ii) advisory services on implementation of phase VI of the International Comparison Programme in the ESCAP region; (iii) training workshops to review data inputs for the International Comparison Programme; and (iv) analysis of results of ICP phase VI.

ILO

Objectives:

The development of national statistical systems on consumer price indices (CPI) and the greater relevance and comparability of CPI.

Activities: (priority A: activities to be undertaken in 1996-1997) Collection, analysis and dissemination of data and methodologies on CPI. Participation in EUROSTAT's Working Party and in the inter-agency task force on CPI.

OECD

Objectives:

OECD initiated a programme to calculate purchasing power parities for the ESCAP member countries of the CIS in 1993 and preliminary results for 1994 were available in 1995. This work will continue through 1995/1996 and 1996/1997 with the objective of having timely and regular estimates of PPPs available for each of these countries.

OECD will continue to assist the same countries in the development and improvement of price indices, particularly those needed to calculate national accounts at constant prices.

Activities:

OECD will conduct individual country missions, regional workshops and more general meetings as needed in line with the practices described under national accounts.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

• ESCAP: Seminar on the use of ICP data (Bangkok, June 1997)
• ILO: ILO/ECE meeting on consumer price indices
• OECD: One or two regional/general meetings on ICP per year will be arranged, the timing to depend on the evolution of the work programme

Publications and other output:

• ESCAP: Results of ICP phase VI in the Asian and Pacific region
• ILO: Yearbook of Labour Statistics;
• Bulletin of Labour Statistics;
• Sources and Methods: Labour Statistics. Vol. 1: Consumer Price Indices.

12. Science and technology statistics

CIS

Study of the main indicators which characterize the state of science and training of scientific personnel in the CIS countries.

C. OTHER STATISTICS

1. Environment statistics

CIS

Objectives:

A study is planned on the state of atmosphere air, water resources, generation and removal of toxic wastes, as well as capital investments for the protection of the environment and commission of environment protection units.

Meetings will also be organized on the exchange of experience, rendering consultative and practical assistance to national statistical services. Envisaged as well are seminars on the following subjects: organization of interstate exchange of statistical information by electronic mail; organization of interstate exchange of socio-economic information, publishing activities, management of databases; methodological aspects of the forthcoming population census.

ESCAP

Objectives:

To improve the availability of data on the environment in the region, including indicators of sustainable development and environmental accounts, and to enhance national capabilities to provide such statistics and address methodological inadequacies.

Activities:

Activities of the Statistics Division

Activities of the Division are focused on: (i) expert group meetings and regional seminars on environment statistics and environmental accounting; (ii) conduct of case studies in selected countries on linking systems of national accounts and environmental accounting; (iii) providing guidelines for the collection of environment data; and (iv) development of environment statistics databases for the region.

The implementation of the project "Development of environment statistics in the ESCAP region, phase II" (1996-1998), funded by the Netherlands, is intended to strengthen the capabilities of most of the ESCAP developing countries in the field of environment statistics. The project will enable statisticians and environmental scientists from the region to discuss problems and to develop common strategies for the development and improvement of environment statistics.

Activities of other Divisions

A mega-project integrating environmental considerations into economic policy-making processes, funded by Japan, is being implemented by four Divisions of ESCAP, namely the Development Research and Policy Analysis Division, the Environment and Natural Resources Management Division, the International Trade and Economic Cooperation Division, and the Statistics Division. One of the specific objectives of this project is to enhance the capacity of Governments in their economic policy-making processes to organize and utilize assessments of environmental and sustainable development policies and programmes.

Environment and Natural Resources Management Division: ESCAP has established national focal points on the state of the environment which will collect and coordinate statistics and data on the state of the environment. The Division is developing an environmental database in collaboration with UNEP Environmental Assessment Sub-programme and other agencies of the United Nations.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

• ESCAP: Expert Group Meeting on Environmental and Resource Accounting, Bangkok, 20-23 February 1996;
• Seminar on Environmental and Resource Accounting, Seoul, 27-31 May 1996;
• Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, third session, Bangkok, 7-11 October 1996;
• Two regional workshops on environment statistics for East Asia and South-East Asia, under the Netherlands funded project (1997);
• Three subregional expert group meetings for East and South-East Asia, South Asia and the Pacific, under the mega-project (1997).

Publications and other output:

ESCAP: Operational Handbook on Environment Statistics (1996)

2. Statistical capacity-building and training

ADB

Objectives:

The principal responsibilities of the Statistics and Data Systems Division are: (i) to coordinate the systematic collection of socioeconomic data and maintain a data bank required to support Bank activities; (ii) to provide computerized statistical services for the Bank's operational and analytical uses; (iii) to conduct research on statistical methodology; (iv) to prepare statistical papers and studies on subjects of general or professional interest and relevance to the Bank's operations and the developing member countries' development problems; (v) to improve the dissemination of reliable and timely statistics; and (vi) to formulate and provide technical assistance through training to the developing member countries on building or improving the national statistical systems and services.

Activities:

(i) To publish and disseminate reliable and timely statistics through project reports and publications (see expected output), (ii) to maintain and update a statistical database system, and (iii) to conduct workshops and regional technical assistance projects.

CIS

Objectives:

The Interstate Statistical Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) provides for statistical support of interstate cooperation of CIS countries in economic and social spheres by way of collecting, processing, analysing and disseminating statistical information on the basis of unified methodology and statistical technique.

Activities:

The collection of statistical information from the Commonwealth countries in accordance with 25 CIS questionnaires by way of electronic mail and other communication means: processing of data and generating summary information for interstate exchange in statistical data of CIS countries with the use of computerized databases; management and updating of computerized databases of the CIS Statcommittee; ensuring information interaction with member States and coordinating institutions of the Commonwealth; coordination of work in harmonizing statistical forms, informatization and computerization of statistical activities in the CIS countries.

