ECE/CES/50

STATISTICAL COMMISSION

and

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN STATISTICIANS

Report

of the forty-fourth plenary session

(Paris, 11-13 June 1996)

UNITED NATIONS

1996

ECE/CES/50

STATISTICAL COMMISSION

and

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN STATISTICIANS

Report

of the forty-fourth plenary session

(Paris, 11-13 June 1996)

UNITED NATIONS

1996

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Paragraphs

I.	INTRODUCTION	1-9

II.	IMPLICATIONS OF MEETINGS OF THE CONFERENCE'S PARENT BODIES	10-14

A.	April 1996 session of the Economic Commission for Europe	10-11

B.	April 1996 session of the UN Statistical Commission's

Working Group on Statistical Programmes and Coordination	12-14

III. INTEGRATED PRESENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL WORK IN

THE ECE REGION	15-119

A.	Introduction	15-18

B.	Sub-programme 1: Organization and operation of statistical

services	19-33

C.	Sub-programme 2: Technical infrastructure and other

cross-cutting issues	34-50

D.	Sub-programme 3: Economic statistics	51-78

E.	Sub-programme 4: Social and demographic statistics	79-100

F.	Sub-programme 5: Environment statistics	101-112

G.	Sub-programme 6: Dissemination and support for secretariat

activities	113-119

IV.	CES CONTRIBUTION TO HABITAT II	120-121

V.	LABOUR MARKET DYNAMICS: NEW STATISTICAL AND ANALYTICAL

APPROACHES	122-145

VI.	ELECTION OF THE NEW BUREAU MEMBER	146-148

VII.	OTHER BUSINESS	149-154

VIII.	ADOPTION OF THE REPORT	155

ANNEX I. INTEGRATED PRESENTATION OF PROGRAMMES OF INTERNATIONAL

STATISTICAL WORK IN THE ECE REGION, 1996/97 AND 19997/98

(see CES/1996/R.30 and addenda 1-6)

ANNEX II. CES PRIORITIES FOR 1996/97 AND 1997/98

ANNEX III. CES MEETING CALENDAR, 1996/97 AND 1997/98

ANNEX IV. CONSOLIDATED LIST OF STATISTICAL MEETINGS ORGANIZED BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WORKING IN THE UN/ECE REGION,

1996/97 AND 1997/98, ARRANGED BY PROGRAMME ELEMENTS IN THE

CONFERENCE'S PROGRAMME OF WORK

* * * * *

Information Guide for the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)

IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMISSION DECISION I(48)

To be considered during the sessions of the Principal Subsidiary Bodies (PSBs) and included in their report to the Commission

Information Guide for the Commission

Paragraphs

(i)	Draft decisions and/or recommendations for possible

adoption by the Commission at its next session.	N/A

(ii)	Implementation of decisions previously adopted by the	10,22-23

Commission, including application of resolutions adopted	83,96,120

by ECOSOC and the General Assembly (inputs made to global programmes and interregional cooperation)

(iii)	Possible amendments to the mandate of the PSB, for discussion

and, possibly, adoption by the Commission	N/A

(iv)	Programme of work

- Implementation of the programme of work

including	19,34,51,79,101,114,119

- difficulties encountered	103,107,110-111,121

- proposals to streamline activities,	19,34,101,146-154

to enhance efficiency, and	8,15,18,43,146-154

to assist the economies in transition	14,29-30,53

- Resource information, and	CES/1996/R.30, Annex I)

- proposals to ensure a more efficient

use of available resources	13,103,107,110-111,121,146-154

- Programme of work and calendar of meetings	20,35,52,80,91,

for the coming year(s)	102,107,111,113,118 and Annex III

(see also CES/1996/R.30 and adda 1-6)

(v)	Cooperation

- Cooperation with other ECE Subsidiary Bodies

active in other but related fields of activity,

and suggestions for the improvement of such

cooperation.	111,118

- Cooperation with other relevant organizations

and institutions, and suggestions for the 14,16-17,46,49,50,55,68

improvement of such cooperation	88,91,92,103,106,108,110,112

I.	INTRODUCTION

Attendance

The Conference of European Statisticians held its forty-fourth plenary session in Paris at the invitation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It was attended by representatives of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Uzbekistan.

The session was attended by representatives of the European Union.

China, Japan, Mexico and the Republic of Korea participated under Article 11 of the terms of reference of the ECE.

A representative of the Interstate Statistical Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS STAT) participated under article 12 of the terms of reference of the ECE.

Representatives of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis (UN Statistical Division), United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean (ECLAC), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the following specialized agencies and intergovernmental organizations attended: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); International Labour Organization (ILO); International Monetary Fund (IMF); United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); World Health Organization (WHO) World Trade Organization (WTO); and the OECD.

The following non-governmental organization in consultative status with ECOSOC was represented: International Statistical Institute (ISI). The following participated at the invitation of the secretariat: Nordic Statistical Secretariat (NSS).

Mr. I. Fellegi (Canada) chaired the session. Messrs. P. Garonna (Italy), S. Longva (Norway) and D. Murphy (Ireland) were Vice-Chairmen.

Agenda and procedure

The provisional agenda (ECE/CES/49) was adopted. The Conference recalled the procedures for improving the efficiency of plenary sessions (CES/821) that the Conference adopted at its 1994 plenary session.

Opening statements

The opening address was delivered by Mr Y. Berthelot, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe. A paper summarizing his statements was made available as a room document.

II.	IMPLICATIONS OF MEETINGS OF THE CONFERENCE'S PARENT BODIES

A.	April 1996 session of the Economic Commission for Europe

Documentation: CES/1996/R.16, E/ECE/1331 and E/ECE/1335

The Conference noted the decisions which the Economic Commission for Europe had taken at its fifty-first session (CES/1996/R.16), and agreed to take them fully into account in considering priorities within its own work programme. Particular attention was paid to the decision A(51) which suppressed the activities of the Committee on Agriculture and asked the Conference to continue to include agricultural statistics in its work programme in conjunction with FAO. The Conference considered that its activities are already consistent with the thrust of the ECE decisions.

The Conference also noted the information on the review process currently being undertaken by the Economic Commission for Europe.

B.	April 1996 session of the UN Statistical Commission's Working Group on Statistical Programmes and Coordination

Documentation: CES/1996/R.17

The attention of the Conference was called to the outcomes of the eighteenth session of the Working Group and its conclusions on the implementation of the 1993 System of National Accounts, the statistical implications of the United Nations summit meetings and the role of Regional Commissions in statistics.

The Conference agreed that the statistical work of the Regional Commissions needed to be strengthened, agreed with the conclusions in the Annex of CES/1996/R.17 and emphasised that the work of Regional Commissions depends crucially on the inputs and the commitments of the national statistical offices which are members of each region.

The Conference requested the ECE Statistical Division, with the aid of the Division's Regional Adviser on economic statistics to assist the UN Statistical Division (UNSD) in validating the results of the country assessment exercise (in the implementation of the 1993 SNA) and to continue to provide technical assistance in this area to countries in transition. The Conference also requested the ECE Statistical Division to cooperate with UNSD in arranging pilot studies for the proposed minimum data set and to contribute to the seminar on poverty statistics which is to be hosted by ECLAC.

III.	INTEGRATED PRESENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL WORK IN THE ECE REGION

A.	Introduction

Documentation: CES/1996/R.10

The Conference noted the work which the Bureau had conducted during 1995/96 in further developing the integrated presentation of international statistical work in the ECE region. In particular, the Conference welcomed the in-depth review that the Bureau had conducted on sub-programmes 1 (Organization and operation of statistical services), 2 (Technical infrastructure and other cross-cutting issues), 5 (Environment statistics) and 6 (Dissemination and support for secretariat activities).

The Conference thanked all the international organizations for the inputs they had made to the presentation.

The Conference also thanked the various international organizations which served as Rapporteur for the Conference in individual fields of statistics who had provided feedback to the Bureau for its February 1996 meeting.

The Bureau informed the Conference that in the future it intends to conduct an in-depth review of three sub-programmes per year. The Conference asked the Bureau to turn its attention next to ways in which discussion of the Integrated Presentation at future plenary sessions could be improved and made more effective.

B.	Subprogramme 1: Organisation and operation of statistical services

Documentation: CES/1996/R.10/Add.1 and background documents listed in the Annex to the Provisional Agenda to the plenary session (ECE/CES/49)

Participants noted the objectives and expected outputs for all programme elements in this sub-programme reformulated by the Bureau at its November 1995 meeting. The Conference approved the comments of the Bureau on work done in 1995/96 and on ongoing activities of the Conference in this subprogramme.

