International cooperation in the context of the CZSO includes a wide range of activities related to participation in the international statistical community, whether it is participation and representation of the interests of the CZSO or the Czech Republic in international negotiations, participation in the EU legislative process, exchange of experience with other EU Member States (and not only with them) or providing the so-called technical assistance to other countries.
The CZSO draws on its own experience of the transition to a market economy and a democratic society, as well as on the experience gained from the period of preparation for the accession to the EU, including the experience acquired during the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2009 and 2022.
However, the CZSO not only strives to successfully represent the interests of the Czech Republic in statistics within international organisations, but also contributes to the development of statistics on an international scale, which brings even greater involvement in international framework and thus the rise and strengthening of the CZSO’s prestige in the international statistical community.
Another way in which the CZSO seeks to actively engage with the international community is by providing the so-called technical assistance, particularly to beneficiaries from the Balkan countries preparing to join the EU and beneficiaries from the post-Soviet area. Thematically, our activities most often focus on macroeconomic statistics as well as on the areas of business and social statistics or registers.
In order to effectively develop international cooperation in statistics, the CZSO has created a strategic document, the International Cooperation Policy of the CZSO. This document defines the basic requirements, needs, principles, objectives, and ways of supporting the CZSO’s involvement and activities in international structures and serves as a guide for planning and implementing all CZSO’s international activities.
The CZSO regularly participates in discussions and negotiations within the following international organisations:
History
The United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) was established in 1946. It is the highest decision-making body for international statistical activities, especially in terms of setting statistical standards, developing concepts and methods, including their implementation at the national and international level.
The UNSC is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). According to the ECOSOC resolution of 1971, the UNSC shall assist the Council in:
- promoting the development of national statistics and the improvement of their comparability;
- the coordination of the statistical work of specialised agencies;
- the development of the central statistical services of the United Nations Secretariat;
- advising the bodies of the United Nations on general issues relating to the collection, analysis and dissemination of statistical information;
- promoting the general improvement of statistics and statistical methods.
The first ever UNSC meeting was held in 1947 in New York and was also attended by representatives of the FAO, ILO, and UNESCO intergovernmental organisations. Mainly the issues of coordination of work with specialised organisations and cooperation with non-governmental organisations were on the agenda of the first meeting. The Commission also expressed the need to build on the statistical work of the UN’s predecessor, the League of Nations, and to make the most important publications and documents available to experts. The number of member countries of the Commission then gradually increased up to 24 UN Member States, which are elected by the Council on the basis of an even geographical distribution. A gradual increase in membership will continue until 2028. The term of office of members is four years. In July 1999, the Council decided that the Commission should meet annually for four-day sessions (starting in 2000).
The most important achievements of a more than 70-year long activity of the UNSC are as follows: the adoption of the systems of national accounts, the launch of the preparation of census programmes (1965, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, 2010, and 2020), and the adoption of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (1994). These principles include the impartiality of statistics that is available to the government and the economic sector and the public and that has passed the utility test; the principle of professional standards and ethics in all stages of statistical practice; the reporting of information on data sources, methods, and procedures used; the right of statistical institutes to comment on erroneous interpretations and misuses of statistics; the use of all types of data sources including administrative ones and the choice of sources with regard to quality, timeliness, costs, and the burden on respondents; strict confidentiality of individual data on natural and legal persons and limiting their use exclusively for statistical purposes; publication of all legislation relating to the statistical system; coordination among statistical institutes to achieve consistency and efficiency; use of international concepts, classifications, and methods in all countries and, finally, bilateral and multilateral cooperation for the improvement of systems of official statistics in all countries.
How the Commission works
The UNSC addresses major issues of concern in international statistical development, methodological issues, coordination and integration of statistical programmes, support of technical cooperation in statistics and organisational matters. The Commission submits a report on each session to the ECOSOC. The report contains an account of the Commission's proceedings and the action taken on each agenda item. The Commission may also submit to the ECOSOC draft resolutions, recommendations to UN Member States, to the Secretary-General, or specialised agencies.
