SDMX Metadata Concepts

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Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Target 17.18: By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts

Indicator 17.18.2: Number of countries that have national statistical legislation that complies with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics

Institutional information

Organization(s):

Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21)

Concepts and definitions

Definition:

The indicator refers to the number of countries that have national statistical legislation that complies with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. This refers to the number of countries that have a statistical legislation which respects the principles of UNFOP.

Concepts:

National statistical legislation: The statistics law defines rules, regulation, measures with regard to the organization, management, monitoring and inspection of the statistical activities in a systematic way, strength, effectiveness and efficiency to assure the full coverage, accuracy and consistency with facts in order to provide reference for policy direction, socio economic planning, and contribute to the country’s development to achieve wealth, culture, well-being and equity.

UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics:

The Fundamental Principles for Official Statistics adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission, in its Special Session of 11-15 April 1994 are:

Principle 1. Official statistics provide an indispensable element in the information system of a society, serving the government, the economy and the public with data about the economic, demographic, social and environmental situation. To this end, official statistics that meet the test of practical utility are to be compiled and made available on an impartial basis by official statistical agencies to honour citizens’ entitlement to public information.

Principle 2. To retain trust in official statistics, the statistical agencies need to decide according to strictly professional considerations, including scientific principles and professional ethics, on the methods and procedures for the collection, processing, storage and presentation of statistical data.

Principle 3. To facilitate a correct interpretation of the data, the statistical agencies are to present information according to scientific standards on the sources, methods and procedures of the statistics.

Principle 4. The statistical agencies are entitled to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics.

Principle 5. Data for statistical purposes may be drawn from all types of sources, be they statistical surveys or administrative records. Statistical agencies are to choose the source with regard to quality, timeliness, costs and the burden on respondents.

Principle 6. Individual data collected by statistical agencies for statistical compilation, whether they refer to natural or legal persons, are to be strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes.

Principle 7. The laws, regulations and measures under which the statistical systems operate are to be made public.

Principle 8. Coordination among statistical agencies within countries is essential to achieve consistency and efficiency in the statistical system.

Principle 9. The use by statistical agencies in each country of international concepts, classifications and methods promotes the consistency and efficiency of statistical systems at all official levels.

Principle 10. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation in statistics contributes to the improvement of systems of official statistics in all countries.

Rationale:

A country’s statistics law will be considered compliant with the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics if the law has provisions relating to all ten Principles.

Comments and limitations:

Information on the indicator is collected through a survey of NSOs. The low response rate (37%) means that interpretation of the data is subject to caution.

Methodology

Computation method:

Indicator 17.18.2 = ∑ countries of which the law has provisions relating to all the ten Principles

Treatment of missing values:

  • At country level:

No treatment of missing values at country level

  • At regional and global levels:

No treatment of missing values at regional and global levels.

Regional aggregates:

No treatment of missing values at regional and global levels.

Sources of discrepancies:

NA.

Methods and guidance available to countries for the compilation of the data at the national level:

  • Methodology used for the compilation of data at national level:

PARIS21 SDG Survey through online form.

  • International recommendations and guidelines available to countries:

PARIS21 pre-filled the survey for countries compliant with the European Statistics Code of Practice. The European Statistics Code of Practice is coherent with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. Therefore, compliance with the ESS Code of Practice equates with compliance with all 10 principles.

Quality assurance:

  • Practices and guidelines for quality assurance followed at the compiling agency

Consultation with countries to check information available online.

  • Consultation process with countries on the national data submitted to the SDGs Indicators Database

Consultation through phone calls and emails.

Data sources

Description:

PARIS21 SDG Survey (Send questionnaire(s) to country)

Obtain data directly from country database/website

Joint survey/compilation with national agency and international entity

Coverage:

All countries

Collection process:

Online survey

The Director General(DG) of NSO

Data availability

Description:

225 countries were surveyed. Data are available for only 83 countries.

Time series:

2017.

Disaggregation:

There is no disaggregation level used for the indicator

Calendar

Data collection:

First quarter of 2018.

Data release:

First quarter of 2018.

Data providers

National Statistics Offices (NSO) of countries.

Data compilers

PARIS21

References

URL:

https://unstats.un.org/unsd/dnss/gp/FP-New-E.pdf

References:

Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics