MENA: Under the theme “Better Data. Better Lives,” the United Nations (UN) World Statistics Day is celebrated to raise awareness of how official statistics help decision makers develop informed policies that impact millions of people. Improved data sources, sound statistical methods, new technologies and strengthened statistical systems enable better decisions and better lives for all. “Good data and statistics are indispensable for informed decisionmaking by all actors in society. This was explicitly acknowledged in 2014, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics to promote citizen’s entitlement to public information,” according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.
The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) organised different events to celebrate the second World Statistics Day 2015. The main official event is a celebratory conference “Better data, Better lives”, held at the CAPMAS main hall on 20 October under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah AI-Sisi. Among the speakers of the conference were Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, CAPMAS Chairman Abou Bakr EI-Gendy, Ashraf AI-Arabi, Minister of Planning, and Ghada Walli, Minister of Social Solidarity. The CAPMAS celebration included organising sessions and workshops of the UN Coordination Office in Cairo as well as a session on “SDGs in Egypt: “Opportunities and Steps Forward.” The World Bank organised a session on “Assessing Welfare of Egyptian Household” and a workshop on the methodology for measuring poverty in Egypt.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) also organised a session on “Youth Employment and Aspirations”, while the International Organisation for Migration (10M) held a session on “International and Regional Migration in Egypt”.
At the regional level, CAPMAS, jointly with the Economic Researches Forum (ERF) also organised a regional training course for statisticians from Arab countries on’ “Analysis of Economic Census Data” in order to upgrade their \statistical capacity. Furthermore, CAPMAS is coordinating with the Ministry of Education for considering the period from 17 – 22 October 2015 as the week for statistics to raise the statistical awareness for the students through the material prepared- by CAPMAS, as well as the coordination with the Postal Authority for issuing a stamp on the celebration, and organising exhibitions in the universities and scientific centres to promote CAPMAS publications.
A broadened conference was held on 20 October 2015 to deliberate and discuss emerging issues in statistics and the relevance of official statistics to development. Participants included prominent international, national and regional experts.
During the event, CAP MAS announced the results of field surveys such as the Time Use Survey and Constituents of the local community survey, in addition to the extensive programme which included a competition for the best Statistical Article “The role of statistics for the society development”, a media campaign for raising the statistical awareness (posters on the public transportation means), besides sending mobiles SMS to inform the public about the celebration.
This, in addition to, a press release, a booklet on the prominent role of statistics to increase the individual’s standard of living, presenting the prominent events at CAPMAS website and the digital board and displaying boards about World Statistics Day all over the CAP MAS regional offices.
The Conference also included a scientific conference, an exhibition’ of CAP MAS’ publications in collabouration with different organisations, institutions & universities, an overview over the history of CAPMAS, and the launching of CAP MAS’ new website.