Participation of the CZSO
In the past, Czechoslovakia was a long-term member of the Commission. The Czech Republic was a member in 1997–2000, 2001–2004, 2012–2015, and 2019–2023. The CZSO participates not only in the UN Statistical Commission sessions, where the Czech Republic is represented by the President of the CZSO, but also in a number of expert meetings and events organised by the UN Statistical Division, e.g. on national accounts, censuses, etc. At the same time, the Czech Republic also regularly participates in written consultations of the UN Statistical Commission. Last but not least, the positions of the EU Member States are coordinated before each meeting of the UN Statistical Commission so that the EU voice in the UN Statistical Commission is as unified as possible.
Source: https://unstats.un.org
History
The Conference of European Statisticians (CES) was founded in 1953 and since then it has been an important body of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which was established as part of the overall UN structure in 1947.
How the CES works
Within the UNECE, statistical activities are centred in its Statistical Division, which facilitates the coordination of international statistical activities and supports the functioning of the UN Statistical Commission as the supreme body of the global statistical system. The CES is one of the seven subsidiary bodies of the UNECE and manages virtually all statistical activities of the UNECE, under the auspices of both the UNECE itself and the UN Statistical Commission. The main objectives of the CES are as follows:
- to improve national statistics and their international comparability, taking into account the recommendations of the UNSC, specialised agencies and other relevant bodies as the need arises;
- to promote close coordination of statistical activities of international organisations in Europe to achieve greater consistency in concepts and definitions, while minimising the overall burden on the national statistical offices;
- to respond to any newly identified need for international cooperation both within the UNECE region and between the UNECE region and other regions;
- to discuss and adopt statistical standards in the UNECE region.
An important achievement of the CES was the adoption of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics in 1992 and their subsequent endorsement by the United Nations Statistical Commission (1994). The Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics were later also adopted by the ECOSOC in 2013 and then by the UN General Assembly in 2014. The Conference has also greatly contributed to the development of various internationally recognised systems, concepts, definitions, and classifications and to the coordination of statistical work at the international level carried out by various international organisations operating in the UNECE region.
The CES meets once a year (usually in June in Geneva), following the meeting of the OECD Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy. The official meeting focuses on current issues related to international statistics in the region (including information from supreme bodies of the UNECE and the UNSC). The meetings also feature seminars (topics address current priorities and discussions often lead to follow-up actions aimed at producing specific outputs), organised by a member country or international institution. The Bureau of the CES, which is elected for a two-year term, prepares the CES meetings and manages other activities in between the CES meetings.
Participation of the CZSO
The CZSO is involved in the preparation and course of the CES meetings, at which the Czech Republic is represented by the President of the CZSO. Representatives of the Czech Republic also participate in a number of expert and working groups. The CZSO’s former President Jan Fischer was the main organiser of a session and a speaker at a seminar on the independence and integrity of statistical systems within the 2004 CES plenary meeting in Paris. In 2006, the CZSO was entrusted with the organisation of a plenary session seminar on human resources and education and the subsequent preparation of follow-up activities within the mandate of this body (e.g. Forum on Human Resources Management and Training – in cooperation with Statistics Canada).
Source: https://unece.org/statistics/ces
History
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organisation founded in 1961. Its main objective is to provide politicians and the public with information and recommendations to solve current and future problems, especially in the economic area, which would be impossible without the collection, processing, and dissemination of statistical information, the volume of which is constantly increasing depending on the activities of the organisation. Nowadays, the OECD has 38 members (including the Czech Republic).
One of the OECD’s directorates is the Statistics and Data Directorate, which is headed by a director who is also the OECD’s Chief Statistician. Its activities focus on providing economic statistics on a comparable basis for the OECD’s analytical work, promoting and developing international statistical standards, and coordinating statistical activities within the OECD and externally with other international institutions.
