What is it about?
The paper aims to advance the discussion on the need for an international-global system of review and assessment of the implementation of the UN Fundamental Principles on Official Statistics (UNFP). It explains why official statistics and their quality is a “global public good”, which needs to be managed appropriately at the global level so as to achieve a socially optimal outcome. The current system of monitoring their implementation and thus the quality of official statistics in individual countries is severely limited, because it is a system of voluntary self-assessment and self-monitoring. Moreover, the peer reviews that have taken place, although helpful, do not constitute the appropriate long term solution to the issue of optimally managing the global public good of official statistics. The paper argues that, instead, effective compliance monitoring of the implementation of the UNFP, through regular evaluation, verification, follow-up and published reports in the form of audits by an independent international institution, is essential for rigorous, timely and harmonized implementation of the UNFP. The paper also discusses aspects of setting up the proposed international institution and global system of monitoring.
Why is it important?
The current system of monitoring the implementation of the United Nations Fundamental Principles on Official Statistics and thus the quality of official statistics in individual countries is severely limited. The paper offers a solution to this problem and a path to higher and more harmonized quality of official statistics in counties around the world. This is important as official statistics are an important part of the foundation for effective policy making, the efficient and orderly functioning of markets, scientific research, international cooperation and the functioning of democratic processes.