OIC Statistical Working Group stresses need for quality data to gauge impact of economic crisis on OIC member states

The 3rd Meeting of the OIC Statistical Working Group (OIC-SWG-3), which recently took place at the IDB headquarters in Jeddah, acknowledged the unprecedented challenges posed by the economic and financial crisis, which requires high quality data to gauge its impact on the economies of OIC member states and the need for new statistical indicators to address the development challenges facing member states in the post-crisis world.
The aim of the OIC-SWG is to strengthen coordination, harmonization and standardization of statistical activities among OIC institutions with a view to avoiding duplication of efforts and reporting conflicting figures in their publications. The OIC-SWG-3 reviewed progress made by members since their last meeting in Ankara, Turkey during June 2009 hosted by Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC).

The participants expressed their determination to work together to advance and strengthen partnership through coordination, collaboration, and cooperation in all areas of statistical activities needed to support various initiatives of OIC, its subsidiaries, and member states as well as the OIC Ten-year Program of Action.

The Director of Data Resources and Statistics Department of IDB, Dr. Abdullateef Bello, delivered the welcoming address wherein he called on the participants to strengthen and improve coordination of statistical activities and urged them to accelerate the implementation of activities assigned to their respective institutions. He stated that the recent financial and economic crisis was a blessing in disguise for both data producers and data users as it exposed the weaknesses in the global statistical system which failed to capture data on key statistical indicators relevant to the crisis. It also helped to raise the profile of statistics worldwide with the UN requesting its member countries to celebrate the “World Statistics Day” on 26 October 2010.
In his speech, Dr. Savaş Alpay, the Director-General of SESRIC stressed the importance that SESRIC gives to the development of national strategies for development of statistics (NSDS). He urged OIC member states to develop and implement their NSDS. He proposed the development of a specific statistical capacity index for OIC member states , as well as convening the future meetings of the OIC-SWG side-by-side with the sessions of the OIC Statistical Commission in order to have higher participation rate from the National Statistics Organizations (NSOs) of the OIC member states.
Underscoring the vital role played by statistics in socio-economic development of OIC member states, the meeting called on governments of the OIC member states to provide more resources and create enabling environment for NSOs to discharge their responsibilities effectively and efficiently.

Acknowledging the progress made by OIC-SWG members in implementing statistical activities so far, the meeting recognized that more work needs to be done to complete the activities that need urgent attention and recommended IDB to follow-up with members on the deadlines to complete the assignments.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of the OIC General Secretariat; SESRIC; Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT); Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI); IDB; and Central Department of Statistics and Information of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The 4th Meeting of the SWG (OIC-SWG-4) will be organized in conjunction with the OIC Statistical Commission in 2011.