DATA

The panel discussions start with DATA explanations of the relation between the National Statics Offices (NSOs) and democracy. As data will be introduced Statistical Performance Indicators of Word Bank or Open Data Watch. And for democracy index by the Economist Intelligence Unit and for the press freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders.

THE ROLE OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS IN A DEMOCRACY

After the presentations of the data, it will start the discussion.

Every day, in the news, we listen to the employment rate, the GDP, mortality rate, car accidents and etc. All these statistics are collected, produced and then disseminate by the NSOs around the world. Also, COVID data should be produced by NSO (See Georgiou (2020) or Di Gennaro (2020))

What is the NSO? Why does the NSO exist? What is its role? The NSOs should be an independent body from the State. The NSOs are an established entity and independent of the government all over the world. The methodology used by NSOs is mostly established and coordinated by the United Nations. The statistics of the NSOs help the population to better understand and to assess how the government is managing the economy and society. 

DATA FOR BETTER POLICY

From the economic statistics point of view, only after the Second World War, thanks to Stone and Keynes among others, Tily (2009), the United Nations Statistical Commission highlighted the need for international statistical standards for the compilation and updating of comparable statistics in support of a large array of policy needs. 

The census is the pinnacle of social statistics. The word ‘Census’ has a long history all over the world. For instance, in China and other countries, they started a systematic count of the population from 1600 -1700 B.C. according to Zhu (1987). Every country has one NSO in charge of the decennial census, that is, the social statistics and the main economic statistics. Every 10 years, all over the world, the census is implemented. 

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICES IN DEMOCRACY

Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, in which it was stated that: ‘Official statistics provide an indispensable element in the information system of a democratic society, serving the government, the economy and the public with data about the economic, demographic, social and environmental situation’, United Nations, 1994.

The first principle of European statistics (Eurostat) code of practice is on Professional Independence: ‘Professional independence of statistical authorities from other policy, regulatory or administrative departments and bodies, as well as from private sector operators, ensures the credibility of European Statistics’. One of the 35 chapters to enter in the European Union (1985) is fully dedicated to ‘official statistics’.

REFERENCE

Di Gennaro Splendore, Luca (2020), 'COVID-19: Unprecedented Situation, Unprecedented Official Statistics', Journal of Official Statistics (JOS)

Georgiou, Andreas, (2020) ‘Defeating the Pandemic Requires High Quality and Ethical Official Statistics’, JOS

Tily, Geoff (2009). John Maynard Keynes and the Development of National Accounts in Britain, 1895-1941. Review of Income and Wealth

Zhu, Mu (1987). The Earliest Statistical Tables in China, JOS