We are a disparate group, but I hope united by a common belief in the value of good statistics and a commitment to do better.
Rt. Hon. Clare Short
UK Secretary of State for International Development
November 1999
The Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21) was founded in November 1999 by the United Nations, the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, in response to the UN Economic and Social Council resolution on the goals of the UN Conference on Development.
During a meeting hosted by the OECD Development Assistance Committee on the 18th and 19th of November 1999, one hundred high-level statistical and policy officials from developing countries, key international organisations, regional banks and bilateral donors came together to discuss the problems faced by policymakers when statistics are outdated or inadequate, and by statisticians with limited resources and low status in government.
PARIS21 was then born as a response to the challenges faced by both statisticians and decision-makers. The Partnership's Consortium was set up as a global framework of national, regional and international statisticians, analysts, policy-makers, development professionals and other users of statistics. It is a forum and network to promote, influence and facilitate statistical capacity development and the better use of statistics.