Economic Statistics in
Asia and the Pacific
Zeynep Orhun Girard
Regional Seminar on Developing a Programme for the Implementation
of the 2008 SNA and Supporting Statistics in the ECO member countries
Ankara, Turkey
September 2013
This presentation covers
• What ESCAP does on economic statistics
• Background to the Regional Programme
on Economic Statistics (RPES) in A-P
• Links to the work of development partners
• Implementation of RPES & next steps
Economic Statistics at ESCAP
Capacity Building
Framework:
 Regional Programme for
Economic Statistics (RPES)
 Core Set of Economic
Statistics
 Related projects
 Advisory services
Outputs:
 Advocacy
 Coordination
 Infrastructure
 Skills (SIAP)
Data Work
 Economic indicators in
DB
 >400 indicators
 Covering 8 topics
 Statistical Yearbook
 Asia-Pacific Trade and
Investment Report
Regional Programme for Economic Statistics
Why? To improve soundness of economic analysis &
related decision making
What? Increased capacity of NSSs to produce & disseminate
the Core Set of Economic Statistics (in line with
international standards)
When? By 2020
How? Governed by the Steering Group for RPES (countries
& development partners), secretariat by ESCAP SD.
What is the Core Set of Economic Statistics?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prices and costs
Demand and output
Income & wealth
Money & banking
Government
Labour market
Natural resources and environment
How are RPES outputs organized?
The roll-out of the RPES is at the national level
supported by regional and sub-regional activities as
possible:
• Advocacy (governments and development
partners)
• Coordination (benchmarking and planning)
• Statistical Infrastructure (methods and processes)
• Skills (human resources)
How did RPES come about?
2009
2010
2011
2012
CST 1 discusses
CST 2 endorses
Assessments
CST 3 endorses
•Overview of Statistics
Development
•Proposed RPES
•Bhutan
(SD with guidance
from TAG and in
consultation with
countries &
development
partners)
•Bangladesh
•Implementation
Plan for RPES
•Towards an Action
Plan for the
Development of
Economic Statistics in
Asia and the Pacific
*TAG established
•Proposed Core Set
(TAG)
*TAG  SGRPES
•Lao PDR
(SD)
(SD with
guidance from
SGRPES)
Phased Implementation of RPES
2013-14
2015-17
2018-20
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3:
•Capacity
Screening
Accelerating
regional and
country level
implementation
Consolidating
national and
regional efforts to
achieve the
programme
outcome
•Plans for
economic
statistics
Value added of RPES
• Raises the profile of economic statistics
development in A-P
• Provides a common reference of the
minimum set of economic indicators
• Provides a platform of coordination for
development partners in A-P (NOT solely an
ESCAP programme)
What does RPES offer to countries?
• Assistance in planning or enhancing existing
plans for economic statistics development
• Rallying support/resources for the
implementation of national priorities
• Facilitating partnerships with resource
countries and development partners
• Capacity enhancement geared towards
improving statistical infrastructure and human
resources for producing and disseminating
the Core Set
What does RPES offer to development
partners?
• A shared vision for capacity building at the regional level
and implement it in countries based on national priorities
• Alignment of capacity building for economic statistics
• Identification and pooling of resources (including
development partners and resource countries)
Cooperation with Development Partners
• ADB, ILO and SPC on the Steering Group
• Links to the 2008 SNA, Global Strategy for
Agricultural Statistics, ICP
• Different development partners for different
areas of the Core Set, e.g. FAO on natural
resources
• At subregional levels, e.g. in the Pacific
ESCAP, IMF and SPC programming in
coordinated way
Current Status of Implementation
• Governments are fully engaged in the
Programme
• Fundraising efforts ongoing
• Advocacy (member countries and
development partners), e.g. communicating
results of capacity screening
• Next date: Steering Group meeting planned
for 29-31 October in Bangkok
Example: Project for CIS countries
Project funded by the Russian Federation within the
framework of RPES and with a focus on 2008 SNA
(2013-14, 240K)
Desired results:
• Advocacy for developing capacity to
produce/disseminate the Core Set
• Capacity building to produce/disseminate the
Core Set
Supplemented by other resources and collaboration
with development partners.
Thank you!
http://www.unescap.org/stat/econ
•
Proposed regional programme for the improvement of economic statistics in Asia and the
Pacific (2010) at http://www.unescap.org/stat/cst/2/CST2-5E.pdf
•
Proposed core set of economic statistics for Asia and the Pacific (2010)
http://www.unescap.org/stat/cst/2/CST2-4E.pdf
•
Implementation plan for the Regional Programme for the Improvement of Economic
Statistics in Asia and the Pacific (2012) at http://www.unescap.org/stat/cst/3/CST3CRP1E.pdf