Sunday, 15 October 2023 marks the fifteenth observance of Caribbean Statistics Day, once we take time to spotlight the significance of statistics to tell the event methods of the nations of our Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as we work on the nationwide and regional ranges to enhance the lives of the folks of the Neighborhood.
We additionally acknowledge the important position performed by statistical workplaces and different knowledge assortment companies, which be sure that knowledge is persistently gathered and collated to tell policymaking and the evaluation of outcomes.
The theme for this 12 months’s observance, “One Voice, One CARICOM: Everybody Counts”, resonates deeply with our shared imaginative and prescient for regional integration and sustainable improvement. Caribbean Statistics Day underscores the essential position that statistics performs to attain this imaginative and prescient, particularly as we have a good time 50 years as a Caribbean Neighborhood, the longest surviving integration motion within the growing world.
“Everybody counts” are key watchwords which remind us of our imaginative and prescient of a Neighborhood the place each citizen can realise his or her potential and the place each effort is made to make sure meals safety, sufficient housing, and alternatives for schooling and employment. Within the spirit of our dedication to the 2030 Sustainable Growth Objectives (SDGs), nobody ought to be left behind and the advantages of progress should attain everybody, no matter background or circumstances. Everybody counts and everybody have to be counted.
Executing the 2020 Spherical of Inhabitants and Housing Census has been a significant problem in a lot of our Member States because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its lingering results have resulted in postponement, vital delays, hesitancy amongst our respondents, and nice issue discovering and retaining succesful enumerators.
I urge each Governments and residents to assist the Nationwide Statistical Places of work within the Area to make sure that everyone seems to be counted. Census knowledge is essential to tell improvement insurance policies by the private and non-private sectors, and different curiosity teams, as they search to adequately present for the present and future wants of the folks of our Area. Our goal is to rely each housing unit in each CARICOM nation, and everybody within the inhabitants, giving an account, in mixture, of each particular person’s respective socio-economic scenario in all Member States.
As we mark this Caribbean Statistics Day, we acknowledge the assist of our improvement companions, and the unstinting service of our statisticians and knowledge professionals who present a vital service as they diligently acquire, analyse, and disseminate essential knowledge regardless of a myriad of challenges. They be sure that we proceed to have the data essential to navigate the financial and social crises introduced on by the latest pandemic, annual climate occasions and different antagonistic circumstances, and their unwavering efforts contribute to the resilience and sustainable improvement of our Area.
We additionally categorical our appreciation to the United Nations Girls Multi-Nation Workplace for the Caribbean, with whom we collaborate underneath the Regional Highlight Initiative, to mark Caribbean Statistics Day and to deal with the necessity for unity, inclusivity and collective duty in our efforts to finish incidences of violence towards our girls and ladies.
This 12 months’s theme demonstrates the Area’s sturdy dedication to work collectively on frequent challenges like vulnerability, the local weather disaster, migration, crime, and gender inequality. It additionally alerts our readiness to use alternatives in tourism, agriculture, renewable vitality, the blue financial system and the artistic financial system. The provision and use of correct and complete statistics are important to observe these priorities, and to trace our progress on regional integration initiatives, such because the CARICOM Single Market and Economic system (CSME).
The CARICOM Secretariat stays dedicated to assist nationwide statistical techniques within the Neighborhood. Every CARICOM citizen or resident has a voice and have to be captured in our statistics, as we search to make sure a brighter, extra inclusive and affluent Neighborhood for generations to come back.
