Top officials arrive for 36th Arab statistics in Doha

Top decision-makers and executives from statistics bodies are assembling here for the 36th meeting of the Arab Technical Standing Committee for Statistics of the League of Arab States which starts here Monday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. HE the President of Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani will inaugurate the conclave featuring heads of statistics authorities from the Arab world, QSA Communications Manager Torfah Saad Al Zarraa told Qatar News Agency (QNA) Sunday. Delegates from 13 Arab countries and nine different organisations will mull various issues and proposals that would promote best practices and statistic standards in Arab states at the two-day meeting, she added. The officials will discuss key topics that will boost Arab co-operation in statistics as well as defining procedures set by the Arab statistical authorities to implement their own relevant recommendations declared at the 35th meeting of the committee. Among the proposals to be discussed is enhancing the statistical data gathering capacities and approval of a unified standard study and procedures for quantitative analysis of information in Arab societies. The conclave will also discuss the Arab participation in the 59th conference of the International Statistical Institute, the application of the classifications' recent revisions and relevant effects on time sequences and the use of administrative records in Arab states. The meeting will consider the work programme of the statistics department, the information rules for the year 2012, along with the composition of the economic and environmental integrated accounts as well as all tourism, health and education-related accounts. The gathering will examine the proposals made by different Arab states on the use of modern technology in upgrading statistical activities, the development of the authorities' statistical tools by using geographical information systems, the unification of methodologies used in statistical surveys, the conduct of common field research, the establishment of unified standards for precise data among Arab statistical authorities. The officials will discuss the establishment of comprehensive and consistent socio-economic and demographic databases for the different activities, as well as the preparation of a scientific journal to publish the statistical and demographic research.