(2nd meeting) Statistical Commission, 57th Session

Good afternoon. The second meeting of the 57th session of the Statistical Commission is called to order.

Invito a la comisión.

I now invite the Commission to continue its consideration of Agenda Item 3B entitled Social and Demographic Statistics and to hear the remaining speakers in the debate on this item. Delegations are reminded that the list of speakers has closed at the end of this morning's meeting. And we ask delegations to please be mindful of the 2-minute speaking time. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Cuba.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. The Cuban Office of National Statistics values the relevance of the report drafted on social and demographic statistics for the work and modernization of our national statistical system. Since the 1970s, the UN has prioritized the design and application of an integrated system for social and demographic statistics, which unfortunately has not prospered for different reasons. One challenge is the lack of a global conceptual framework for these kinds of statistics, which is an obstacle to truly reflect our society and also reflects the lack of priority of offices in the processing of the aforementioned statistics. We welcome the recommendations of the report, among them the creation of the Committee— of experts on social and demographic statistics, and we would like to join this group. Therefore, we call upon donors and the international community to support the activities of the members of this committee in the development of a social and demographic statistical system. The Group of Friends should be recognized as an important contributor to the creation of an integrated framework for these statistics, and we consider that the proposals of the successor mechanism are clear. Thank you.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Cuba, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Mexico.

Gracias, señor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Mexico would like to support the contents of the report and the proposal to create an expert committee on social and demographic statistics, and we would like to request approval on behalf of the Statistical Committee. We would also like to express our interest in participating in the new Committee of Experts on Social and Demographic Statistics, as we have done so up until this point in the Group of Friends of the Chair. And we would like to invite the statistical community and international partners to contribute to the work of the new committee through financial and human resources. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Mexico. And I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Morocco.

Shukran sayyid.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Kingdom of Morocco, on behalf of the member states of the ESCWA, expresses its thanks to the chair of the— friends of the chair for the efforts that led to the report. That reviews the activities, challenges, opportunities, and strategic direction and recommendations. The report also recommends the essential elements for a central framework, uh, in addition to different proposals represented by the formation of a committee of experts on population and social statistics. The committee will guarantee the coordination and cooperation in order to continue to advance, and we also commend the cooperation with the Committee of Experts on the Measuring of Well-Being and the UN High Commission on Human Rights. In this context, the ESCWA urges its members to join the Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics. We also call on donors and the international community to support the central framework and its development for population and social statistics with the human and financial resources, especially to benefit the fragile context, in particular Palestine and the Gaza Strip. We call on the members of the ESCWA, or the ESCWA calls on the different groups to promote the coordination with the Committee of Experts and to adopt standardized methodologies, especially with displaced families.

First, I would like to thank every member of the Friends of Chair Group on social and demographic statistics. It has been successful endeavor with specific outcome and recommendations. Indeed, the integration of the demographic and social system to complement the economic and environmental accounting systems is yet to be fully developed at the international level and applied by different national statistical systems. Morocco would be interested in contributing to implement the basic as well as extended horizon of the central framework of system of population and social statistics while leading innovation at the continent level. Resources need to be mobilized, whether human in terms of expertise or financial resources, into projects to bring together different stakeholders and build the necessary infrastructure of an integrated national statistics system to be able to make this qualitative shift towards an integrated census population framework based on registers and alternative data sources besides traditional methods. Finally, I would like to confirm Morocco's continued interest in participating in the SEKOR mechanism, namely the UN Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics, in the technical as well as the strategic components. We are pleased also to announce that Egypt is interested to join this committee also. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Morocco And I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Japan.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Japan expresses its sincere appreciation to the FOC Group and the Secretariat for its work in developing the strategic recommendations for strengthening social and demographic statistics. Japan supports the recommendations contained in the report. We are pleased to have contributed to this work as a member of the FOC Group. We hope that the successor mechanism will continue to advance the development and implementation of the CFSPSS. Japan will continue to contribute by sharing relevant experiences, including in the measurement of the well-being. Thank you, Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Japan, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Barbados.

Thank you and congratulations to you, Madam Chair. Barbados, on behalf of CARICOM, welcomes the background document on strategic recommendations for strengthening social and demographic statistics and commends the Secretariat and contributing experts for a timely, technically rigorous, and forward-looking paper. The recommendations are highly pertinent to the distinctive demographic and structural realities of small island developing states. Our region faces significant migration flows, rapidly aging populations, and increasing disaster-related and climate-induced displacement, imposing greater demands on national statistical systems to produce timely, integrated, and policy-relevant data. CARICOM underscores the need to strengthen the measurement of migration stocks and flows. While censuses and household surveys remain foundational, we support the systematic integration and improved use of administrative data sources, underpinned by harmonized definitions and quality standards, enabling legal frameworks and strengthened technical capacity. We also support the call for consistent and disaggregated statistics on older persons, as well as standardized approaches to measuring disaster-related displacement and climate-induced mobility, including the integration of geospatial and disaster risk data systems to inform resilience and recovery planning. Capacity development remains fundamental given the resource constraints of many Caribbean NSOs. CARICOM therefore supports sustained, coordinated, and context-responsive capacity-building efforts that move beyond short-term projects towards long-term institutional strengthening. In conclusion, CARICOM supports strategic recommendations in the paper and encourages their phased implementation in line with national and regional priorities. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Commission, regional commissions, and development partners to strengthen social and demographic— demographic, sorry— statistics in small island developing states in support of sustainable development. Thank you, Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Barbados, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Portugal.

Thank you, dear Madam Chair. Portugal acknowledged the activities and progress of the Friends of the Share Group on Social and Demographic Statistics in 2025, as outlined in the provided documents, for their substantial contributions to advancing a coherent system of population and social statistics. The development of a system-based central framework articulating the population data system as the core— population spine and proposing an innovative relationship framework has significantly strengthened the conceptual foundations for integration across domains, actors, places, and time. We also recognize the advances made in demonstrating that the 5 building blocks are cross-cutting elements that form a coherent foundation for organizing population and social statistics. By highlighting their interconnected nature, the group has helped statistical systems move beyond siloed approaches toward the holistic model that better reflects the complexity of human behavior. This integrated perspective strengthens our ability to measure social outcomes by improving understanding not only of what is happening but also of why it occurs. As such, Portugal endorses the recommendations presented in the report, including the establishment of a committee of experts on populations and social statistics. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Portugal, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Poland.

