19 October 2015
The General Assembly of the United Nations has designated October 20th, 2015 as 'World Statistics Day' to acknowledge the importance of reliable, timely and impartial statistics in supporting evidence informed policy. 
World Statistics Day also celebrates the achievements of statisticians around the world and the important, but often unseen, role they play in the development and protection of society, our environment and the economy and in objectively highlighting important issues such as human rights. To reaffirm this message, the day has been themed "Better Data, Better Lives".
The timing of World Statistics Day is very timely, as statisticians from around the world will meet in Bangkok on October 26th to discuss the selection of appropriate statistical indicators to monitor progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The goals encapsulated in this agenda are very ambitious. The consequent statistical development programme for statistics will be equally ambitious, as new concepts, methods and data streams will need to be developed to improve the availability of internationally comparable statistics to support the plan of action for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. In this context General Assembly Resolution 69/282 highlights the importance of resourcing to strengthen national statistical capacity, particularly in developing countries.
UNCTAD will continue to work, as a key partner within the United Nations Statistical System, with member states and international organisations to provide a targeted, professional statistical service that provides the best quality statistics on trade and the interrelated fields of foreign direct investment, information economy, creative economy and maritime transport.
You can find our statistics at: http://unctad.org/statistics
On behalf of all the statisticians at UNCTAD I wish you a happy and informed World Statistics Day!
You can find our statistics at: http://unctad.org/statistics
On behalf of all the statisticians at UNCTAD I wish you a happy and informed World Statistics Day!
Steve MacFeely
Head of Statistics & Information
UNCTAD
Head of Statistics & Information
UNCTAD
