In a letter on 13 August to the global statistical community, I shared my excitement in inviting you to initiate your special celebrations for World Statistics Day 2020 occurring on 20 October 2020. This year our World Statistics Day coincides both, with the celebrations of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and with our virtual United Nations World Data Forum. The Statistical Commission has decided that the theme for this year’s World Statistics Day is Connecting the world with data we can trust.

I strongly believe that as we continue to adapt our statistical systems to the changing needs of the Covid-19 pandemic, the celebration of World Statistics Day 2020 is more relevant than ever before. As the overall data ecosystem evolves, our data standards, the independence of the national statistical system, and the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics contribute to and build trust in the data and statistics produced by the statistical systems and used for evidence-based decision making. Trust is the foundation of our house. 20 October 2020 will be the day when across the world, the significance of trustworthy data in connecting the world will be highlighted.

World Statistics Day 2020 will be celebrated globally with local events organized by national statistical offices, regional and international statistical organizations, including the UN system organizations, and universities. This year’s Day is an opportunity to engage and inspire the future generation of official statisticians.

I look forward to seeing the logo translated into your national languages and hearing about your national endeavors. Further information can be found at worldstatisticsday.org