Okay, thank you, Madam Chair. Statistics Poland supports the recommendations presented in the report, including the establishment of a committee of experts on population and social statistics. We support the recommendations to strengthen the integration and coherence of demographic and social data, as well as their role in developing strategies and policies. It's important to integrate statistical data with geospatial information, also in relation to demographic and social data. It's crucial to apply international standards to the integration of statistics and the geoinformation, such as the Global Statistical Geospatial Framework and the degree of urbanization, which aims to ensure the interoperability and comparability of data between countries. We consider this recommendation to be crucial for the further development of official statistics and for improving the quality reliability and accuracy. The importance of integrating demographic and social data has also been recognized at the European level— European Union level— through the adoption of a new regulation on European statistics on population and housing, which harmonizes data collection and reporting across member states. Statistics Poland expresses its interest in joining the Committee of experts and stands ready to actively participate in its work, including cooperation within the established task forces. Should the UNCPSS be established, Statistics Poland would be prepared to contribute to the development of an integrated system of population and social statistics and to strengthen coordination and cooperation within the framework of the committee. In this context, we would support the dissolution of the Friends of the Chair Group on Social and Demographic Statistics. Statistics Poland would like to thank the group for its valuable work and constructive collaboration to which we were pleased to contribute. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Poland, and I give the floor to The distinguished delegation of Thailand.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thailand strongly supports the development of the Central Framework for Social and Demographic Statistics. We propose that the framework balance international standards with practical implementation by utilizing hierarchical classifications. For example, using 5-year age cohorts rather than a single definition for older persons will allow countries to apply the data to their specific welfare systems while maintaining international comparability. Furthermore, we advocate for a person-centered and outcome-based approach to disability statistics by upgrading to a population data system. We can link disability data with health, education, and employment records to analyze life course outcomes, provided the data privacy and consent are strictly protected. Finally, we urge the Commission to recognize citizen-generated data and to support the integration of administrative housing records with national statistical frameworks. This integration will enable the product— the production of near real-time geocoded statistics, which are essential for precisely identifying and addressing housing in equities. Thank you.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Thailand, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Hungary.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Hungary supports the recommendation put forward by the Friends of the Chair Group to address the challenges identified. The modernizing social and demographic statistics strengthening the conceptual framework and integrative innovative data sources and methods are essential to meeting growing data needs. We consider it particularly important to increase the use of alternative data sources such as administrative records, geospatial data, and other new types of data, as well as to apply analytical approach based on artificial intelligence. We support the integration of different statistics and pursue interoperability. Hungary supports the establishment of the Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics, and we thank the friends of the chair group for all their work has been done so far. Thank you very much.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Hungary. And I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Canada.

Thank you, Chair.

Canada commends the progress made by the Friends of the Chair Group on Social and Demographic Statistics during its 3-year mandate. We are pleased to see the proof of concept for a system of population and social statistics which addresses a critical gap in the international statistical architecture. Society is experiencing rapid and disruptive changes, and robust, consistent social statistics are necessary to understand the nature and impacts of these changes. The proposed approach is pragmatic, modular, and retains domestic flexibility. It is designed to add value for data users, policymakers, by initially focusing on near-term deliverables, then building towards a more ambitious and mature system. Moving from design to progressive implementation will require a focal point for social— for us— for the social statistics pillar. As such, Canada supports the proposal of a UN Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics and would be interested in participating and potentially leading the group. While the proof of concept provides a robust starting point, there will be a lot of work to do. We support continued efforts to strengthen the social pillar of statistics, recognizing its essential role alongside the System of National Accounts and the System of Environmental Economic Accounting in informing evidence-based decision-making and making links to the Beyond GDP work that we heard about yesterday. Being mindful of fiscal constraints, we also recommend leveraging existing resources wherever possible and liaising with other groups such as the Expert Group on Well-Being Measurement, the Interagency Expert Group on SDGs, and the Committee of Experts on International Statistical Classification. Thank you, Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Canada, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Finland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Finland thanks the report by the Friends of the chair, and supports the strategic recommendations in the report. We recognize that population and social statistics form the basis for planning in all sectors of society. Harmonization and standardization of these statistics is also essential for credibility and to enable international comparison. Finland strongly supports the establishment of committee of experts covering this broad area of population and social statistics. Thank you.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Finland, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of the United Kingdom.

Thank you, Chair. The UK supports the recommendations in the report, in particular the proposal to establish a committee of experts on population and social statistics. We have been a member of the Friends of Chair group since its creation and have greatly valued its work and the steps towards a central framework for a system of social and demographic statistics. As part of that framework, we should look to ensure alignment with existing standards like the SNA, SIA, STMX, and census recommendations to avoid duplication ensure both efficiency and compatibility with work also of the expert group on wellbeing measurement. We should also ensure that the framework's development reflects the views of producers with diverse experiences. The UK wishes to participate in the new committee and looks forward to working with members to produce a framework to enhance the coherence, comparability, and policy relevance of social and demographic Statistics. With our interest in joining the new committee, we agree with the recommendation to dissolve the existing Friends of the Chair group and offer our thanks to the Secretariat and members of the group for their important work.

Thank you.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of the United Kingdom, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Mongolia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Mongolia commends work done by the Friends of Chair Group on social and demographic statistics and supports conceptual framework for developing system of population and social statistics to reduce fragmentation and enhance integration and interoperability of social and demographic statistical domains. We support the creation of Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics In light of the anticipated completion of the mandate of the Friends of Chair Group, and we express our interest in becoming a member of the committee and stand ready to actively participate and contribute to the development of integrated system of populations and social statistics. We encourage statistical working groups in the field to strengthen their coordination with the expert group, and we call upon the international community to provide for the successful implementation of this initiative. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Mongolia, and I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Latvia.

