PH newest council member in UN Statistical Institute

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines was elected to the governing council of the United Nations Statistical Institute of Asia and Pacific (UNSIAP), according to a statement of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) on Monday, May 6. 

The UNSIAP is a Tokyo-based training center for government statisticians from developing countries in the Asia Pacific region. It was established in 1970 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and 20 founding member countries which includes the Philippines.

The country, along with India, Australia, Indonesia, China, Korea, Russia and Thailand, will serve on the council for two years starting 2013. The council has 9 members, with only Japan having a permanent seat. 

National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) Secretary General Jose Ramon G. Albert said that election of the Philippines to the SIAP Governing Council is an important achievement for the Philippine Statistical System (PSS). 

Albert expects that the PSS will vigorously contribute in guiding the Institute’s capacity-building programs. The election of the Philippines also confirms the growing prominence of the PSS in the international community.

In 1995, the SIAP became a subsidiary body of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). The UNESCAP established the Governing Council which reviews the operations of SIAP and endorses SIAP’s annual and long-term work programs.

The Institute’s focus areas include providing knowledge and skills for: 

• monitoring and evaluating national development strategies with respect to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
• training for economic statistics coordination
• building capacity for the application of information and communications technology (ICT) in national statistical systems

– Rappler.com

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