Participation in the Regional ECE/UNDP Statistical Project (RER/019/A/01/54) by preparing methodological materials for population censuses and rendering technical assistance to the countries in preparation for the censuses.

ESCAP

Objectives:

To assist developing countries of the region in improving the statistical capacity and the quality and availability of socio-economic and other statistics.

Activities:

Activities of the Statistics Division

The Division carries out the following activities: (i) provision of technical support and services, through group training, seminars and workshops, and advisory services, including through UNFPA/CST, to national statistical authorities; (ii) promotion of technical cooperation among countries in the region so that it respects basic priorities and minimizes duplication; (iii) ensuring that international standards and methods are suitable for the use of member countries; (iv) improving the quality of vital statistics and the use of administrative records; (v) assisting statistical agencies of countries in transition to promote the standard of their statistical services; and (vi) technical and substantive support to institutions conducting statistical training, especially the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific.

ILO

Objectives:

(i) To assist in the implementation of international labour statistics standards; (ii) to improve the infrastructure for developing, implementing and using labour statistics, including support for the development of national standard classifications within the ILO's technical competence (occupations, employment status, etc.), support for the development of population frames for household based and establishment based surveys relating to economic activities, and so on.

Activities: (priority A: activities to be undertaken in 1996-1997)

(i) Short-term country missions to build up the capacity of statistical infrastructure in agencies producing labour statistics. These include assistance to transition countries in Asia: Kazakstan (labour cost and labour force surveys), Kyrgyzstan (classification of occupations), Tajikistan (seminar on role of statistical information, Turkmenistan (revision of labour statistics system), Uzbekistan (pilot labour force survey), as well as technical assistance by an ILO statistician to other countries of the region. (ii) Updating manuals and training materials on various topics of labour statistics. (iii) ILO training programmes or participation in training programmes by other agencies or organizations.

SIAP

Activities:

A number of courses, regularly conducted at the Institute every year, are the basis of SIAP's training thrust and as such, continuous efforts are made to conduct training through the infusion of new subjects. These courses are: (i) Group Training Course in Practical Statistics (annually), (ii) Group Training Course in Automatic Data Processing for Statisticians (annually); and (iii) Microcomputer Course for Training of Trainers (annually); and (iv) Special Group Training Course in Analysis and Interpretation of Statistics (annually).

Further, to build capability in the developing countries in providing statistics for policy analysis, the Institute will maintain, depending on resources, its outreach programmes on: (i) in-country courses for middle-level statisticians; (ii) country-plus courses; and (iii) joint training with other organizations (to make the best use of available resources).

The Institute also develops and disseminates training materials, such as audio-video tapes and printed materials.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

• ESCAP: Working Group of Statistical Experts, ninth session (Bangkok, 30 January-2 February 1996);
• Committee on Statistics, tenth session (Bangkok, 25-29 November 1996).
• SIAP: SIAP Governing Board, first session (Tokyo, 11-13 March 1996);
• SIAP Governing Board, second session (Bangkok, 20-22 November 1996).

Publications and other output:

ILO: Updated manuals and training materials.

3. Statistical information

ESCAP

Objectives:

To identify, collect, process, analyse and utilize data needed for the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of development plans and policies.

Activities:

Activities of the Statistics Division

The Division carries out the following activities: (i) collection of statistical information on member countries; (ii) compilation of data; (iii) dissemination of data and provision of technical support and services, through published materials to national statistical authorities; and (iv) responses to requests for statistical information from users outside and within the secretariat.

Meetings in 1996-1997:

Publications and other output:

• ADB: Project reports and publications:
• Key Indicators of Developing Asian and Pacific Countries
• Basic Facts
• Asian Development Outlook
• Annual Report
• CIS: Statistical output of the CIS Statcommittee is presented in the following publications: Economy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (Concise Edition), Countries of the CIS (Statistical Yearbook), External Economic Activities of the Commonwealth States, External Trade, Demographic Yearbook, Environment Protection in the CIS Countries, Finances of the CIS Countries, National Accounts and Economic Balances of the CIS Countries, World in Figures, European Union and Commonwealth of Independent States in Figures (jointly with Eurostat), etc.
• CIS and cooperative publications are: Statistical Bulletin of the CIS Statcommittee (weekly), Express Information on Social and Economic Problems of the Commonwealth States (2-3 times a week), Short-term Economic Indicators of the CIS Countries (quarterly), Information Bulletin of the CIS Statcommittee (includes official methodological and organizational materials of the CIS Statcommittee).
• ESCAP: Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific
• Statistical Indicators for Asia and the Pacific, quarterly
• Asia-Pacific in Figures, annually
• Statistical Newsletter, quarterly
• Socio-Economic Profile of SAARC Countries: A Statistical Analysis, Statistical Profiles, No. 1 (1996)
• Data on diskettes and/or CD-ROM.

4. Statistical information systems

ESCAP

Objectives:

To operate fully the ESCAP Statistical Information System (ESIS), including provision of on-line access within the secretariat, and to promote electronic interchange and networking among national statistical offices of the region.

Activities:

Activities of the Statistics Division

The ESCAP Statistical Information System is being further developed in order to integrate the secretariat's core statistical socio-economic data series into a unified computerized statistical information system to meet more satisfactorily the need for current and future data storage, management, retrieval and analysis. The information system is also being designed to be able to provide an enhanced and innovative range of statistical information services and outputs to a broad spectrum of internal and external users.

In a wider perspective, ESIS will also complement and support the work of the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis on designing the United Nations Economic and Social Information System (UNESIS).

Activities of other Divisions

All Divisions of ESCAP are being invited to partici