Thank you, Chair. Latvia welcomes the report, in particular its emphasis on strengthening social and demographic statistics through better use of administrative data, data integration, and improved capacity to analyze population dynamics and labor market outcomes. We fully share the view expressed in the report that linked microdata systems are essential for understanding structural changes in society, supporting policy design, and responding to emerging challenges such as skills mismatch and demographic change. In this context, Latvia would like to inform the Commission about ongoing work that directly supports these objectives. Statistics Latvia has initiated a project to strengthen labor market and human capital forecasting, including the use of generative AI methods. A central element of this work is the development of a an integrated microdata database that enables consistent longitudinal monitoring of labour market structures and human capital developments. The database is built as a linked system across three core domains—persons, employers, and education—connected through a common unique identifier and includes also georeference. This approach reflects the report's call for better integration of of social, economic, and education statistics. It allows us to combine demographic characteristics, employment histories, skills and qualifications with enterprise information and education. Through this linked database, Latvia aims to strengthen the statistical basis for identifying skills shortage, analyzing transition in the labor market, and assessing potential risks related to human capital outflows, areas that are strongly aligned with the priorities outlined in the report. Latvia sees this work as a practical contribution to the shared objectives set out in the Commission discussions on the future development of social and demographic statistics. Thank you, Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Latvia. And I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of New Zealand.

New Zealand support— fully supports the recommendations, including the establishment of the Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics, and would like to express our interest in joining. New Zealand is strengthening its population and social statistics statistics shaped by a combination of statistical best practice, local research, integrated administrative data, statistical registers, household surveys, and Indigenous Māori concepts. Therefore, we welcome the development of a central framework for a system of population and social statistics and support strengthened coordination and collaboration between the Committee of Experts and various statistical groups working on demographic and social statistics. Finally, we acknowledge that the Friends of the Chair Group on Social and Demographic Statistics has achieved its goal and support dissolving the group. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegation of New Zealand. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Georgia.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and congratulations on your appointment. Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to address this Commission, a body at the very head of the global effort to build a more informed and sustainable world. The challenges of our time—demographic transformation, climate change, economic disruption cannot be effectively addressed without one essential foundation: reliable, timely, and trustworthy data. The UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics are not simply a technical reference. They are commitment between statistical institutions and the society we serve. Georgia upholds this commitment with conviction. Georgia very welcomes the final report of the Friends of the Chair Group and commends the group for 3 years of dedicated and impactful work. The proposed framework organizing social and demographic data around 5 building blocks—people, relationships, places, Time and Outcomes addresses a genuine and longstanding gap and offers a compelling foundation to complement establishment frameworks such as the SNA and System of Environmental Economic Accounts. Georgia's experience reflects both the ambition and complexity of this domain. GEOSTAT conducts a broad portfolio of social surveys from the Household Income and Labour Force Survey to the Time Use Survey and the Violence Against Women Survey in partnership with UN Women, UNICEF, and UNFPA. We fully support the report's recommendations and the establishment of the Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics. Georgia formally expressed its interest in joining the committee and contributing actively to the next phase of this work. Let me highlight three national priorities that bring this agenda to life. On migration statistics, in 2025, Georgia introduced new indicators on citizenship acquisitions and loss and is now exploring mobile network operator data to improve the accuracy and granularity of migration estimates. On register-based statistics, population register is a key priority in our EU-Georgia Association Agreement agenda and strategy of nation statistical system for 2024-2027. A roadmap is in place. An interagency working group is operational, and our goal is a partially register-based census by 2034. On population projections, with UN DESA's support, GeoSTAT has developed a draft methodological framework, a significant step in strengthening our demographic analysis and evidence base. Distinguished delegates, in statistics as in development, no one should be left behind. Demographic and social data are not an end in themselves. They are the foundation upon which better policies, fairer societies, and more sustainable future are built. Georgia is here as an engaged and ambitious partner, ready to contribute and committed to advancing this agenda with the global statistical community. I thank, uh, the friends of the CHER Group for their outstanding work and look forward to the continued effort under the Commission's guidance.

Thank you very much. I thank the distinguished delegation of Georgia. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Italy.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Congratulations for your appointment. Italy strongly welcomes the initiative to advance a central framework for a system of population and social statistics. Therefore, to move toward a more coherent, integrated, and policy-relevant statistical architecture is both timely and necessary, particularly in light of increasing demands for multidimensional and interoperable data. Italy is in favor of establishment of the proposed Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics, and we express our interest to actively contribute to its work as a member. We also welcome the conceptual framework proposed for organized social and demographic statistics, which provides a strong basis for integration and coherence. While recognizing the robustness and integrative value of the 5 building blocks, it may be useful to further clarify their conceptual foundation. The building blocks operate at different ontological levels. Some represent units of analysis, others transversal dimensions, and others outcomes. A clearer articulation of the hierarchical and functional relationship among these elements could strengthen the internal coherence. This would not imply a substantive revision of the Framework, but rather a conceptual refinement aimed at consolidating its theoretical robustness and operational applicability. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Italy. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Tajikistan.

