World Statistics Day 2020 Virtual event was held was held on 20th October 2020 with the theme “Connecting the world with data we can trust”. Vice President U Henry Van Thio, in his capacity as Chairperson of the Central Committee for Data Accuracy and Quality of Statistics (CCDAQS), delivered an opening speech at a virtual event marking the World Statistics Day 2020 hosted at the Ministry of Planning, Finance and Industry in Nay Pyi Taw.
The committee Secretary, Director General of Central Statistical Organization, U San Myint, the Deputy Director-General, and other officials attended the event.
The virtual event was also participated via videoconferencing by Union Ministers Lieutenant General Soe Htut, U Soe Win, U Kyaw Tin, Dr. Pe Myint, Dr. Aung Thu, U Thant Sin Maung, U Ohn Winn, U Win Khaing, U Thein Swe, Dr. Than Myint, Dr. Myo Thein Gyi, U Han Zaw, Dr. Win Myat Aye and U Ohn Maung; Deputy Ministers U Tin Myint, U Maung Maung Win, U Sett Aung and Dr. Min Ye Paing Hein; the Central Bank of Myanmar Deputy Governor, regional Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Directors-General, Managing Directors, and officials from development partner organizations, civil society organizations and private sector.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 69/282, in which it designated 20 October as the World Statistics Day and decided to celebrate the Day every five years on that date. Myanmar also celebrated the Day in 2010 and 2015, according to the Vice President. This year’s event was held online because of COVID-19 pandemic. The theme of World Statistics Day 2020 is “Connecting the world with data we can trust”. Myanmar has aimed to strengthen the national statistics system that the citizens trust, according to the Vice President.
The Vice President stressed that trustable data is needed to know the changes in the world, and statistics also have a crucial role in responding to the global COVID-19 crisis. The virtual event is also intended to promote cooperation between all stakeholders to create Myanmar’s comprehensive national statistics system that can acquire trustable socio-economic data and reliable indicators, and to develop trustable data between the people and the government and among the global countries, according to the Vice President.
The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw enacted the Statistics Law on 22 January 2018 and, it has been applied starting from 22 January 2019. The Central Committee for Data Accuracy and Quality of Statistics (CCDAQS) held ten meetings from 2016 to 2020, said the Vice President. Myanmar has already drafted the Statistical Policy Brief and the National Strategy for Development of Statistics (NSDS) Implementation Action Plan (2018-19~2022-23) to produce accurate statistics. The Vice President said that like other countries, Myanmar has made efforts to formulate Code of Practice for statistics. He also pointed out that “data culture” needs to be developed in government departments, private sectors and the general public.
The Vice President claimed that investing in the statistics sector is the only way to assess the results related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030. The Vice President also called on all stakeholders to effectively cooperate in preparing reliable statistics to connect the international community with trustable data.
During the event, a message of the UN Secretary-General was read by UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mr. Ola Almgren. United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) Director Mr. Stefan Schweinfest also sent a video message to the virtual event.
A documentary video featuring the development of Myanmar statistics sector was also screened in the event.
The Director General of Central Statistical Organization, U San Myint, explained Myanmar National Statistical System. During the event, the Economist and Professor Dr. Aung Tun Thet led the discussions on “Connecting the international communities with the data we can trust”.