In 2002, the OECD created an informal group known as the High Level Group on Statistics. In April 2004, the OECD decided to transform this group into an official committee, which was renamed the Committee on Statistics (CSTAT). This step emphasised the role of statistics in the work of the OECD. In 2013, the CSTAT was renamed the Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy (CSSP). Its formation strengthened the OECD’s role in the development of statistical cooperation among OECD countries contributing to enhancement of the overall quality of statistics.
How the CSSP works
The role played by the CSSP in the OECD’s statistical policy-making is much more significant than that of the High Level Group on Statistics, which was primarily an advisory body to the OECD Chief Statistician. Among other things, the CSSP carries out a number of activities as part of the preparation of the OECD biennial budget. The first CSSP Bureau was composed of representatives of statistical offices, including the then CZSO President Jan Fischer, elected for two years. The Director-General of Eurostat also became a member, highlighting the cooperation between the two institutions. The Committee usually meets once a year at the OECD headquarters in Paris, on the margins of the UNECE Conference of European Statisticians (usually in June). The Committee meets at the level of the heads of statistical offices. There are currently working groups operating under the CSSP on topics such as national accounts, international trade in goods and services, financial statistics, foreign direct investment statistics, and the like. Representatives of the CZSO are also members of other expert and working groups.
The OECD also puts a strong focus on the development of the statistical information system (including metadata), with dissemination taking place both through publications and via the Internet (OECD statistical portal). A great deal of attention is paid to the methodology of the OECD statistics. New methodological handbooks and manuals are being published and existing ones are being revised. These activities are part of annual work plans and cover practically all statistical domains. The OECD statistics cooperates with other international statistical institutions. Cooperation with Eurostat has progressed the most, with data and metadata already being shared (each country only submits data to one of the two institutions). There is also extensive cooperation with the UN and UNECE statistical services, FAO, ILO and others. Many working groups are also shared by several organisations.
Participation of the CZSO
The CZSO has long-term involvement in OECD statistical activities, both by providing agreed statistical data (directly or through Eurostat) and by involvement of its relevant staff in the working groups. The President of the CZSO participates in CSSP meetings.
A statistical profile of the Czech Republic is available at https://www.oecd.org/en/countries/czechia.html. It contains more than 100 indicators covering a wide range of fields (e.g. economy, education, energy, health, trade, investments, taxes). At the same address, you can also find links to updated long-term overviews. With a single click, you can compare the Czech Republic’s data with those of other OECD member countries as well as selected non-member countries. The OECD also publishes regular statistical summaries comparing the Czech Republic with other OECD member countries in areas such as health, social affairs, development cooperation, science, technology, and industry. These electronic publications are freely available at https://www.oecd.org/en/publications.html.
Source: https://oecdgroups.oecd.org/
Other involvement of the CZSO in the international statistical community includes:
History
The International Statistical Institute (ISI) is one of the oldest scientific associations operating at the global level. Its origins can be traced back to the International Statistical Congress, which was held in 1853 at the instigation of the economist and statistician Adolphe Quételet. Continued cooperation of this kind led to the founding of the ISI in 1885, which now has individual and institutional members from over 150 countries. Its core mission is to promote the understanding, development, and good practice of statistics worldwide by providing an enabling environment for the development of statistical knowledge, the acquisition of best practices, the sharing of the latest developments, and the creation of networking opportunities.
In the second half of the 20th century, domain-specific sections were gradually established within the ISI, which (like the ISI as a whole) gained considerable international authority in the development of statistical theory and practice and in education of statisticians. The sections are as follows:
1973: International Association of Survey Statisticians (IASS)
1975: Bernoulli Society for Mathematical Statistics and Probability (BS)
1977: International Association for Statistical Computing (IASC)
1985: International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS)
1991: International Association for Statistical Education (IASE)
2005: International Society for Business and Industrial Statistics (ISBIS)
2008: The International Environmetrics Society (TIES)
The sections are standing bodies of the ISI. In addition, the ISI also seeks active cooperation with other organisations and professional associations. The affiliated organisations are mainly professional associations that have entered into cooperation agreements with the ISI to promote intensive collaboration and communication (e.g. the Irving Fisher Committee on Central Bank Statistics, which was established to contribute to the development of methods and international standards in the financial and monetary statistics domain and in line with the growing demands of its users).