Madam Chair, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, allow me to express my sincere gratitude to the group of friends of the chair on social and demographic Statistics for their thorough and strategically important work. We support the report and we very much appreciate the professionalism and leadership of the group in setting out a new vision for the development of social and demographic statistics at the global level. We fully agree that social and demographic statistics must be seen not as a complementary component, but rather as a strategic tool for state management, planning, and policy evaluation. Given increasingly complex social processes, it's good quality data about population and society that will form the basis of the adoption of well-thought-out decisions. In particular, we'd like to note the importance of developing central core principles for the system of demographic and social statistics. The systemic approach that is proposed is comparable in scale with the system of national accounts, and it opens up a new chapter in the development of social statistics. Our country has a young population, active migration processes, regional differences in terms of the level of development, and the need for sustainable human capital management. In that regard, we are particularly interested in strengthening the system of demographic data, ensuring reliable time series and expanding the disaggregation of indicators. At the same time, we underscored that the introduction of innovations must go hand in hand with robust mechanisms for the quality of data, transparency, and protecting confidentiality. Particularly important for us is strengthening people's trust in official statistics and increasing the population's participation in statistics processes. We stand ready to actively participate in the implementation of the strategic recommendations that are put forward in the report. And in that implementation, the group should strengthen national strategic— statistics systems and ensure the more effective adoption of decisions in the interests of sustainable and inclusive development. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Tajikistan. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Kyrgyzstan.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Kyrgyz Republic sees the report of the Group of friends as useful, and we thank them for their recommendations. And we note the role of social and demographic statistics as a key tool of state governance, monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals, monitoring national strategies and country programs. And we support the need to strengthen this area, including the creation of a committee of experts on population and social statistics, and also strengthening global and regional coordination. At the same time, we believe that is extremely important to ensure the feasibility of the proposed approaches. And in that regard, it would be appropriate to add to the recommendations the implementation of a roadmap with step-by-step mechanisms for implementation, practical recommendations, including recommendations for expanding the use of administrative resources of data which would make it possible to improve operational functions, lower the burden, and ensure a greater provision of social and demographic process data. It's important to improve countries' potential in the development of statistical registers, ensuring that they are— the data is integrated based on single common identifiers, at the same time creating a comprehensive system should be an integral element of the modernization of population and social statistics. Thank you very much.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Kyrgyzstan. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Distinguished delegates, Lapidia appreciates the final report of the Friends of the Chair Group and thanks the group for its valuable work. We support the recommendations to strengthen the social and demographic statistics, improve coordination at all levels, and advance the development of the central framework for populations and social statistics. We also support the establishment of proposed committee experts to continue this important work. Lao PDR continues to strengthen social demographic statistics through the population and housing census and the household surveys such as the expenditure and consumption survey the Laos Social Indicator Survey and Labor Force Survey, as well as the administrative data with the support of our government together with bilateral, multilateral development partners' assistance. Our next 5-year plan is to further integrate CRVS system, improve the data completeness and quality, strengthen the link between CRVS and official statistics for better planning and service delivery. In this context, we support the stronger international guidance, particularly on the multidimensional non-poverty disability disaggregated data and the data for vulnerable groups. At the same time, we emphasize the need of continued technical and financial support to help developing countries implement this framework effectively. I thank you for your kind attention, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Lao PDR. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Uzbekistan.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Uzbekistan thanks the friendliness of the Chair Group and Secretariat and supports strengthening social and demographic statistics through a more integrated system, including the development of the central framework for a system of population and social statistics and improved harmonization of standards and metadata. Uzbekistan's recent population and agriculture census experience underscores the importance of maintaining public trust and the confidentiality while improving timelines and granularity and managing operational burden and costs, challenges also reflected in the reports. Uzbekistan welcomes the proposed incremental and modular approach and requests clarification on the practical core deliverable and tools to support implementation at different readiness levels, including interoperability, and secure data access guidance. Uzbekistan stands ready to contribute to consultation and technical work streams, including sharing lessons learned from recent CENS operations and post-CENS integration priorities. Thank you, Madam.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Uzbekistan. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Tunisia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Tunisia welcomes the report of the Group of Friends of the Chair on population, social and demographic statistics. We recognize that it is important to have special frameworks on social and demographic statistics to support the comparison of data and to have indicators coordinating efforts among all parties responsible for the implementation of this framework. At the same time, this framework has to take into account the specifics of statistical systems, including those relating to its application. We must also coordinate efforts between groups, institutions, and donors so as to support states in the implementation of this framework. What's more, Tunisia, after having finalized and published the results of its population census and housing census 2024, which was the the first digital census, is now focusing on progress and development. To do that, we are cooperating with international partners. In this regard, we thank the Group of Friends of the Chair for all of their efforts and for all of their activities that have been carried out. We support the recommendations contained in the report, and we would like to join the Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Tunisia. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Indonesia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Indonesia wishes to express our strong support for the recommendations presented in the report. We welcome the proposal to establish a Committee on Experts on Population and Social Statistics as a successor mechanism to ensure continuity and sustained progress in the important area of work. We view the committee as a necessary institutional anchor, combining strategic leadership, coordination, technical work, and systematic experience sharing, supported by robust governance and efficient working methods. For your information, BPS Statistics Indonesia has actively engaged in the Friends of the Chair workstreams and has contributed across the three focus streams, including strengthening SDG-relevant disaggregation, advancing conceptual harmonization and integrated data approaches, and enhancing the responsiveness of outputs through methods such as small area estimation and big data analytics. Indonesia reaffirms to continue our commitment to advancing global statistical frameworks and SDG-relevant disaggregated statistics. Indonesia stands ready to contribute substantively and to assume a leadership role within the proposed committee. In this regard, Indonesia expresses our interest in joining the committee of experts and is prepared to take a leading role, contributing both technically and through capacity building. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Indonesia. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Brazil.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Brazil also congratulates the Group of Friends of the Chair on the initiative relating to the identification— of methodological and data gaps to promote the cross-cutting nature of the gender mainstreaming intersectoral approaches and also as relates to the promotion of horizontal integration across the social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainable development. We recognize the importance of this initiative for the production of indicators with an intersectoral mindset in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, including those being disaggregated by population and regional groups. We also welcome the elaboration of the technical report entitled Towards a Population and Social Statistics System: Proof of Concept the proof of concept document, which incorporates substantive elements such as progress on infrastructure and governance while also promoting the use of new technologies and data sources. The report also proposes the establishment of a central framework, which would be essential for making progress on the establishment of criteria for the use of, um, resources and technologies that are not fully in line with traditional official statistics standards. We support the creation of the Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics, and we express our readiness to join and to fully contribute to that committee. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Brazil. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of the United Arab Emirates.

Madam Chair, the Emirates would like to thank the Group of Friends of the Chair for their report on social and demographic statistics. This report is an important step in ensuring complementarity between social and demographic statistics and for getting a concept that meets national and international needs. We feel that we need a more thorough, more exhaustive approach in this area to support comparability and to ensure that we can get data to ensure a better quality of life. This pertains, for example, to national statistical systems and other projects. In this regard, we support the recommendations before us, including the creation of a committee of experts on population and social statistics in order to continue this work and to ensure international coordination to take into account needs— taking into account social and demographic changes. We stand ready to cooperate within that committee of experts in line with and based on our national experience in the area of social and demographic statistics, as well as capacity building and international cooperation. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegation of the United Arab Emirates. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of CISSTAT.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Statistical Committee of the CIS supports this report, and we thank the members of the Group of Friends of the Chair for the large amount of work that they've done. We hope that the development of the conceptual basis for social and demographic statistics will allow us to create a comprehensive system that is comparable in scale and effectiveness to the system of national accounts and the system of environmental and economic accounting. As the basis of the basic principles for this, we propose that we use the population census. However, using that comprehensively, will be particularly difficult and the recommendations and practical experience for dealing with this would be extremely useful for us. We would also be very grateful if in the context of future work on the creation of this system aspects could be reflected that are very relevant for the countries of our region, namely first of all the need to rapidly get information about the population in real time. In order to do this, we have begun developing conceptual, methodological, and organizational approaches to establishing dynamic population models. The results of that work will hopefully be of interest to the statistical community. Secondly, the use of big data to acquire information about the number and location of the population is also far from a trivial thing. For our part, the CIS Statistical Committee is preparing methodological materials about the use of data operators on the numerical and population distribution of the, of the population using rules, standards, and methodologies for the use of this data, which could be adapted and introduced by national statistical services of the states of the CIS. A third very relevant area for us is the transformation of population censuses as a key source of information in many social and demographic characteristics. The national statistical service of the countries of the CIS increasingly use alternative sources, particularly given the population's reluctance to participate in surveys and censuses. Moreover, the CIS countries already have a lot of experience in the use of alternative of data and taking that data into account in the basic principles, in the core principles, will be very important for the countries of our region. Of course, the CIS Statistical Committee is ready to share the results of our work, and we stand ready to participate in the development of the central basic principles of the system for social and demographic statistics. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished delegation of CISSTAT. Finally, I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of UNFPA.