Subject to the qualifications outlined below, the Conference accepted the Bureau's recommendations for decisions on the planned activities of the Conference in the programme elements in this sub-programme (see CES/1996/R.30/Add.1).

Programme element 1.1. Promotion and coordination of multilateral statistical work: The Conference designated the ECE as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 1.2 - Managerial and policy issues of direct concern to presidents of national statistical offices: The Conference welcomed the proposal by the Bureau of possible ways by which the application of the Fundamental Principles could be discussed at future plenary sessions and subsequently reported to the Economic Commission for Europe.

There was a general agreement that the last expected output of this programme element should be amended to read "Provide examples of the application of the fundamental principles and report periodically on them to the Economic Commission for Europe". One delegation stressed that there is still some substantive work to be done on the ethical aspects of official statistics but that this work could probably be done in a most appropriate way under the umbrella of NGOs such as the ISI or the IAOS and that the Conference should rather concentrate on applied codes of best practices.

The representative of Portugal informed participants about recent development in preparations for the Seminar for Heads of Statistical Offices planned to be held in Lisbon in September 1996. The Conference thanked Portugal and the Netherlands for the work they have done on the preparation of the Seminar.

The Conference agreed that the topic of substantive discussion at the 1997 CES plenary session will be "Impact of information technology developments on statistical operations: Managerial considerations". The National Statistical Offices of Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Portugal and United States offered to contribute papers on it.

The representative of IMF briefed participants on the IMF's work on standards for the dissemination of economic and financial data by country, and on the electronic bulletin boards planned to be developed for the purpose of data dissemination. Room documents describing the above-mentioned standards were made available to participants.

The Conference will meet in Geneva in 1997.

The Conference designated the ECE as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 1.3 - Countries in transition in the ECE region: Participants took note of Eurostat's cooperation programme aimed at looking into the quality and international comparability dimensions of key economic statistics (e.g. national accounts) of some countries in transition that have applied for admission to the European Union.

The representative of the OECD informed participants of their cooperation with Eurostat in the area of collecting statistical sources, metadata and data from transition countries applying for accession to the European Union. This cooperation is aimed at reducing the burden on national statistical offices of the countries concerned.

The Conference designated the ECE as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 1.4 - Relations with countries outside the ECE region (including countries in the Mediterranean region): Participants took note of Eurostat's cooperation programme with Mediterranean countries in the context of the EUROMED cooperation programme of the European Union.

The Conference designated the ECE as Rapporteur for this programme element.

C. Sub-programme 2 - Technical infrastructure and other cross-cutting issues

Documentation: CES/1996/R.10/Add.2, CES/1996/R.10/Add.7 and background documents listed in the Annex to the Provisional Agenda to the plenary session (ECE/CES/49)

Participants noted the objectives and expected outputs reformulated by the Bureau at its November 1995 meeting. The Conference approved the comments of the Bureau on work done in 1995/1996 and on ongoing activities of the Conference in this subprogramme.

Subject to the qualifications specified below, the Conference accepted the Bureau's recommendations for decisions on the planned activities in the programme elements in this sub-programme (see CES/1996/R.30/Add.2).

Programme element 2.1 - Management of statistical information technology: It was agreed that this programme element should deal with both strategy and management issues arising in the information technology (IT) field in statistical agencies, including for example the cost effective management of IT services.

There was general agreement that statistical production should be seen as an integrated system of the processing of statistical data collection, data evaluation and data dissemination. In this connection it was suggested that the Working Party on Electronic Data Processing could devote some attention to the design of the whole complex of statistical electronic data processing systems. It was also suggested that such work could be considered with closely related activities being undertaken in programme elements 2.2 and 2.3.

The Conference designated the ECE as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 2.2 - Statistical data collection and processing: The Conference designated the ECE as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 2.3 - Dissemination and interchange of statistical information: The participants agreed that the objectives of this programme element needed to be broadened to include more substantive issues such as the needs of different client groups, different vehicles of dissemination, information on metadata, the marketing and pricing of statistical products, and methodological and organizational aspects relating to statistical data environments. The Rapporteur was asked to do this.

A general opinion was expressed that the marketing and pricing of statistical data should be highlighted in setting priorities for the future programme of work of the Conference. The Conference welcomed the offer of Eurostat and the United States to make their information and/or materials on this issue available to countries interested in receiving it.

A proposal was put forward to address the issue of statistical metadata in future work of the Conference. Clarifications are needed with regard to what metadata are, which metadata should be supplied by national statistical offices to international organisations, and in which form these data should be stored and provided to users.

Some participants pointed out that electronic data exchange (EDI) of statistical data should be used by the secretariat in collecting data from countries. In this connection it was recommended that the ECE secretariat assist NSOs in extending the implementation of the UN/EDIFACT standards (e.g.Generic Statistical Message -- GESMES) for EDI in statistical messages.

The Conference designated the ECE as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 2.4 - Industry, commodity and occupation classifications: The representative of the ILO pointed out that none of the international organizations have indicated activities corresponding to the expected collective output "consideration of ISCO-88 and its possible revision". The ILO would welcome such a consideration, but had not included it in its own programme of work as it was felt that it would be more urgent to establish a mechanism for updating ISCO-88, e.g. by making use of the experiences of countries developing new revised national occupational classifications based on the ISCO-88 model. A member of the Conference supported the ILO in this regard.

The Conference asked Eurostat to serve as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 2.5 - Statistical research and development: The Conference asked Statistics Canada to serve as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 2.6 - Geographical and regional data: The opinion was expressed that, bearing in mind rapid development in GIS technologies, the coordinating role of the ECE secretariat in the exchange of experiences on the design and implementation of statistical GIS applications is indispensable. A recommendation was made to include issues dealing with copyright of geographical data in the future programme of work.

The Conference asked Eurostat to serve as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 2.7 - Human resource development: The Conference asked Eurostat to serve as Rapporteur for this programme element.

D. Sub-programme 3 - Economic Statistics

Documentation: CES/1996/R.10/Add.3, CES/1996/Add.7 and background documents listed in the Annex to the Provisional Agenda to the plenary session (ECE/CES/49)

The Conference approved the comments of the Bureau on work done in 1995/1996 and on ongoing activities of the Conference in this subprogramme.

Subject to the qualifications specified below, the Conference accepted the Bureau's recommendations for decisions on the planned activities in the programme elements in this sub-programme (see CES/1996/R.30/Add.3).

Programme element 3.1 - Implementation of the System of National Accounts: The Conference regarded the tables contained in the document on the results of the survey by the UNSD on the implementation of the 1993 SNA as a useful tool for monitoring the SNA implementation process in countries. It was suggested that tables for respective countries be periodically circulated at plenary sessions of the Conference of European Statisticians.

The Conference took note of the offer by ILO to provide assistance to transition countries in covering the informal activities drawing on its experience from labour force surveys carried out in other regions of the world.

The Conference asked OECD to serve as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 3.2 - Money and banking, government finance, and balance of payments: The Conference was informed of the coordination that takes place between Eurostat, IMF and OECD in conducting surveys on portfolio investment and foreign direct investment. Participants asked that this coordination be specifically mentioned in the future editions of the Integrated Presentation.

It was agreed that the objectives of this programme element should be changed to reflect the need of reaching an agreement on common concepts and outputs for balance of payments statistics consistent with the Balance of Payments Manual.

Programme element 3.3 - International trade in goods: The WTO drew attention of the Conference to some recent developments in this area. The Conference noted that COMTRADE has become operational in terms of the Harmonized System.

It was suggested that the Conference might wish to consider at one of its future plenary sessions measures which could be taken to avoid gaps in different objectives adopted by the compilers of basic statistics and those adopted as a consequence of introducing the revised SNA and the Balance of Payments Manual.

The Conference invited FAO to ensure that its foreign trade data collection activities was in harmony with the collections of major international organisations active in this area.

The UNSD was asked to expedite the dissemination of the report of the last meeting of the Expert Group on Trade Concepts and Definitions.

The Conference asked Eurostat to provide a new description of its activities under this programme element.

Programme element 3.5 - Distributive trade: The Conference asked Eurostat to provide a revised description of the expected outputs for this programme element.

Programme element 3.6 - International trade in services: It was suggested that the content of the Trade-in-services Manual, being prepared by OECD in cooperation with other international organisations and national statistical offices, be reflected in the text on this programme element.

