United Nations Statistics Division
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The United Nations Statistics Division, under the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), serves as the central mechanism within the Secretariat of the United Nations to supply the statistical needs and coordinating activities of the global ststistical system. The Division is overseen by the United Nations Statistical Commission, established in 1947, as the apex entity of the global statistical system and highest decision making body for coordinating international statistical activities. It brings together the Chief Statisticians from member states from around the world. The Division compiles and disseminates global statistical information, develop standards and norms for statistical activities, and support countries’ efforts to strengthen their national statistical systems.
The Statistics Division's main functions are:
the collection, processing and dissemination of statistical information;
the standardization of statistical methods, classifications and definitions;
the technical cooperation programme; and
the coordination of international statistical programmes and activities.
To carry out these functions, it:
1) Provides a global data centre, UNdata, on international trade, national accounts, energy, industry, environment, transport and demographic and social statistics gathered from many national and international sources
2) Promotes international standards of methods, classifications and definitions used by national agencies
3) Assists Member States, at their request, to improve their statistical services by giving advice and training
4) Coordinates international statistical programmes and activities entrusted to the Division by the United Nations Statistical Commission and the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA)
5) Provides methodological and coordinating work towards the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), development and dissemination of integrated environmental and economic accounting and environmental statistics
6) Encourage national and international geographical names standardization; promote the international dissemination of nationally standardized geographical names
7) Provides input and secretarial support to the United Nations Statistical Commission
The Division regularly publishes data updates, including the Statistical Yearbook and World Statistics Pocketbook, and books and reports on statistics and statistical methods. Many of the Division's databases are also available at its site (See below), as electronic publications and data files in the form of CD-ROMs, diskettes and magnetic tapes, or as printed publications.
Professor Paul Cheung, a national of Singapore, is the Director of United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. Prior to his appointment, Professor Cheung has served as Chief Statistician of the Government of Singapore (1991-2004). In this role, he has been the National Statistical Coordinator as well as the Chief Executive of the Singapore Department of Statistics. He has served as President of the International Association of Official Statistics, (2001-2003), Chairman of the Governing Board, Statistical Institute of Asia and the Pacific (UN-SIAP), the UNESCAP Committee on Statistics, as well as Chairman of the Regional Advisory Board of the Asian Development Bank's International Comparison Program for Asia and the Pacific.
For further information contact:
UN Statistics Division
United Nations
New York, NY 10017
E-mail:statistics@un.org