Thank you, Madam Chair. UNFPA thanks the Friends of the Chair group for its comprehensive and forward-looking report on social and demographic statistics. The 57th session of the Statistical Commission takes place in a context of increasing strain on on national statistical systems, including financing uncertainty and disruptions to core data collection programs. Against this backdrop, strengthening integrated, coherent, and sustainable systems for social and demographic statistics is both timely and necessary. UNFPA welcomes the group's proposed conceptual framework to guide the integration and harmonization of social and demographic Statistics. Greater coherence across statistical domains—population, social, economic, and environmental—will be essential to support policy responses to rapid demographic change, including urbanization, migration, aging, and rising inequality. We strongly support the emphasis on alignment at global, country, and national levels. UNFPA remains committed to advancing such coordination with governments and partners, including through our co-chairing roles in the UN Legal Identity Agenda, the International Committee on Census Coordination, and the Power of Data High Impact Initiative. Through Outcome 4 of UNFPA's new strategic plan of 2026 to 2029, UNFPA is scaling up our support to member states in ensuring that population change, including aging, urbanization, and migration, is managed through rights-based sustainable policies and strengthened resilience against climate-related disasters. Further, UNFPA, through its strategic plan, has committed to a dedicated output on data analysis and foresight, which aims to enhance the capacity of countries to use data analysis and strategic foresight. This involves moving from reactive to proactive planning by anticipating future trends and disruptions. Finally, UNFPA underscores the importance of sustainable and flexible funding models for official statistics. Without long-term and predictable investment in foundational population data systems, integration efforts will remain constrained. UNFPA stands ready to continue to support member states and partners in operationalizing the recommendations put before the Commission. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegation of UNFPA. I see no further requests for the floor. I invite Ms. Francesca Groome, Chief of the Demographic and Social Statistics Branch of the UN Statistics Division, to summarize our discussion on this item.

Thank you, Chair. The Statistical Commission welcomed the report of the Friends of the Chair Group on Social and Demographic Statistics and commended the group for its strategic recommendations to advance these statistical areas. The Commission endorsed the recommendations, notably the development of a central framework for system of population and social statistics to address a critical gap in the statistical architecture and ensure greater harmonization and interoperability across statistical domains. The Commission also highlighted that advancing the framework will require a modular and flexible approach that reflects— diverse national capacities, contexts and policy priorities, as well as substantial and predictable financial and human resources, innovation and targeted capacity development, and called on Member States, international organizations and donors to mobilize the necessary support. The Commission supported the establishment of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Population and Social Statistics, underscored the importance of regional balance, and noted the interest of many countries in joining. The Commission requested close coordination between relevant groups and the committee to prevent duplication of efforts and ensure coherence across statistical domains. And finally, the Commission agreed to dissolve the Friends of the Chair group, having completed its mandate. Thank you.

I thank Ms. Grum. The Commission has concluded its discussion of items 3. I now invite the Commission to begin its consideration of Agenda Item 3 entitled Demographic and Housing Statistics, under which the Commission has before it for discussion and decision a report of the Secretary-General on this matter contained in report— contained in document E/CN.3/2026/4. Background documents are also available on the Commission's website. I now give the floor to Ms. Francesca Grum, Chief of the Demographic and Social Statistics Branch of UNSD, to introduce the report.

Thank you, Chair. Distinguished delegates, colleagues, I have the pleasure of introducing the report before the Commission that was prepared by the Statistics Division in collaboration with the European Commission and UN-Habitat, and that presents progress in several priority areas for strengthening national and global statistical systems. First, the report provides an update on the global implementation of the Degree of Urbanization methodology, the Degurba. Since its endorsement in 2020, more than 100 national statistical offices have been trained, and many countries are now producing disaggregated indicators that highlight the important differences across the urban-rural continuum. The Commission is invited to encourage wider application of the methodology and to support further work on delineating urban agglomerations and functional areas. Second, the report highlights progress in housing and quality of life statistics. UN-Habitat and partners continue advancing human settlement statistics through Global Slum and Informal Settlement Mapping and the Global Urban Monitoring Framework. The Commission is invited to extend the related expert group's mandate to refine definitions and develop monitoring tools. The report also notes progress under the Quality of Life Initiative, which applies a multidimensional well-being index used or piloted in more than 108 cities. And the Commission may wish to take note of this work and the progress achieved so far. Third, the report provides an update on the United Nations Demographic Yearbook System, the authoritative global repository of official national demographic and social statistics. In light of the Commission's adoption of updated international statistical standards, including recently on population and housing censuses and international migration, the Statistics Division plans to review and modernize the demographic Demographic Yearbook system, beginning with its questionnaires. This may require temporarily pausing the dispatch of selected questionnaires to avoid circulating inconsistent instruments to national statistical offices. And the Commission is invited to reaffirm the central role of the Demographic Yearbook and to approve this planned revision. And finally, the report outlines ongoing support to the 2030 round of population housing censuses, and the Commission is invited to take note of this work. Thank you, Chair.

I thank Ms. Grum. The Commission will now begin its debate on the report of the Secretary-General on demographic and housing statistics. Statistics. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Egypt.

