The Inter-regional Advisor on censuses at DESA’s Statistics Division will participate in the international monitoring of enumeration activities on 1-15 April
An International Monitoring Operation (IMO) is closely following census preparations for the 2011 Kosovo census. The IMO also includes the Management Group, of which the Statistics Division is a member, which monitors all methodological aspects and provides guidance for the census.
International observers are selected by the Management Group to monitor activities to ensure that census data are collected in line with international standards and recommendations.
For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/default.htm
DESA’s Statistics Division is coordinating the review in Addis Ababa on 11 April- 8 May
The evaluation is arranged by DESA’s Statistics Division as part of the regional project to strengthening the capacity to analyze, present and disseminate census data.
The staff of the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) of Ethiopia will work closely with national and international experts during this period to look into four selected topics of importance – fertility, mortality, housing and elderly. After three weeks’ intensive research, they are expected to produce an analytical report for each topic.
For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/default.htm
Implementing the System of National Accounts 2008 in the African region
DESA’s Statistics Division will organize the seminar together with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, African Development Bank and the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa on 11-15 April
The System of National Accounts, 2008 (2008 SNA) is an updated version of the System of National Accounts, 1993 (1993 SNA). It is the fifth version, the first of which was published over fifty years ago, and it was prepared under the auspices of the Inter-Secretariat Working Group on National Accounts. This working group consists of five organizations: the Statistical Office of the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, DESA’s Statistics Division and the regional commissions of the UN Secretariat and the World Bank. The 2008 SNA is published jointly by these five organizations.
The seminar will be hosted by the African Centre for Statistics at the ECA, with the purpose of assisting the African Group on National Accounts in applying the regional implementation programme of the 2008 SNA and supporting economic statistics. The objective is to develop national implementation programmes for the compilation of comparable economic statistics and national accounts for countries in Africa to monitor the integration of their economies. The regional programme is part of the global implementation plan for the 2008 SNA and supporting statistics.
For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/nationalaccount/default.asp
An international workshop arranged in Shenzhen, China on 25-27 April
DESA’s Statistics Division, in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics of China is organizing an international workshop on measuring gross domestic product (GDP) by final demand approach. It is being conducted as part of the project on strengthening statistical capacity development in China and other developing countries in Asia funded by the Chinese Government.
It will give an overview of one of the main approaches to GDP compilation – the final demand approach – and will address specific issues of measuring the final consumption expenditures of households, government and non-profit institutions serving households, and estimating gross capital formation for the economy and by sector. The estimation of national accounts’ imports and exports of goods and services from foreign trade statistics and other sources will also be discussed.
For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/economic_stat/China/GDP-FE-China-Workshop.htm
e-Government procurement consultations
A regional meeting discussed opportunities and challenges of electronic Government Procurement (eGP) and outlined partnerships with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in Seoul on 10-11 March
The consultation meeting, organized by DESA in partnership with the UN Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), was held with concrete emphasis on toolkits, approaches and case studies aimed at capacity development of public officials initially in Asia and the Pacific as the first step towards a global eGP alliance.
Considering that some 15-20 per cent of countries’ GDP is disbursed via procurement systems, the consultation explored both the potential of electronic procurement to promote transparency and efficiency, as well as the opportunities for enhanced public service delivery. Developing countries with relevant experience such as the Philippines, Mexico and China presented their cases.
Institutions such as the World Bank and Asia Development Bank also shared their experience and agreed to formalize a partnership with DESA to address concrete follow-up objectives including: Joint capacity development and assessment activities in the field addressing current demand for improving eGP services; joint participation in the Ministerial e-Procurement meeting planned by ADB for October 2011 in Asia; information exchange and dissemination of case studies via the UN Public Administration Network (UNPAN) and UN Public Administration Country Studies (UNPACS); and development of a network with participants of the consultation for the consolidation of a road map.
Participants also agreed to start an informal network for e-Procurement, following an invitation by Italian IT services and Procurement Agency (CONSIP) to hold the next regional meeting possibly in Italy during the last quarter of 2011. The focus would then be on Eastern European, Commonwealth of Independent States and Balkans countries, willing to give priority to anti-corruption and transparent public sector practices.
Values and the principles of Public Service and Administration
United Nations and African human resources managers met in Addis Ababa to discuss the charter on 14-18 March
The workshop brought together human resource managers in the public sector, trainers in management development institutes and public service commissions and other appointing authorities from over 35 African countries. The purpose was to discuss how promoting professionalism and strengthening the role of human resource managers in the public sector, facilitates the implementation of the charter.
The event was also attended by representatives of the African Union, the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR), the UN Development Programme and the World Bank. In addition, they were joined by Ministers responsible for public service in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, as well as several Permanent Secretaries and Director-Generals of the public service in Africa.
Participants shared information and experiences on how to promote and sustain professionalism in the public service on the continent. They also discussed the challenges and obstacles in the implementation of the African Charter on the Values and Principles of Public Service and the Administration.
The workshop was organized by the Division for Public Administration and Development Management of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Africa Human Resource Managers’ Network.
It is the third of its kind since the launch of the Africa Human Resources Managers’ Network – APS-HRMnet in Arusha, Tanzania in February 2009. The network aims to sustain capacity development by institutionalizing professional human resource management in the public sector in Africa.
For more information: http://www.unpan.org/DPADM/ProductsServices/APSHRMnet/tabid/1114/language/en-US/Default.aspx