Programme element 3.7 - Tourism: The attention of the Conference was drawn to the need of taking into account the experience of transition countries in the work of international expert groups on tourism statistics.

Programme element 3.8 - Other marketed services, and non-marketed services: The Conference was updated on the activities of OECD and the Voorburg Group in this area. It was pointed out that the goal of compiling internationally comparable short-term indices of output of services will not be achieved in the next two years and thus should be scaled down in the "expected collective output".

The Conference asked the Rapporteur to identify the objectives in this area on which substantive progress could be expected in the next several years provided that adequate resources are allocated for this purpose in international organisations and national statistical offices.

The Conference asked Eurostat to serve as the Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 3.9 - Price statistics, including purchasing power parities: The Conference agreed that this programme element should be given higher priority in its programme of work. It suggested that the Ottawa Group be asked to prepare a paper on major problems and possible approaches of dealing with them in the area of price statistics for consideration at the next plenary session of the Conference.

It was observed that none of the organizations concerned had included in their programme of work a development of the supplement to the ILO manual announced as one of expected collective outputs in this programme element. The ILO would welcome such a supplement but does not have the necessary resources for its preparation during the forthcoming programming period.

The Conference was informed about the decision taken by the Working Group of the Statistical Commission to develop a set of criteria for the evaluation of the International Comparison Programme by the Commission.

Several countries stressed the importance of the European Comparison Programme and congratulated the Austrian Central Statistical Office on their valuable contribution to the project. The ECE secretariat was urged to finalize and publish the 1993 ECP report as soon as possible.

Programme element 3.10 - Agricultural statistics: It was proposed that a cross-reference to the environment statistics sub-programme be made in the "expected collective output" under this programme element.

The Conference took note of the activities by FAO and Italy aimed at preparing an agricultural census in China.

Programme element 3.11 - Industrial statistics: It was emphasized that the issue of making micro-level data available internationally should be dealt with very carefully. Some countries may not be in the position of giving access to their micro-level statistics.

The Conference welcomed the assistance to transition countries provided by Germany in this area and took account of the transition countries'needs for current information on the state of interpretation of classifications provided by the international organizations.

Programme element 3.12 - Energy statistics: It was suggested that the agenda of the planned ECE/IEA/Eurostat Joint Meeting on Energy Statistics in 1997/98 should be broadened to include renewable energies, in particular the use of biomass as well as combined heat and power generation.

Programme element 3.XX: The Conference was informed that the Working Group of the UN Statistical Commission asked a group of experts to prepare a paper on statistical dimensions of intangible investment. The paper will be submitted for consideration at the forthcoming session of the Commission.

E. Sub-programme 4 - Social and demographic statistics

Documentation:	CES/1996/R.10/Add.4, CES/1996/R.10/Add.7 and the background documents listed in the annex to the Agenda of the plenary session (ECE/CES/49).

The Conference approved the comments of the Bureau on work done in 1995/96 and on ongoing activities of the Conference in this sub-programme.

Subject to the qualifications outlined below, the Conference accepted the Bureau's recommendations for the planned activities of the Conference in the programme elements in this sub-programme.

Programme element 4.1 - Social indicators and frameworks: The representative of Italy informed the Conference about the outcomes of the meeting of the Siena Group held in Paris shortly before the plenary session. The Conference was also informed that the next meeting of the Siena Group would be held in Switzerland, and that the theme would be "Social integration of minorities (ethnic, linguistic, cultural) and immigrants".

During discussion doubts were expressed about how realistic it was to expect the objective of developing a coherent framework of internationally comparable social indicators to be achieved over the course of the next few years.

Programme element 4.2 - Gender statistics: The Conference noted that the publication of the ECE-Eurostat-INSTRAW-Statistics Sweden joint publication "Women and Men in Europe and North America, 1995" had been produced in time for the Beijing World Conference on Women. It thanked Statistics Sweden for the significant contribution it had made to producing the publication.

Programme element 4.4 - Registers and administrative records for social and demographic statistics: The attention of the Conference was called to Eurostat's forthcoming inventory of registers and administrative sources currently being used in European Union and selected other ECE countries, and the planned publication of national papers on strategies for the use of administrative registers of social statistics. The important role that new data processing technologies are playing in exploiting these types of data sources was noted.

The participant from Iceland informed the Conference about a forthcoming IAOS meeting to be held during the first week of July in Iceland. The meeting will deal with topics such as: the use of accounting and information systems of firms for data collection; quality issues associated with the use of administrative records; combining data from surveys and administrative records. The papers for the meeting will be made available on the following World Wide Web address: http://www.strj.is/statice/ibos/.

The Conference asked Eurostat to serve as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 4.5 - Population and housing censuses: The Conference noted that census workshops organized by Eurostat for a small number of countries were not mentioned in the Integrated Presentation, and Eurostat was asked to mention them in future editions of the presentation.

Programme element 4.7 - Crime and criminal justice statistics: The Conference requested the ECE secretariat to contact the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute to ask it whether it would be prepared to serve as Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 4.8 - Education and training statistics: The Conference was informed that UNESCO had amended the timetable for the revision of ISCED. Current plans call for a general proposal for its revision to be approved at the next UNESCO world meeting on education rather than to have a revised general version of ISCED adopted at the meeting.

The importance of having the needs of developing countries taken into account in the revision of ISCED was stressed during the discussion.

Programme element 4.9 - Culture statistics: The Conference approved the request by UNESCO to postpone the joint ECE-UNESCO meeting on cultural statistics to 1998/99.

Programme element 4.10 - Labour statistics: The attention of the Conference was called to the fact that the cooperation and coordination of data collection and dissemination work by international and regional organizations could be significantly improved also in this field. This could be achieved via discussions between the organisations concerned and representatives of national statistical offices. Participants also noted that although the objectives formulated through the Conference's deliberations are important for the work programmes of the organisations concerned, these work programmes are determined by the organisations' own competent bodies. Thus some lead time as well as consistent positions by national delegates to these organisations are needed to ensure that the work programmes will support progress towards the stated objectives.

It was suggested that priorities should be set for the objectives expected to be achieved in this programme element, and that the work on the LAS and its links to the SNA should be given particular emphasis.

Programme element 4.11 - Demographic statistics (including estimates and projections, migration, fertility and families and households): The Conference considered that in the area of estimates and projections more attention was needed over the next two years on how to produce mutually consistent population and labour force projections; how to assist countries in transition to produce internationally comparable estimates and projections; and how to increase the consistency of population and labour force projections being produced by different international organizations.

The Conference noted the status of work on the preparation by UNSD and Eurostat of a draft new set of UN recommendations on international migration statistics that is scheduled to be submitted for approval to the 1997 session of the UN Statistical Commission. It also noted that a task force involving UNSD, Eurostat, OECD, ILO, UN Population Division, ECE and some national experts is helping to finalize the draft recommendations.

Programme element 4.12 - Human settlements and housing statistics: The Conference thanked ISTAT for the excellent work it had done on preparing the draft Declaration that the Bureau had approved and submitted to the HABITAT II conference on behalf of the CES.

Programme element 4.13 - Statistics of household income and expenditures, of the welfare of the population, and of poverty and income inequality: The Conference noted that the Bureau had asked the Australian Bureau of Statistics to conduct a "market test" to see whether a sufficient number on national statistical offices would be willing to participate actively in a Voorburg-type group in the field of household income statistics if such a group was established. The ABS has organized a first meeting for interested countries.

The representative of the United Kingdom supported the initiative of the Bureau and expressed their wish to take part in the work of that group

The representative of Belarus informed the Conference about the work conducted in his country in developing household budget surveys.

Programme element 4.14: Statistics on population groups of special interest: It was recommended the examples of special population groups mentioned in the objectives of this programme element be expanded to include refugees.

F. Sub-programme 5 - Environment statistics

Documentation:	CES/1996/R.10/Add.5 and the background documents listed in the annex to the Provisional Agenda of the plenary session (ECE/CES/49).

The Conference noted that titles, objectives and expected outputs in this sub-programme were reformulated as an outcome of the in-depth review by the Bureau at its February 1996 meeting. The Conference approved the comments of the Bureau on work done in 1995/96 and on ongoing activities of the Conference in this sub-programme.

Subject to the qualifications specified below, the Conference accepted the Bureau's recommendations for decisions on the planned activities in the programme elements in this sub-programme (see CES/1996/R.30/Add.5).

