Celebrating the World Statistics Day 2020!
Connecting the world with data we can trust
October 20th 2020 marks the third World Statistics Day, a day that brings together communities around the globe to celebrate and reiterate the importance of statistics. Through its Resolution 69/282, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly established the celebration of The World Statistics Day every 5 years, being the latest one in 2015 under the slogan “Better Data, Better Lives”. The 2020 theme, Connecting the world with data we can trust, “reflects on the importance of trust, authoritative data, innovation and the public good in national statistical systems”.
On occasion of the World Statistics Day, Open Development Cambodia (ODC) encourages data scientists, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), government officials and private companies to take this opportunity to raise awareness about the role of data in our life, the importance of accurate and timing analysis and the need for more data-sharing in Cambodia. We also encourage you to share your thoughts on #StatsDay2020
Data and Statistics for Development
Reliable statistics at the public disposal benefit each and every one of us. Consistent, trustworthy and sound statistical systems play an essential role in ensuring sustainable development paths and are as well key for decision-making at individual level.
High quality data is determinant to build reliable indicators that effectively measure progress and objectively monitor growth and development. In fact, the importance of the trustworthiness of data is embedded in the official logo of this year’s World Statistics Day; a circular shape portraying the world with a checkmark that represents trusted security. Likewise, official statistics are also an indicator of the degree of transparency and good governance in a country. Efficient national statistical systems that produce and publish complete data on a regular basis enhance public trust and reliability.
Hence, even though it might not be seem that evident, statistics are of high importance to citizens in their daily life. They are tools for the public to keep their government and any other institution accountable. Robust statistical ecosystems are necessary to strengthen critical thinking and informed societies that counterbalance the spread of misinformation and fake news, and enhance data analysis for evidence-based debates and decision-making in both public and private spheres.
In parallel to the World Statistics Day, this year the UN is holding a World Data Forum on 19-21 October. Everyone interested in learning from leading data and statistical experts can sign up to this virtual forum through this link to the UN Statistics Division.
Statistics in Cambodia
Cambodia’s national statistical system is led by the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) and includes 27 line ministries, government institutions and the National Bank of Cambodia. Each Ministry and government institution counts with a designated unit responsible for producing statistics. Standardized indicators are used by the different departments to evaluate demographic and socioeconomic conditions of citizens as well as to assess advancements and shortcomings towards the government’s national plans and strategies. Besides, the Voluntary National Review published in 2019 and led by the Ministry of Planning (MoP) reviews the progress in the framework of the 2030 Agenda and the Cambodian Sustainable Development Goals (CSDGs).
The main source of official statistical data is the NIS website, where key data and reports are published online. The NIS conducts periodic Socio-Economic Surveys, Population and Economic Census as well as Demographic and Health Surveys, among others. However, the data produced and published on Cambodia is not always updated, complete nor clear. The availability of information remains limited in some areas and is not always digitized. In such scenario, the work of ODC is key in facilitating access to sound data that is easy to understand, navigate and reuse for further analysis.
Cambodia has made great strides in increasing the quantity and improving the quality of its statistics system in recent years. As the data ecosystem keeps expanding, it is important to ensure that individual users are protected and can effectively use the data available. In this aspect, ODC endorses the principles of MyData Asia, an organization composed of diverse members that pursues a human-centric vision of personal data, one that ensures the conditions of a just, sustainable and prosperous digital society. The MyData principles are based on a human-centric approach and include the users’ control of their personal data, data privacy, individual empowerment, the portability and interoperability of data, and transparency and accountability of organizations holding personal data.
Strengthening further cross-sectorial collaborations and expertise-sharing within the country as well as throughout the region will be crucial for Cambodia in the upcoming years in order to advance data infrastructures, technical skills and statistical capacities, data-based analysis and decision-making.