How the ISI works
The ISI’s core mission is the understanding, development, and good statistical practice on a global scale. In particular, the Institute seeks to:
- lead, support, and promote the international statistical community;
- stimulate and disseminate research, best practice, and advancement in statistical science and statistical education;
- speak up in support of the statistical profession on topical statistical issues;
- advocate for and foster statistical literacy, promote the use of statistics and data in decision-making by governments, businesses, and individuals;
- foster the expansion of the statistical community within low and middle-income countries and regions, enhancing inclusivity;
- promote an understanding of statistics as a force for improving people’s lives;
- advance the development of young statisticians and to encourage the continuing participation of older members;
- foster and enhance networking;
- operate efficiently and within its budget.
ISI membership is divided into individual (regular and elected members) and organisational (institutional and affiliated members). Other categories of ISI membership include honorary members, ex-officio members (e.g. chairpersons of statistical offices) and corporate members (e.g. universities, banks, etc.). The ISI is headed by an Executive Committee consisting of the ISI President, the President-Elect for the next term, and 4 Vice-Presidents. The ISI President serves as the Secretary to the Executive Committee. The other executive body is the Council, which consists of 27 members (members of the Executive Committee, chairs of individual sections, the former ISI President, selected ISI members, the Director of the ISI and the Director of Statistics Netherlands – an ex-officio member), and the General Assembly, which is the highest authority of the ISI and consists of all individual ISI members. A meeting (congress) of the ISI is held every two years.
The ISI publishes a variety of expert publications, journals, newsletters, and reports that contribute significantly to the advancement of statistical knowledge. The Institute is renowned for its biennial meetings/congresses where all members can share innovative ideas, foster new relationships, and discuss current trends in the world of statistics. Another important output is the ISI Declaration on Professional Ethics, first issued in August 1985. It can be considered as a predecessor to the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics adopted by the UN Statistical Commission and the European Statistics Code of Practice of the European Statistical System.
The permanent headquarters of the ISI is located in The Hague, the Netherlands (Kingdom of the; home of the Statistics Netherlands). The Institute has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Institute’s activities are funded by grants from NGOs, governments, local authorities, foundations, private enterprises, and some other sources, in addition to membership fees and income from the sale of ISI publications.
Participation of the CZSO
The CZSO is also actively involved in activities of the ISI and its sections. For example, the then President of the CZSO, Jan Fischer, was one of the speakers at the 2005 ISI Congress in Sydney, Australia, and in 2007 he co-organised and chaired one of the sections on standards and quality.
Source: https://www.isi-web.org/
The Czech Statistical Office provides expert assistance to statistical offices of other countries in the form of the so-called technical assistance, when our experts pass on their experience and knowledge, especially in data collection, processing, and dissemination, to their colleagues from abroad.
This happens through involvement in international projects, which are very often funded by the European Union within the process of accession of other countries to the EU (EU Enlargement Policy) and in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy (EU’s East and South neighbouring countries). Another provider of financial resources for technical assistance projects in which the CZSO has participated is, for example, the World Bank.
Long-term partners of the CZSO include statistical offices of North Macedonia and Türkiye. In recent years, cooperation with colleagues from Kosovo, Albania, and Serbia has also been developing.
Other larger projects involving the CZSO have been carried out in the past, for example, for Tajikistan, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia.
Thematically, our activities most often focus on macroeconomic statistics, especially national accounts, as well as business and social statistics and registers.
Technical assistance activities most often take the form of study visits by foreign statisticians to the Czech Republic, expert missions abroad, and, in recent years, also on-line consultations