It’s with a deep sense of honour, delight and duty that I ship this message on the commemoration of the fiftieth Anniversary of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians and the 16th Observance of Caribbean Statistics day below the theme “Bettering Lives by Statistics, Strengthening and Innovating collectively”.
The yr 2024 holds nice significance for regional statistics since, 50 years in the past the Inaugural Assembly of the Convention of Heads of Authorities of the Expanded Caribbean Neighborhood, endorsed the institution of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) in accordance with Decision 54/74/4 of the Fourth Assembly of the Frequent Market Council of Ministers. This endorsement underscored the popularity of the Heads of Authorities, of that interval, of the significance of statistics within the improvement of CARICOM.
It’s hoped that this recognition of the fiftieth Anniversary of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians will sign CARICOM governments to take deliberate actions to strengthen the Nationwide Statistical Places of work and Techniques. This may guarantee the supply of top quality, well timed statistics for customers together with, authorities policymakers, the personal sector, researchers/academia and all residents, significantly our Youth who should be armed with proof to detect misinformation on this digital period. Subsequently, we have to discover artistic and progressive methods of engendering Statistics as a math’s-based science in our colleges in cultivating the subsequent era of statisticians, information scientists, and associated specialists who can drive innovation in statistics and lead our area into the long run.
As Chair of CARICOM and Lead Head liable for Science and Know-how within the CARICOM Quasi Cupboard it’s incumbent on me to emphasize that Statistics usually are not simply numbers on a web page; they inform a narrative of the folks we serve. This data is the bedrock of excellent governance in guiding nationwide and regional insurance policies that search to enhance the lives of our folks.
Along with celebrating Caribbean Statistics day and the fiftieth Anniversary of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) various milestones are additionally being noticed this yr. These embody:
- thirtieth Anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Elementary Rules of Official Statistics and the tenth Anniversary of their endorsement by the UN Normal Meeting.
- The 4th Excessive Stage Advocacy Discussion board on Statistics which is scheduled to be held within the Member State of Belize within the periphery of the forty ninth assembly of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians, and
- The midpoint of the implementation of the CARICOM Regional Technique for the Improvement of Statistics (RSDS), which was endorsed by the thirty ninth Assembly of the Convention of Heads of Authorities of CARICOM.
Collectively, these milestones underscore the indispensable position of statistics within the sustainable improvement of our area and unearth the necessity for larger dedication to its enhancement. In addition they spotlight the area’s obligation to transparency, accountability, and excellence in information manufacturing. The CARICOM High quality assurance framework and Code of Good Statistics follow are each grounded within the UN Elementary Rules of Official statistics. Assembly these obligations and attaining the final word consequence of the CARICOM Regional Technique for the Improvement of Statistics requires strengthening partnership in mobilizing assets for statistics improvement.
As we enter into one other decade of our statistical journey, we should mirror on the final 5 through which the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) embraced and promoted regional collaboration by strengthening the flexibility of our nations to gather, analyze, disseminate and use information. The success of the Committee is testomony to the dedication and dedication of our statisticians, who usually have restricted assets to work with however have managed to take care of the manufacturing of information in core areas of statistics. The invaluable help of our improvement companions and stakeholders should be acknowledged and recommended on this regard. A lot has been achieved and way more will be executed if the infrastructure of Nationwide Statistical Places of work and different information producing businesses are strengthened.
The not too long ago adopted Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS highlights the necessity to put money into constructing human and institutional capability in SIDS to gather high quality, accessible, well timed and dependable, disaggregated information and to strengthen and modernise nationwide information infrastructure and techniques to raised combine information into improvement planning, thereby enhancing the capability of Statistical Places of work.
Pure disasters proceed to erode our improvement progress and thus weaken our capacity to realize the targets of the Sustainable Improvement Targets. My nation, Grenada together with Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are among the many newest victims of the local weather disaster having sustained extreme damages from the ravages of Hurricane Beryl. It should be emphasised that Statistics is important in saving lives and restoring livelihoods in addition to in reporting on our social, financial and environmental vulnerabilities. Thus, good statistics are wanted to strengthen our area’s case within the battle for local weather justice.
Good statistics are additionally important within the pursuit of sustainable tourism, renewable vitality, the blue and the orange economic system, agriculture and meals and vitamin safety in addition to within the context of monitoring free motion and the affect of the altering dynamics of our area’s inhabitants.
Allow us to acknowledge, in a larger approach, the important position that statistics proceed to play in shaping the way forward for our area. By strengthening our collaboration and embracing innovation, we will be sure that our statistical techniques stay strong, resilient and related. Thus, producing higher information drives higher selections that finally leads to higher lives for all our residents.
In closing, I want to re-affirm my dedication to the CARICOM Regional Technique for the Improvement of Statistics in advocating for larger funding for its implementation to make sure the event of this extremely essential sector. Allow us to begin our journey of the subsequent 50 years with nice optimism and a spirit of willpower as we proceed to enhance lives and strengthen our statistical techniques to supply higher information.
Thanks