Programme element 5.1 - Sectoral concepts, definitions and classifications: The meeting accepted Eurostat's offer that it will play a more prominent role in the work areas covered by this programme element in the future, especially in view of the fact that the ECE Statistical Division does not have the required resources to allocate to the environment statistics sub-programme. It was also noted that a substantial amount of ad hoc environment statistics is generated outside national statistical offices by a variety of actors. This means that NSOs have a key role to play in integrating and coordinating all statistical and conceptual work done in this field.

It was noted that the work of the European Environment Agency was not treated separately in the integrated presentation because their work programme on statistics is integrated with that of Eurostat.

The Conference adopted the Classification of Fauna, Flora and Biotopes (CES/1996/R.9).

The Conference asked Eurostat to serve as a Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 5.2 - Environmental accounting: The Conference noted that the work planned by the ECE on physical environmental accounting is to be temporarily frozen and the CES Task Force on Environmental Accounting suspended until resources become available. It was pointed out that the work on physical and monetary accounts should be integrated. The Conference also noted that the London group on Environmental Statistics offers a forum for bringing the conceptual work together on environmental accounting.

The Conference asked OECD to serve as a Rapporteur for this programme element.

Programme element 5.3 - Environmental databases and reporting: The meeting accepted the argument that because work on environment statistics is still in an evolutionary phase and thereby demands more intellectual work than the usual collection-dissemination activities, it is preferable to include this work in programme element 5.3 rather than in sub-programme 6.

The Conference noted that ECE and Eurostat are jointly investigating possibilities of completing the Statistical Monograph on Road Transport and the Environment. It also identified the leading role of the OECD in the field of environmental indicators.

The Conference removed the "International Environmental data Service" (IEDS) from the Conference's work programme, with the understanding that it would need to continue to be shown in the Integrated Presentation as a statistically related activity of the ECE Environment and Human Settlement Division.

The Conference asked Eurostat to serve as a Rapporteur for this programme element.

G. Sub-programme 6 - Dissemination and support for secretariat activities

Documentation:	CES/1996/R.10/Add.6

Subject to the qualifications specified below, the Conference accepted the Bureau's recommendations for the planned activities in the programme elements in this sub-programme (see CES/1996/R.30/Add.6).

Programme element 6.1 - Dissemination of statistical data by the secretariats: The Conference noted that the titles, objectives and expected outputs in this sub-programme were reformulated as an outcome of the in-depth review by the Bureau at its February 1996 meeting. The Conference approved the comments of the Bureau on work done in 1995/96 and on ongoing activities of the Conference in this sub-programme.

The secretariat informed the participants that the second edition of the ECE Statistical Yearbook will use more data provided directly by National Statistical Offices and will include more information about the statistics.

It was also noted that the ECE secretariat will not be providing statistics free of charge on the Internet. However, hypertext links will be provided to Internet sites of National Statistical Offices (by the United Nations in New York and Geneva).

There was general agreement that it would be useful to have ECE, Eurostat and OECD prepare a joint note for a forthcoming plenary session summarizing how they are proceeding to streamline data collection from member countries.

The Conference agreed with the proposal of the ECE Statistical Division that publication of the three remaining energy bulletins should cease if the Committee on Energy has no objections. The data will continue to be collected by the ECE but will be published by the OECD's International Energy Agency, and key data will still be available to the ECE Energy Division.

Programme element 6.2 - Other statistically-related activities of the ECE Secretariat: The Conference approved the comments of the Bureau on the work done in 1995/96, and it approved the activities to be carried out by the Statistical Division in 1996/97 in support of other statistically related activities of the ECE secretariat (see CES/1996/R.30/Add.6).

IV. CES CONTRIBUTION TO HABITAT II

Documentation:	CES/1996/R.30

The Conference was informed by the secretariat that the Declaration prepared by the Bureau on its behalf had been presented and distributed at the HABITAT II summit. The Conference thanked the Bureau for the excellent content of the Declaration. However, the delegate of France suggested that further consideration should be given to the role of statisticians at the municipal level.

During discussion regret was expressed about the fact that a document of such importance as the Declaration had not been able to be translated into the other official working languages of the ECE. The secretariat pointed out that it too regretted this situation, but that the translation of several important documents for this year's plenary session had simply been beyond the capacity of the resources available to the UN Office at Geneva for translating them.

V. LABOUR MARKET DYNAMICS: NEW STATISTICAL AND ANALYTICAL APPROACHES

Documentation:	CES/1996/R.18-27

This was the topic for substantive discussion at the 1996 plenary session of the Conference. Mr. Stibbard (UK) who had been invited to act as organizer for it, introduced the topic and thanked the authors of the papers which served as basis for the discussion. There were also some room documents on the topic from Sweden, Spain and Slovenia.

Mr. Stibbard drew attention to the definition of statistics of labour market dynamics in the ILO paper; i.e. measurement over time of changes in the activity state of individuals or changes in jobs of employed persons, either in terms of the number of persons who have experienced changes, or the duration of completed spells in status or job situations. The dynamics of income from employment, and the demography and growth of establishments were also recognized as relevant to understanding the dynamics of the labour market.

He further referred to the issues of how to encourage the production and use of flow and longitudinal data and expressed the hope that the discussion would assist NSOs in deciding how to allocate scarce resources in response to the increasing demands in this area.

Mr. Stibbard had organized the discussion of the substantive topic in four sessions, each of which had a different discussant to introduce the papers and animate the debate.

General comments:

Some of the points raised during the discussion in the individual sessions relate to the topic as a whole, rather than to the specific topic under discussion, and are presented here first.

In response to a request for discussion to list the policy issues addressed by statistics on labour market dynamics, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the tools identified to provide the statistics, the meeting identified a number of issues that had already been addressed, including: job creation; how far temporary jobs lead to permanent jobs; the effects of a head of household being unemployed on the economic activity of other members; the effects on income of moving from employment to self-employment; verifying the perception of increasingly unstable labour market; and degrees of marginalisation (labour market 'insiders' and 'outsiders'). Among the issues proposed which could potentially be addressed in the future were: the effects of discrimination on careers; links between family formation/dissolution and labour market transitions; and what leads to individual long-term economic success?

There was a widespread feeling that it was no longer sufficient to concentrate on flows between the three main labour market states defined by the ILO (employed, unemployed and economically inactive), but that more detailed analyses needed to be undertaken. In some cases, there was a policy need to focus on particular groups (such as school-leavers or women returners). In others, finer gradations of economic activity would be important (for example switching from full-time, permanent employment to part-time or temporary employment). A distinction was also made between the short-term analysis, in which labour market flexibility can lead to individuals moving quickly through a number of states, and long-term, in which employment histories may be monitored. The precise application crucially affects the appropriateness of the various sources and analytical techniques.

Use and analysis of registers of persons and employers:

Ms Krizman (Slovenia) acted as discussant for the first session which drew attention to registers as a potentially valuable source of information on flows and events. Most registers contain current information describing a series of events in time. By linking registers together and linking registers to surveys the utility of the information can be substantially increased.

Longitudinal information is required on both persons and enterprises and ideally, the information on both sources should be combined, as for example, is the case in Denmark. The potential advantages of registers (e.g. low cost; total coverage; no non-response or memory-loss problems) as well as disadvantages (e.g. non-statistical/ILO concepts; poor quality data; discontinuities) were also emphasized.

In discussion, it became clear that an increasing number of countries in addition to the Nordic countries are making use of registers. Even registers without Personal Identification Numbers have been successfully linked together to improve insight into labour market dynamics.

Conduct and analysis of surveys of persons and employers:

Mr. Petrie (Canada), who acted as discussant for the second session, drew attention to the advantages credited to household surveys of being able to analyze flexibly labour market transitions in conjunction with states and changes in other household factors.

He also emphasized the distinction between collections using respondents' recall, and repeated observation at a later time point by means of a longitudinal survey. While the former type of survey using recall was cheap, it suffered from memory errors; longitudinal surveys, on the other hand, were costly and liable to biases introduced by sample attrition.

Concerns over response errors had led Statistics Canada twenty years ago not to exploit linked records from their monthly labour force survey. Instead, Mr. Petrie advocated specially designed longitudinal surveys along the lines of Canada's Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics. Notwithstanding, a number of delegates thought that longitudinal data from linked records in their Labour Force Surveys had produced some useful information despite the problem of attrition and response errors. The data were usually not the only source of data on labour market dynamics, and it was suggested that countries interested in pursuing this approach would do well to profit from the experiences of others in dealing with the pitfalls and technical difficulties before proceeding. None of the approaches to collecting data discussed was without its technical deficiencies, but the consensus was that statisticians should not be overwhelmed by these concerns.