Thank you, Madam Chair. On behalf of ESCWA, we appreciate the developments that took place in terms of demographic and housing statistics Census, especially when it comes to urban expansion, in order to map these urban rural expansion and to follow up on implementing recommendations for Demographic and Housing Census. We believe that these efforts are an important step to improve data and their comparability in order to achieve sustainable development. The countries of ESCWA approve this mapping and is following up closely on the application of the methodology within the Statistics Commission. It is true we are not currently implementing this methodology completely. However, we are studying it and looking at the experiences of other countries to see how much it relates to our countries. And we reaffirm the importance of the exchange of expertise and building capacity in this regard in order to improve this work. As for Egypt, our Central Statistics Bureau has specific maps with specific details that allows us to determine villages and cities that are most in need. Therefore, these maps are the direct application of this information. This is part of our initiative for development in order to have a targeted development where there is the most need. The Central Bureau is also issuing a new yearbook for Egypt which will include detailed data on different demographic area— areas. We have developed this yearbook in line with international standards on the publication of statistical data by different categories in a very simplified manner that includes a number of data for different uses. Population census is important for development. We would like to note that there is non-coherence between the census published and the estimates published by the division. We need to unify the standards in a way that would guarantee a unification of data. I thank you.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Egypt. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of the Russian Federation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We thank the Statistics Division of the UN, the Economic Commission for Europe, for for their information and for their methodological support for the preparation of the 2030 Population and Housing Census. In our country, the 2030 Census will be carried out fully in line with UN recommendations, but there will be a number of innovations introduced, including experimental developments for making assumptions about the place of actual residence and the respondent's household. AI tools will be used to analyse information from a number of different sources, including cell operators, internet providers, social networks, utilities, pharmacies, clinics, points of sale, the financial sector, and many other sources. And if we get a reliable result, then we plan to use that data to pre-populate the census form. The result of introducing these innovations into our country's census will be a transition to a dynamic population model. That's being developed jointly with the Statistics Commission of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and it will allow us to get results that are as close to reality as possible about the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the population at any moment in time. We also welcome information about the work that's been done to develop territorial statistics statistics. In our country, a lot of work is being done on that. Our aim is to expand as much as possible the data that we publish based on the level of settlements. That will make it possible for us to carry out a socioeconomic analysis of any sub-territorial entity. Thank you.

Distinguished delegation of the Russian Federation, I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Jamaica.

Thank you, Chair. Jamaica has the honor to deliver this intervention on behalf of the Caribbean community, CARICOM. On the degree of urbanization, we take note of the methodological updates to this particular topic. We welcome the refined definitions for semi-dense towns and the improved classification classification of small spatial units, which provide a more nuanced understanding of the urban-rural continuum beyond a simple binary classification. In this regard, we wish to highlight the ongoing work in Jamaica, where the degree of urbanization methodology has been instrumental. Specifically, following the 2022 Population and Housing Census, Jamaica utilized this framework to refine our national definitions of urban and rural areas ensuring that our statistical characterization of settlements is both locally relevant and internationally comparable. We encourage further development, testing, and consultation on the delineations of urban agglomerations and functional areas to ensure full territorial coverage and better capture the complex spatial dynamics of our region. Thank you very much.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Jamaica. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Tajikistan.

Thank you, Madam Chair, distinguished delegates.

The Republic of Tajikistan warmly thanks the Secretariat for the comprehensive and insightful demographic and housing statistics report. We fully support its findings and recommendations, particularly regarding the degree of urbanization methodology, the Global Urban Monitoring Framework, and the role of the United Nations Demographic Yearbook as an authoritative source of official national statistics. Tajikistan has actively engaged in implementing international standards in demographic and housing statistics. Our national statistical office has strengthened data collection and analysis to support sustainable urban development and informed policymaking. In line with the Global Urban Monitoring Framework, we have been improving data on housing quality, urban-rural population distribution, and social infrastructure to better assess citizens' quality of life and promote equitable development. In preparation for the 2030 Population and Housing Census, Tajikistan has initiated a comprehensive planning process. The Agency on Statistics is reviewing and aligning national methodologies with the updated principles and recommendations for Population and Housing Census Revision 4, and it's integrating geospatial and digital-first data collection methods to enhance coverage and accuracy. We are confident that these preparations will ensure our census results contribute effectively to global datasets and evidence-based policymaking. In conclusion, Tajikistan reaffirms its commitment to international cooperation in the field of demographic and housing statistics, to apply globally recognized methodologies and to strengthening national data ecosystems for transformative change. We look forward to continuing our engagement with the Commission and partners in this important endeavor. Thank you.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Tajikistan. In account of the time and because Because we have a long list of speakers, I would like to kindly ask delegations to please limit their statements to 2 minutes. The longer full version of your statements can be sent to estatements@un.org so they can be published in the United Nations Journal. I now give the floor To the distinguished delegation of Georgia.

Distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, Georgia is firmly committed to aligning its statistical system with international standards, and I am pleased to share three concrete achievements that reflect the pace and ambition of our program. First, the 2024 Population and Agricultural Census. From the middle of November to the end of December 2024, Georgia conducted its national census in fully compliance with UN principles and recommendations, covering the entire territory of the country. For the first time, data collection was fully digital. Combining web-based self-enumeration and computer-assisted personal interviewing. This was actually a bold and historic break from paper-based methods, delivering measurable gains in data quality, efficiency, and timeliness. Preliminary results were published in June 2025. Final details are, uh, scheduled for June 2026. Second, advancing urban and rural statistics. GeoSTAT is actively implementing the degree of urbanization methodology. This enables the production of population and development indicators disaggregated by degree of urbanization, enhancing cross-country comparability and supporting SDG monitoring, notable under Goals 3 and 5. We are grateful to UNFPA for their support in building this capacity. Third and most transformative, our transition to register-based population statistics. Establishing a population register is a strategic priority embedded in both the EU-Georgia Association agenda and our strategy of national statistical system for 2024-2027. GeoSTAT has developed a roadmap for register-based population statistics setting out the legal, institutional, and technical reforms required with phased milestones and an operational interagency working group driving coordination. Our ultimate goal: a partially register-based census by 2034, a milestone that will define a new era for Georgian official statistics. Distinguished delegates, progress is real, but so are the challenges, particularly in harmonizing definitions across institutions and strengthening human capacity. We are addressing this with determination and with the invaluable support of our international partners. Georgia stands committed to modernization, to innovation, and to excellence in official statistics, and to being a constructive and active contributor to the work of this Commission. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished delegate.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Georgia, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Kazakhstan.

