The effective functioning of a national statistical system relies heavily on its statistical legislation. It should contain, amongst others, adequate provisions for its organisation; the roles and responsibilities of the national statistics office and other data producers; mechanisms for governance, management and co-ordination; data collection; safeguarding statistical confidentiality; data quality assurance; statistical products and services; and co-operation and engagement with stakeholders.
With the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, new demands for data were underscored leading to a recognition of a wider data ecosystem in which statistics development should operate on, posing unprecedented challenges for national statistical systems worldwide.
A number of national statistical systems operate under outdated legislations, particularly in statistically disadvantaged countries such as fragile states, small island developing states, least developed and low income countries, that further constraint their ability to proactively respond to and align with the new, emerging, and rapidly evolving statistical landscape.
PARIS21 supports countries in the review of their statistical legislation with the objective of providing recommendations for updating or drafting of statistical legislation. This process aids countries to effectively respond to calls for a stronger and renewed statistical system that can co-ordinate various stakeholders around the common goal of addressing data user needs.
Recent work on Statistical Legislation
Grenada
PARIS21 recently helped Grenada update their Statistical Legislation through
"My Administration's commitment to statistics development is our move to review Grenada's statistical legislation"
Dr The Right Hon. Keith Mitchell
Prime Minister of Grenada