Comparison and integration:

In leading the discussion of the third session, Ms Buhmann (Switzerland) stressed the importance of being able to compare and integrate labour market statistics with the other data collected in NSOs. The absence of flow data, which had also been mentioned by others, was seen as a serious lacunae in many statistical collections of labour market data. She particularly regretted the lack of comparability between different data sources, and the missing links between labour market data and other statistical systems, especially National Accounts.

From her own experience, she advocated for the development of Labour Accounting Systems (LAS) as an approach able to solve some of these problems. For example, comparability problems could be resolved by studying definitional differences, and explaining or adjusting for them, integration by attempting to reconcile data, taking into account measurement errors as well as definitional differences. The outcome of this integration is sometimes described as 'synthetic statistics' and can be cheap and of high quality.

The aim of a Labour Accounting System is to obtain fully integrated results, explicitly taking into account the relations between all variables (for example persons employed, jobs and work places at establishments). In discussion, it became clear that the LASs in German-speaking countries encompassed dynamic aspects, whereas those in the Nordic countries tended to concentrate on stock data. In Norway, LAS data on years worked and wages were being refined to the point that they would be used unaltered in the National Accounts. Several delegates expressed the hope that the manual that the ILO is preparing on informal sector estimates will facilitate links between LASs and National Accounts.

Tracking education/workforce transitions:

Several of the discussion papers considered ways to track education and transition to the workforce. Four types of data source were used: follow-up studies of graduates; specialized surveys of households or businesses; modules attached to existing surveys; and register data.

The policy interest in studying school-to-work transitions were emphasized by several delegates. It was considered important to try to assess the degree of difficulty some young people experience in establishing themselves as 'insiders' in the labour market.

Measuring labour market attachment and job security:

Mr Stibbard introduced the last session which focused on labour market attachment and job security which are two areas of recent high policy concern and media interest.

One approach to satisfy interest in degrees of labour market attachment is to develop supplementary measures of 'labour resource under-utilization'. He highlighted the fact that in the United States dynamic measures, considering the length of unemployment and the completion of temporary jobs, had been used in defining the narrowest two unemployment measures in their revised unemployment series. Wider measures included that part of the inactive category that had some attachment to the labour market, and also the under-employed in the employed category.

On job security, he noted the different definitions for 'contingent employment' and the observations on collecting data from retrospective questions and longitudinal panels. He called attention to the utility of the simplified classification (stable; mobile; unstable employment; long-term unemployment; not in labour force) described in the ILO paper. Movements between these states could be measured by administrative registers or as in the U.K. for surveys of individuals and households.

Finally, he suggested care should be taken with the terminology to avoid implying that any departure from full-time permanent employment was 'unsatisfactory', as there is evidence that many people prefer such working arrangements. A need was seen to make a distinction between indicators of job insecurity such as job tenure, level of temporary work, etc., and individuals' perception of it, which was not easily captured by labour market statistics as conventionally understood.

Conclusion:

The discussion had emphasized the high importance attached by users to a range of labour market transitions, in some cases at a detailed level. A note of caution was sounded concerning the need to evaluate carefully the quality of data sources before releasing information.

Many countries active in labour market dynamics were clearly using (or developing) more than one source, and some were bringing the results together in a Labour Accounting System. A number of delegates had expressed the need for international guidance on the concepts of labour market dynamics statistics, particularly in areas where meaningful international comparisons would be useful. These might be able to take the existing framework for stocks as a starting point. There was also a possible need for practical guidance on how data could be compiled to these standards. ILO is in favour of developing a statistical description of labour market dynamics and undertook to consider these issues further.

VI.	ELECTION OF THE NEW BUREAU MEMBER

Documentation: CES/1995/R.11

In accordance with the rules of procedure adopted by the Conference at its 1993 plenary session, the election was organized by Mr. Malaguerra of Switzerland, who was the most senior previous Chairman of the Conference present at the plenary session.

The Conference elected Mr. E. Outrata (Czech Republic) as a bureau member for 1996/97 (the remaining portion of Mr. Olenski's term), based on the proposal put forward by Mr. Malaguerra.

The Conference thanked Mr. Malaguerra for the task he performed in this process. The Conference also thanked Mr. J. Olenski (Poland) who have served on the Bureau during 1995/96, and who assumed other duties in his country.

VII.	OTHER BUSINESS

The Chairman informed the Conference of the main conclusions reached by the Bureau at its lunch-time 13 June 1996 meeting to discuss the outcome of the 1996 plenary session. The Bureau considered that members of the Conference were generally satisfied with the content of the integrated presentation, but not with the process involved in reviewing and taking decisions on it.

Taking into account that the core function of the plenary session is to approve the Conference's programme of work, the Bureau concluded that there is a need to find a mechanism which would permit this core function to be performed in a less time-consuming manner - and not programme element by programme element. Therefore a mechanism will be implemented at future plenary sessions which would permit the work programme to be approved more speedily and more routinely, and without sacrificing the possibility of countries to comment on it, should they wish to do so.

The Bureau suggested that countries would submit their comments in writing to the secretariat (on the basis of the integrated presentation) at least two weeks prior to each plenary session.

The Bureau intends to select a small number of programme elements (four to six) for discussion at the plenary session in more depth (issue-oriented and strategic oriented) (e.g. prices). Non-Members of the Bureau are also free to suggest issues to be discussed in depth. They were requested to address their suggestion to the Bureau members or to the secretariat.

A proposal was made to organize a pre-session "briefing" for new members of the Conference, and other interested countries, at the 1997 plenary session.

The Conference also noted the Bureau's discussion on the selection process of seminar topic(s) for discussion at future plenary sessions. The Bureau suggested that a mechanism be found which would permit a small number of high profile USERS of statistics produce papers and take part in the discussion.

VIII. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT

This report was adopted by the Conference on 13 June 1996.

ANNEX I

INTEGRATED PRESENTATION OF PROGRAMMES OF INTERNATIONAL

STATISTICAL WORK IN THE ECE REGION, 1995/96 AND 1996/97

Note

The integrated presentation of the statistical work programmes of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), the European Communities (EC), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and other international organizations working in the ECE region is presented in documents CES/1996/R.30 and addenda 1-6, as indicated below: The integrated presentation shown in these documents, which collectively constitute Annex I of the report of the plenary session, is too large to issue as part of this report or as a single document.

CES/1996/R.30: Programmes of international statistical work in the UN/ECE region, 1996/97 and 1997/98: An integrated presentation - Introduction and overview

CES/1996/R.30/Add.1: Sub-programme 1: Organization and operation of statistical services

CES/1996/R.30/Add.2: Sub-programme 2: Technical infrastructure and other cross-cutting issues

CES/1996/R.30/Add.3: Sub-programme 3: Economic statistics

CES/1996/R.30/Add.4: Sub-programme 4: Social and demographic statistics

CES/1996/R.30/Add.5: Sub-programme 5: Environment statistics

CES/1996/R.30/Add.6: Dissemination and support for secretariat activities

ANNEX II. Priority menu of the CES for 1996/97 and 1997/98

a) 1996/97

WORK PROGRAMME OF THE CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN STATISTICIANS

PRIORITY MENU FOR 1996/97

Programme element Substantive action required of the ECE secretariat Major coordination required Output for the plenary session 1997 1.1 Promotion and coordination of multilateral statistical work - Preparation of integrated presentation of international statistical work programmes

- Prepare Joint Programme Review meeting(s)

- Preparation of resource inventory on statistical work in ECE region

- Various intersecretariat working groups - Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, IMF, World Bank, Specialized Agencies, etc.

- Eurostat, OECD

- All organizations

- Various organizations - Draft Integrated presentation

- Report

- Inventory

1.2 Managerial and policy issues of direct concern to presidents of national statistical offices - Preparation of CES plenary session

- Organization of substantive discussion

- Organization of Bureau meetings

- Preparation of Lisbon Seminar - All international agencies active in the region

-

- Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, IMF, World Bank

- - CES Annual Report

- Discussion papers

- Bureau's reports; minutes of meetings

- Report 1.3 Transition countries in the ECE region - Taking full account of the needs of countries in transition in the CES work programme, provision of guidance and advice to transition countries by the Regional Adviser

- Participate in inter-agency coordination activities

- To manage, as the executing agency, the UNDP regional project for the development of social and demographic statistics in transition countries ILO, etc.

- Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, IMF, IWG.COORD, CIS

- UNDP, Eurostat, UNSD, CIS

- Progress report, when required

- Progress reports, when required

- Progress report, when required

1.4 Relations with countries outside the ECE region (including in the Mediterranean region) - Preparation and provision of relevant CES documents to the Statistical Commission, UNSD and the Regional Commissions - UNSD, Regional Commissions - Progress reports, when required 2.1 Management of statistical information technology - Organization of 25th session of the Working Party on EDP (WP.9)

- Report

2.2 Statistical data collection and processing - Preparation of methodological materials on statistical data editing

- Preparation of the work session on statistical data editing

- Methodological materials on statistical data editing

- Conclusions of the work session on statistical data editing 2.3 Dissemination of statistical information - Preparation of methodological materials on statistical metadata - methodological materials - Preparation of the work session on statistical output and dissemination to information media - Conclusions of the work session 2.3 Dissemination of statistical information (Cont'd) - Participation in the development of EDISTAT (Western European EDIFACT Board - group MD6) - EUROSTAT - Progress report - Coordination of EDISTAT implementation with transition countries

- Trial EDI applications 3.1 Implementation of the system of national accounts - Preparation of the ECE-Eurostat-OECD meeting on national accounts - Eurostat, OECD - Report 3.4 Transport - Preparation of the 46th session of the Working Party IWG.TRANS - Report 3.9 Price statistics, including PPP - Preparation of the ACSO-ECE-Eurostat-OECD Consultation on the European Comparison Programme within Group II ACSO, Eurostat, OECD - Report 3.12 Energy statistics - Preparation of the joint meeting of the energy statistics Working Group - IWG.EN - Report 4.4 Registers and administrative records for social and demographic statistics - Preparation of the work session (jointly with Eurostat) - Eurostat - Report

4.5 Population and housing censuses - Preparation of the draft recommendations and of the meeting on population and housing censuses (jointly with Eurostat)

- Publication on census costs - Eurostat, UNSD

- Report

- Draft recommendations

- Publication 4.6 Health statistics - Preparation of the work session (jointly with WHO) - WHO Europe - Report 4.11 Demographic statistics (projections, migration and fertility)

- Preparation of the annual migration matrices

- Participation in review of UN recommendations on international migration statistics

- Preparation of work session on migration statistics (jointly with Eurostat) - Eurostat, UNSD

- UNSD, Eurostat, OECD, ILO etc.

- Eurostat - Matrices

- Progress report as required

- Report 5.1 Sectorial concepts,

definitions and classifications - Organization of the joint ECE/CEC work session on methodological questions of environment statistics - Eurostat - Report 5.3 Environmental database

and reporting - Joint preparation and compilation of the statistical monograph on road transport and the environment - Eurostat - Progress report/ Publication 6.1 Coordination of international data collection - Preparation of annual publications in the fields of transport (2) and housing (1), and of annual tabulations in the field of energy.

- Preparation of the ECE Statistical Yearbook

- Preparation of Statistical Journal - Eurostat, OECD/IEA as required

-

-

- Annual publications

- Annual publication

- 4 issues of Statistical Journal per year 6.2 Other statistically-related activities of the ECE secretariat - Preparation of statistical tables and analysis as required - Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, CIS STAT, other ECE PSBs - Progress report (to the CES Bureau)

b) 1997/98

WORK PROGRAMME OF THE CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN STATISTICIANS

PRIORITY MENU FOR 1997/98

Programme element Substantive action required of the ECE secretariat Major coordination required Output for the plenary session 1998 1.1 Promotion and coordination of multilateral statistical work - Preparation of integrated presentation of international statistical work programmes

- Prepare Joint Programme Review meeting(s)

- Preparation of resource inventory on statistical work in ECE region

- Various intersecretariat working groups - Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, IMF, World Bank, Specialized Agencies, etc.

- Eurostat, OECD

- All organizations

- Various organizations - Draft Integrated presentation

- Report

- Inventory

1.2 Managerial and policy issues of direct concern to presidents of national statistical offices - Preparation of CES plenary session

- Organization of substantive discussion

- Organization of Bureau meetings - All international agencies active in the region

-

- Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, IMF, World Bank - CES Annual Report

- Discussion papers

- Bureau's reports; minutes of meetings 1.3 Transition countries in the ECE region - Taking full account of the needs of countries in transition in the CES work programme, provision of guidance and advice to transition countries by the Regional Adviser

- Participate in inter-agency coordination activities

- To manage, as the executing agency, the UNDP regional project for the development of social and demographic statistics in transition countries - Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, IMF, World Bank, ILO, etc.

- Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, IMF, IWG.COORD, CIS

- UNDP, Eurostat, UNSD, CIS

- Progress report, when required

- Progress reports, when required

- Progress report, when required

1.4 Relations with countries outside the ECE region (including in the Mediterranean region) - Preparation and provision of relevant CES documents to the Statistical Commission, UNSD and the Regional Commissions - UNSD, Regional Commissions

- Progress reports, when required 2.1 Management of information technology infrastructure - Organization of ISIS'98

- Report

2.2 Statistical data collection and processing - Preparation of methodological materials and publication on statistical data editing

- Preparation of the work session on statistical data editing

- Methodological materials and publication

- Conclusions of the work session 2.3 Dissemination and interchange of statistical information - Preparation of the work session on statistical metadata

- Participation in the development of EDISTAT (Western European EDIFACT Board - group MD6)

- Coordination of EDISTAT implementation with transition countries

- EUROSTAT

- Conclusions of the work session

- Progress report

- Trial EDI applications 2.6 Geographical and regional data - Preparation of the work session on GIS - Report 3.1 Implementation of the system of national accounts - Preparation of the 1997/98 joint meeting - Eurostat, OECD - Report 3.4 Transport - Preparation of the 47th session of the Working Party - IWG.TRANS - Report

3.9 Price statistics, including PPPs

- Preparation of the 1997/98 joint meeting on consumer price indices

- Preparation of the ACSO-ECE-Eurostat-OECD Consultation on the ECP within Group II (Autumn 97) - ILO

- ACSO, Eurostat, OECD - Report

- Report 3.10 Agriculture statistics - Preparation of the 23rd session of FAO/ECE Study Group on Food and Agricultural Statistics - IWG.AGRI - Report 3.14 Business registers - Preparation of the 1997/98 joint meeting - Eurostat - Report 4.2 Gender statistics - Preparation of the work session - INSTRAW, UNSD - Report 4.4 Registers and administrative records in social & Demographic statistics

- Preparation of the work session

- Eurostat

- Report

4.5 Population and housing censuses

- Publication of the new set of recommendations for the 2000 round of population and housing censuses in the ECE region - Eurostat, UNSD - Publication of the new set of regional recommendations 4.11 Demographic statistics (including projections, migration and fertility) - Preparation of the annual matrices

- Eurostat, UNSD

- Matrices

5.1 Sectorial concepts,

definitions and classifications - Organization of the joint ECE/CEC work session on methodological questions of environment statistics - Eurostat - Report 5.3 Environmental database

and reporting - Joint Publication of the statistical monograph on road transport and the environment - Eurostat - Publication 6.1 Coordination of international data collection - Preparation of annual publications in the fields of transport (2) and housing (1), and of annual tabulations in the field of energy.

- Preparation of the ECE Statistical Yearbook

- Preparation of Statistical Journal - Eurostat, OECD/IEA as required

-

- - Annual publications

- Annual publication

- 4 issues of Statistical Journal per year 6.2 Other statistically-related activities of the ECE secretariat

- Preparation of statistical tables and analysis as required

- Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, CIS STAT, other ECE PSBs

- Progress report (to the CES Bureau)

c) Projects inactive in 1996/97 and 1997/98

Work programme of the Conference of European Statisticians

Projects inactive in 1996/97 and 1997/98

2.4	Industry, commodity and occupation classifications

2.5	Statistical research and development

2.7	Human resource development

3.2	Money and banking, government finance, and balance of payments

3.3	International trade in goods

3.5	Distributive trade

3.6	International trade in services

3.7	Tourism

3.8	Other marketed services and non-marketed services

3.11	Industrial statistics

3.13	Science and technology statistics

3.XX	Other work in the field of economic statistics

4.1	Social indicators and frameworks

4.3	Multi-purpose social surveys

4.7	Crime and criminal justice statistics

4.8	Education and training statistics

4.9	Culture statistics

4.10	Labour statistics

4.12	Human settlements and housing statistics

4.13	Statistics of household income and expenditures, of the welfare of the population, and the poverty income statistics