Thank you, Madam Chair, dear distinguished delegates. Kazakhstan supports the development of demographic and housing statistics with an emphasis on urban development, housing quality, and spatial differences. For our country, it is important to have unified approaches to defining the urban-rural population and measuring urbanization. At the national level, we see the practical value of the methodology for determining the degree of urbanization as a a comparability tool as well as a basis for assessing the burden on urban infrastructure and services in rapidly growing territories. In 2023, Kazakhstan participated in the pilot project of UN-Habitat applying the DiGURBA approach to obtain comparable urban data in selected countries. The preliminary results of the project showed For example, the share of the urban population in one of the regions increased from 16.3% to 76%, while the number of rural settlements decreased from— by 108. In this regard, I would like to note once again that Kazakhstan strongly supports further work on the allocation of urban agglomerations and functional areas since they reflect the real socio-economic ties of the population: employment, commuting, migration, and access to services.

Thank you. I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Kazakhstan. And I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Slovenia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This statement is delivered on behalf of the EU and its member states. The EFTA countries— Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland— align themselves with the statement. The European statistical system welcomes the substantial progress achieved in the global implementation of the degree of urbanization methodology since its endorsement by the United Nations Statistical Commission in 2020. The European statistical system supports the extensive capacity building activities undertaken in collaboration among international partners. These efforts have enabled the wide uptake of the methodology across regions and its increased use by national statistical offices, international organizations,— and custodian agencies of Sustainable Development Goal indicators. The European statistical system supports the proposed methodological refinements and the identified needs for further work on urban agglomerations and functional delineations with full territorial coverage, noting that while the methodology is designed for international comparison, its interpretation at national level should allow for appropriate flexibility. The European statistical system supports the proposal to continue monitoring implementation and report on further progress to the United Nations Statistical Commission. The ESS reiterates its commitment to supporting the consistent application and further development of the degree of urbanization for international statistical comparison purposes. And finally, the European statistical system supports the United Nations Demographic Yearbook system and welcomes the progress made regarding the 2030 World Population and Housing Census program. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Slovenia. The speakers list for this item is now closed. It is 4:23 PM, and I propose that we suspend our meeting to have a brief 10-minute pause. We will start again at 4:33 PM. Sharp. The session is now suspended.

The meeting is resumed. I kindly ask you to take your seats. The meeting is resumed. I kindly ask you to take your seats. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of China.

Thank you, Chair. We took note of and recognize the update to the urbanization degree This would be very important to the operability and comparability of the urbanization statistics. We follow the standardization with international standards and to promote international comparability. We share a lot of commonalities and also share different— have differences. The improvement of infrastructure and other factors have been considered, but we have different focuses. We use village as a level to classify these statistics and focus on the coordination of administrative units. This is in line with the needs of our urbanization. Going forward, we will continue to deepen the urbanization classification standards and continue to follow international standards to strengthen the application and sharing of urban-rural statistics. We recognize the importance of the UN Demographic Yearbook as the authoritative international compendium of population statistics and support the updating of its questionnaires to align with the international standards. In 2020, China successfully organized and conducted the 7th National Population Census. In 2025, we carried out the National 1% Population Sample Survey. We made full use of new technologies and methods such as online digital mapping and delineation of enumeration areas, fully electronic data collection, self-enumeration by respondents, the use of administrative records to support precise validation, and big data-assisted checks to effectively ensure data quality. We have already launched the preparation for the Population Census Towards 2030, and we will continue to conduct broader and deeper cooperation with international partners to achieve new progress in global population statistics. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegation of China. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Peru.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Peru supports the report before the Statistical Commission of the United Nations. It demonstrates progress in demographic and housing statistics and also urbanization methodologies, comparability, and census organization. We need to strengthen the use of digital mapping and geospatial capacities. And it's also necessary to fully apply international standards from UN-Habitat. We've had prior experience in carrying out national census in the years 2025, and that launched the 2030 census round with digital resources, the use of terrestrial satellites, and also digital mapping. However, there are still challenges in terms of financing, the integration of administrative records and geospatial infrastructure. We are grateful for UNFPA's support, as well as support from the Latin American Demography Center. And we are in favor of the adoption of methodological tools that are being promoted by UN-Habitat to strengthen territorial monitoring of urban inequalities and also strengthen public policymaking in the area of adequate housing. Under international standards, what we want to see is implementing the degree of urbanization systematically and to then get the results from the 2025 census that were carried out by Peru. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Peru. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Thank you, Chair. The United Republic of Tanzania will deliver this statement on behalf of the Africa Group. The Africa Group welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on demographic and housing statistics, which highlights the new initiatives on selected areas of demographic and social statistics, including degree of urbanization, a harmonized methodology for delineation of urban and rural areas, housing and quality of life measurement, demographic yearbook system, implementation of the principles and recommendations of Population and Housing Census Revision 43 adopted by the Commission at its 56th session in 2025. The Africa Group appreciates the work that has been undertaken globally and regionally in Africa on the implementation of the Degrowth of Urbanization Methodology. We acknowledge the regional training workshop on the implementation of the Degrowth of Urbanization Methodology, which was organized by the National Institute of Statistics, Rwanda, UN Statistics Division, UNECA, European Commission, EAC, and the UN-Habitat in May 2025. We would like to applaud the Kenya National Statistics— Kenya National Bureau of Statistics that applied the Degurba methodology using the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, confirming its utility in classifying settlement across full urban and rural continuum. We also acknowledge the work of the Expert Group on Slums and Informal Settlement Statistics that was instrumental in shaping a global stock-taking exercise for defining slums and non-slum areas at the levels of mapping enumeration areas, during major data collection processes, such as censuses and surveys. Therefore, the Africa Group supports the need to extend its mandate. The Africa Group acknowledges the work of the United Nations Statistics Division on the Demographic Yearbook and the progress of the 2030 Round of Population and Housing Censuses. The UNSD support includes the adoption of the digital first multimode and geospatial spatially-enabled data collection methods, and the leveraging of the administrative data sources to enhance coverage and efficiency. The Africa Group supports the recommendations made to the Commission to, eh, to take note of the methodological update to the degree of urbanization, to encourage all countries to— custodian agencies to apply this methodology, and to publish key demographic indicators using this approach., and to recommend further development, testing, and consultation on the delineation of urban agglomerations and functional areas with full territorial coverage, to take note of the progress made on the global mapping of slums and informal settlements, and to recommend extending the expert group on slums and informal settlements for a further 4 years from 2026 to 2030. To take note on the Quality of Life Initiative, its Quality of Life Index, and the progress made on the implementation of the Global Urban Monitoring Framework, to reaffirm the role of the UN Demographic Yearbook system as an authoritative international compendium on official national demographic statistics provided by the national statistical authorities to the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs,— and to approve the plans to align the Demographic Yearbook questionnaire with the least international statistical standards, and to take note of the activities undertaken by the Statistics Division in the implementation of the 2030 round of Population and Housing Census Program. Thank you, Chair.