4.14	Statistics on population groups of special interest

4.XX	Other work in the field of social and demographic statistics

5.2	Environmental accounting

ANNEX III

CES CALENDAR OF MEETINGS, 1996/97 AND 1997/98

1996/97

Programme

element Meeting Dates

1.2	Seminar for Heads of Statistical Offices - Lisbon, Portugal	25-27 September 1996

4.11	Work session on Migration Statistics	30 Sept. -3 0ct. 1996

5.1	Joint ECE/Eurostat Work Session on Methodological	14-17 October 1996

Issues of Environment Statistics (Oslo, Norway)

1.2	CES Bureau Meeting (Ottawa, Canada)	21-22 October 1996

2.3	Work Session on Statistical Metadata (Berlin, Germany)	22-25 October 1996

2.2	Work Session on Statistical Data Editing	4-7 November 1996

4.4	Work Session on Registers and Administrative Records	11-13 November 1996

in Social and Demographic Statistics -Luxembourg (with Eurostat)

3.4	Meeting -Working Party on Transport Statistics	13-15 November 1996

2.1	25th Session of the Working Party on Electronic Data Processing	18-21 February 1997

1.1	CES Bureau Meeting	24-25 February 1997

4.12	Meeting on Population and Housing Censuses

(CES/CHS and Eurostat)	3-6 March 1997

3.9	Joint Consultation on the European Comparison Programme	Spring 1997

within group II (with the Austrian CSO, Eurostat and OECD)

4.6	Work Session on Health Statistics (with WHO)	12-14 March 1997

3.1	Joint Meeting on National Accounts (OECD/Eurostat)

(Luxembourg or Paris)	April-May 1997

2.3	Work Session on Statistical Output for Dissemination to	12-16 May 1997

Information Media (Ottawa, Canada)

1.2	45th session of the Conference of European Statisticians	10-12 June 1997

_____________________________________

Meetings shown in bold are ones for which there is English, French and Russian interpretation.

1997/98

Programme

element Meeting Dates

3.10	FAO/ECE Study Group on Food and Agriculture

Statistics in Europe	30 June-4 July 1997

5.1	Joint Work Session on Methodological Issues of Environment	22-25 September 1997

Statistics (with Eurostat) (Neuchâtel, Switzerland)

2.6	Work Session on Geographical Information Systems (United Kingdom)	22-25 September 1997

2.2	Work Session on Statistical Data Editing	14-17 October 1997

3.4	Meeting -Working Party on Transport Statistics	3-5 November 1997

2.3	Work Session on Statistical Metadata	18-21 November 1997

3.9	ECE/ILO Meeting on Consumer Price Indices	24-27 November 1997

1.2	CES Bureau Meeting	Autumn 1997

4.11	Work Session on Migration Statistics (with INSTRAW and UNSD)	Autumn 1997

3.12	Joint Meeting on Energy Statistics (with OECD/IEA and Eurostat)	1997/98

3.14	Meeting on Business Registers (with Eurostat)	1997/98

4.2	Work Session on Gender Statistics (with INSTRAW and UNSD)	1997/98

1.2	CES Bureau Meeting	Spring 1998

2.1	Seminar ISIS'98	May 1998

1.2	46th session of the Conference of European Statisticians	June 1998

Annex IV. Consolidated list of statistical meetings

organized by international organizations working in the UN/ECE region, arranged by programme element in the Conference's programme of work,

1996/97 and 1997/98

Principal Sponsoring Organization ECE Eurostat OECD Other organizations 1.1 Promotion and coordination of multilateral statistical work - Joint Programme Review meetings (with Eurostat and OECD)

(Annually)

- Intersecretariat Working Group meetings (misc.) - Intersecretariat Working Group meetings (misc.) - Intersecretariat Working Group meetings (misc.) - UNSD (ACC Sub-Committee on Statistical Activities) 1.2 Managerial and policy issues of direct concern to presidents of national statistical offices - 45th and 46th sessions of the CES (June 97 & 98)

- 4 meetings of the CES Bureau (annually)

- Seminar for heads of statistical services (Sept. 1996)

- SPC-DGINS meetings (4 per year)

- DGINS seminar (annually)

- Working party on the annual statistical programme (annually)

- CEIES - 1 plenary, 6 sub-committee, 2 bureau meetings annually - Annual meeting for heads of NSOs held back-to-back with the CES 1.3 Transition countries in the ECE region Working Group and Steering Committee with countries of Central and Eastern Europe (annually)

- Working Group and Steering Committee with NIS and Mongolia (annually) - UNSD: Training workshops on population censuses (in Turkmenistan and Romania, 1996)

-IMF: Steering Committee on coordination of technical assistance in statistics to the FSU countries (annually);& meetings with countries and internat. orgs on transition experiences. 1.4 Relations with countries outside the ECE region (including in the Mediterranean region) - Statistical cooperation with developing countries

- Conference of Mediterranean countries 2.1 Management of information technology infrastructure - 25th session of Working Party on EDP (Feb. 97)

- ISIS'96 (May 98) - Committee on statistical confidentiality (Oct. 96) 2.2 Statistical data collection and processing - Work Session on data editing (Oct. 97) - Task Force: Progress with EDI (Oct 96)

2.3 Dissemination and interchange of statistical information

- Work session on dissemination of statistical data to information media (97)

- Work session on statistical metadata (Oct. 96)

- Work session on statistical metadata (Nov. 97) - Working Party: DOSIS (Sept. 96)

- Telematic networks and EDI working group (Oct. 96)

- Dissemination of Statistical Information (96/97) 2.4 Industry, commodity and occupation classifications - Customs code -- tariff and stat. nomenclature section (July 96)

- SPC - NACE committee (Sept. 96)

- Statistical and accounting coordination (Oct. 96)

- Customs code -- tariff and stat. nomenclature section (Oct 96) UNDS: UNSD/ECE/OECD/

Eurostat Meeting of the Expert Group on International Classifications (June 96) 2.5 Statistical research and development Seminar on new technologies and techniques for Statistics (Sept. 96) 2.6 Geographical and regional data - Work Session on GIS (Sept. 97) - Regional accounts and economic indicators - urban statistics (Nov. 96)

- Local data (March 96, March 97)

- Regional accounts

(May 97, May 98) Steering Group on Rural Indicators (96) 2.7 Human resource development 3.1 Implementation of the SNA - Meeting on SNA (with OECD and Eurostat) (Spring 97 and Spring 98)

- SPC-ESA Committee (21-22 October 1996)

- GNP Committee (23-25 October 1996)

- SPC-ESA Committee (2-3 December 1996)

- GNP Committee (4-6-December 1996) - OECD/ESCAP: Possible joint meeting on National Accounts (Spring 1997) - UNSD: Expert group meetings on human resource accounting; SNA under conditions of high inflation; social accounts matrix and satellite accounts; analytical and policy uses of SNA; and links between business and national accounting standards 3.2 Money and banking, Government Finance, and Balance of Payments - Working party: Balance of payments (10-11 October 1996)

- Working party: Financial accounts (24-25 October 1996) - Working Group on Insurance Statistics (1996)

- Working Group on Revenue Statistics of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs (19 November 1996)

- Working Party No. 2 on Tax Policy Analysis and Tax Statistics of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs (20-21 November 1996)

- Group of Financial Statisticians, December 1996 - IMF: Expert group meeting to discuss the draft Manual on Monetary and Financial Statistics (Washington, August 1996) - Working Party No. 2 on Tax Policy Analysis and Tax Statistics of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs (20-22 May 1997)

- Working Party No. 2 on Tax Policy Analysis and Tax Statistics of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs (18-20 November 1997)

3.3 International Trade in Goods 3.4 Transport - CES/ITC Working Party on Transport Statistics (13-15 November 1996 and November 1997)

- Workshop on Transport Statistics - Task Force: Maritime transport (11 July 1996)

- Working party: Passenger transport (16-17 September 1996)

- Working party: Road transport (23-24 October 1996)

- Co-ordinating committee on transport (9-10 December 1996) 3.5 Distributive trades

3.6 International trade in services

- UNSC/ACC Subcommittee on Statistical Activities's Task Force on Service Statistics (1-2 meetings per year) 3.7 Tourism

- Task Force: Tourism-methodology (10 July 1996)

- Working party: Tourism (19-20 November 1996) - Statistical Working Party of the Tourism Committee (17-18 October 1996)

- Experts group on tourism economic accounts (15-16 October 1996) - WTO (Madrid): The International Conference on Economic Statistics of Tourism 3.8 Other marketed services, and non-marketed services

- Working party: Audio-visual services (10-11 October 1996)

- Co-ordinating committee on services (14-15 November 1996) - Voorburg Group: Meeting of the Voorburg Group (United Kingdom, October 1997) 3.9 Price statistics, including PPPs - Joint ACSO/ECE/Eurostat/ OECD consultation on the ECP within group II (Vienna, Spring 97) - Working party: Purchasing power parities (1-2 July 1996)

- Working party: Art. 64 of the Staff Regulations (3 July 1996) - Consultation on the CIS comparison for 1995 in Ankara/Moscow/Paris (tentative: end of 1996)

- Consultation on the CIS comparison for 1996 in Ankara/Moscow/Paris (tentative: end of 1997) - Ottawa Group on CPI: One meeting per year - Joint ECE/ILO meeting on consumer price indices (24-27 November 1997) - Working party: Harmonisation of consumer price indices (4-5 July 1996) - Meeting to discuss the results of the 1996 round of the Eurostat-OECD PPP Programme (November 1997) - Working party: Harmonisation of consumer price indices (9-10 September 1996) - Working party: Harmonisation of consumer price indices (30 September - 1 October 1996) - Working party: GNP volume comparison (28-29 October 1996) - Working party: Art. 64 of the Staff Regulations (30 October 1996) - Task Force: Harmonisation of consumer price indices (4-5 November 1996) - Working party: Harmonisation of consumer price indices (16-17 December 1996) 3.10 Agriculture statistics - 23rd session of the FAO/ECE Study Group on Food and Agricultural Statistics in Europe (30 June-4 July 1997) - Standing Committee on Agriculture Statistics (1 July 1996) - Statistical Roundtable discussion with the CEECs/NIS at OECD Headquarters (mid-1996) 3.10 Agriculture statistics (Cont d) - Timber Committee: Intersecretariat Working Group on Forest Statistics (May/June 1996, Luxembourg) - Working party: Economic accounts for agriculture (9-10 July 1996) - Timber Committee: Intergovernmental consultation on Forest Resource Assessment, Kotka III (June 1996, Kotka, Finland) - Working party: Statistics on areas under vines and fruit trees (11-12 July 1996) - Timber Committee: Joint FAO/ECE Working Party on Forest Economics and Statistics, twenty-first session (June 1997, Geneva) - Working party: TAPAS (12-13 September 1996)

- Working party: Feed balance (18-19 September 1996) - Working party: Land use (30 September - 1 October 1996) - Working party: Agricultural structures (8-9 October 1996) - Working party: Crop production (10-11 October 1996) - Working party: Animal production (15 October 1996) - Task Force: Economic accounts for agriculture (27-28 November 1996) - Working party: Economic accounts for agriculture (12-13 December 1996) - Working party: Standing Committee on Agriculture Statistics in conjunction with agricultural structures/typology (12-13 December 1996) 3.11 Industrial statistics - Working Party on Engineering Industries and Automation: 18th and 19th meeting on questions of statistics concerning engineering industries and automation (20 October 1996 and Spring 1997) - PRODCOM Committee (15-17 July 1996)

- Working party: European statistical system and businesses (3 October 1996) - Working party No 9: (Fall 96, Fall 97) 3.11 Industrial statistics (Cont d) - Working Party on Engineering Industries and Automation: Seminar on economic activities and product classifications (in cooperation with Eurostat) (Geneva, Spring 1997) - Working party: Industrial statistics committee (9-10 October 1996)

- Working party: Producer price indices (28-29 October 1996) - (Working Party on Steel): Inter-secretariat meeting on steel statistics (OECD/Eurostat/IISI) (Fall 1996 and Fall 1997) - Working party: Estimating industrial variables (4 November 1996)

- Working party: Steel statistics (11 November 1996) - (Working Party on the Chemical Industry): 22nd and 23rd meeting of experts on periodic survey of the chemical industry (1 October 1996 and Fall 1997) - Working party: Regulation on structure and activity of enterprises (13 November 1996)

- PRODCOM Committee (18-19 November 1996) 3.12 Energy statistics - ECE/IEA/Eurostat: Joint meeting on energy statistics in 1997/98 - Working party: ECSC production capacity (13 September 1996) - Committee on Energy: Meeting of Experts on Coal Trade, Statistics and Transport (1996/1997 and 1997/1998) - Working party: Combined electricity and coal production (4 October 1996) 3.13 Science and technology statistics - Working Party: R&D and Innovation Statistics (25-27 November 1996) 3.14 Business registers and administrative records in support of economic statistics

ECE/Eurostat Joint meeting (1997/98)

- Round Table on Business Frames: Meeting of the group (Canada, October 1996; Japan, Autumn 1997) 4.1 Social indicators and frameworks

- Task Force: Active measures for employment promotion (Oct. 1996)

- Working Party, Social indicators (July 1996)

4.2 Gender statistics - Work session on gender statistics (jointly with INSTRAW and UNSD, 1997/98) 4.4 Registers and administrative records for social and demographic statistics - Work Session on registers and administrative registers (with Eurostat) (November 1996) - Work Session on registers and administrative registers (with ECE) (November 1996) - UNSD: Workshop on strategies for the improvement of civil registration and vital statistics (3rd Quarter, 1995) 4.5 Population and housing censuses - Meeting on population and housing censuses (with Eurostat) (1996/97)

- Working Party on censuses (with ECE) (1997/98) - UNSD: Expert group on the 2000 World Population and Housing Census Programme (4th Quarter, 1996) 4.6. Health statistics - Work session on health statistics (with WHO/Euro, 1996/97) - Working Party, Public health statistics (Nov. 96, + 3 Task Force meetings in 1996) - UNSD (disabled population - See programme element 4.14) - Working Party, European statistics on accidents at work (Nov. 1996, + 2 Task Force meetings in 1996)

- EODS technical sub-committee (Nov. 96, Feb. 97) - WHO/Euro: Meetings on the development of national health databases and health service indicators in Central Asian Republics (mid 1996 and 1997) - Working Party, European Occupational Diseases stats (June 1997)

- WHO/Euro: Meeting on health service indicators (CEEC, 4th Quarter, 1996) 4.8 Education and training statistics - Working Party, Education and training statistics (annually in April)

- Task Force: Training providers (Oct. 1996)

- Task Force: Vocational education and training (Nov, 96) -

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- UNESCO: Sub-regional workshop on education statistics for countries of the former USSR (Sept. 96) 4.10 Labour statistics - Working Party, Statistics on the structure of earnings (July 1996)

- Working Party, Employment statistics (Oct. 1996)

- Working Party, Statistics on earnings (Nov. 1996) - Working Party on employment and unemployment statistics

- ILO: Meeting of experts on labour statistics: underemployment and income from employment (Oct. 1997)

- ILO: 16th ICLS (1998) 4.11 Demographic statistics (including projections, migration and fertility) - Work session on migration statistics (with Eurostat) (Sept. 1996)

- Working Group on population forecasts (....)

- Working Group on Demographic statistics (Dec. 97)

- Working Party on Migration statistics (with ECE) (1997)

- Working Group on Migration (......) - Council of Europe: Mediterranean Conference on Population, Migration and Development (Oct. 96) 4.12 Human settlements and housing statistics

ECE Committee on Human Settlements (Ad hoc meetings and informal consultations on concepts, definitions, classifications & tabulations on housing statistics) - UNSD: Expert Group meeting on the 2000 World Population and Housing Census Programme (Autumn 96) (See programme element 4.5) 5.1 Sectorial concepts, definitions and classifications

- Work sessions on methodology (with Eurostat) ( Oct. 96)

- Work sessions on methodology (with Eurostat) ( Oct. 97) -Environment Statistics Committee (July 96)

-Environment Statistics Committee (97)

- Environment statistics: sub-group on waste stat., water stat., economic environment stat. and green accounting (1-2 meeting pre year 96/97) - Waste Management Policy Group (Oct. 96)

- Seminar on environ. information systems in the Russian Fed. (96)

- Group on the state of the Environment - Formal mtg. (Oct. 96)

- Group on the state of the Environment - Workshop on environ. information systems in Mexico (Oct. 96) 5.2 Environmental accounting -Environment Statistics Committee (July 96)

-Environment Statistics Committee (97)

- Environment statistics: sub-group on waste stat., water stat., economic environment stat. and green accounting (1-2 meeting pre year 96/97) - London Group on Environment Statistics (96/97)

- London Group on Environment Statistics (97/98) 5.3 Environmental database and reporting

- Waste Management Policy Group (Oct. 96)

- Group on the state of the Environment (Oct. 96)