I submit. I thank the distinguished delegation of the United Republic of Tanzania. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of the Bahamas.

Thank you, Madam Chair. On the 2030 Population Housing Census program, the Bahamas, on behalf of CARICOM member states, acknowledge the significant work undertaken by the Statistics Division in advancing preparations for the 2030 round.

As we move forward, CARICOM urges our mission to prioritize respondent-centric design.

Across our region, declining response rates and respondent fatigue are growing concerns. To preserve data quality and public trust, 2030 Census instruments must be leaner, shorter, and more intuitive, and digitally integrated, building on the lessons of the 2020 round. We also encourage the systematic codification of lessons learned from 2020. Particularly regarding the use of administrative registers, digital enumeration, adaptive field management, and e-learning platforms. While the handbook provided valuable guidance, CARICOM emphasizes the need for practical, ready-to-use operational tools. We therefore request consideration for a census toolkit that includes standard operation procedures, legislative and procurement templates, draft enumerator manuals, digital training modules, and key performance indicators. For small island developing states, such practical resources are essential to reduce startup costs and mitigate implementation risk. CARICOM remains committed to a technically robust 2030 census round and looks forward to a program that provides not only standards but the tangible tools needed to implement them effectively.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the distinguished delegation of Bahamas. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Tunisia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Tunisia welcomes the Secretary-General's report on demographic and housing statistics, and we indicate that our last 5 years have been focused on ensuring the digital transformation in statistics. This included the adoption of modern data collection and processing tools, as well as modernizing the information infrastructure. We have also improved the quality of data and accelerated their dissemination in line with international standards. And these, these efforts have allowed Tunisia to successfully carry out a major statistical operation, most notably the— a fully digitized implementation of the 2024 Population and Housing Census. We relied on modern technologies and geospatial systems, thereby strengthening users' trust in statistics and consolidating the role of national statistical systems as a key driver of good governance and evidence-based policymaking. The results were published in September 2025 and were used in preparing the Development Plan 2026-2030.

Tunisia also prepared population projections for 2025-2045.

Tunisia was also a pilot country in the implementation of the degree of urbanization methodology developed by the UN-Habitat. Census results were released using this methodology, and Tunisia's Tunisia's experience is presented in detail in the 2026 Eurostat report on the implementation. Tunisia underscores the importance of adopting this methodology by all countries. We are committed and prepared to share our experience with others and in order to further strengthen the performance and responsiveness of national statistical, system in Tunisia and fulfilling the emerging needs, particularly the need to reduce reliance on traditional survey approaches, Tunisia is currently implementing a set of strategic projects aimed at enhancing the quality, efficiency, and use of statistical data in support of decision-making. These include the Integrated Administrative Registers for Statistical Data project, which aims to harmonize official databases, ensure interoperability among them, and provide access to accurate and reliable information. These integrated registers will also allow the establishment of a population register to serve as the basis for the 2034 census. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Tunisia. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Albania.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Albania welcomes the Secretary-General's report on demographic and housing statistics and appreciates updates on the degree of urbanization, Degurba methodology, the Quality of Life Initiative, the Demographic Yearbook, and the 2030 Population and Housing Census program. Albania supports the Commission's invitations for all countries to apply Degurba and develop delineation of urban agglomerations and functional areas. Albania actually first applied the Degurba methodology in 2014 using the 2011 census data. The methodology enabled us to overcome outdated administrative boundaries identify peri-urban areas, enhance EU comparability, and support evidence-based policymaking, in particular for functional regional development. Following the 2023 census, we updated territorial classifications under the European Commission support, revising those subnational typologies, delineation of cities and functional areas, and expanding city-level indicators, which has been updated through a population grid that is completely and publicly available via Instat Geo Data Hub, as well as the web GIS prod— available online, with a project completion expected by February 2027. Albania notes progress in global mapping of slums, the Quality of Life Initiative, and potential alignment of Quality of Life, Global Urban Monitoring, and the GURBA classification to strengthen urban monitoring. Our country reaffirms support for the UN Demographic Yearbook system and the 2030 Census Program. And we are committed to actively contribute to the development and implementation of these global standards. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Albania. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Philippines.

Thank you and congratulations, Madam Chair. The Philippines welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on Demographic and Housing Statistics and takes note of the progress made on the degree of urbanization, the global mapping of slums and informal settlements, and the quality of life initiative, including the implementation of the Global Urban Monitoring Framework. As the international statistical community advances the development of indicators that go beyond traditional measures The Philippines looks forward to further developments in the quality of life initiative and its potential to enhance and complement our national methodologies. In this regard, we underscore the importance of strengthening the capacities of NSOs in applying the degree of urbanization, enabling its integration into population projections, and the implementation of the DHS to ensure the effective disaggregation of urban and rural areas. We reaffirm the important role of the United Nations Demographic Yearbook as a comprehensive compendium of official national demographic statistics. We support the ongoing efforts to align the Demographic Yearbook questionnaires with the latest international statistical standards and remain committed to the timely provision of quality data to the Statistics Division. Furthermore, the Philippines commends the efforts of the Statistics Division in the 2030 World Population and Housing Census Program, particularly in updating the UN Handbook on the Management of Population and Housing Censuses and the UN Handbook on Geospatial Infrastructure in support of census activities. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Philippines I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Thailand.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thailand successfully conducted its most recent population and housing census in 2025 using a fully data-first approach. Online self-enumeration served as our primary mode of data collection, significantly reducing respondent burden and improving timeliness. To ensure inclusivity, we complement this with field-based collection for vulnerable groups and areas with connectivity constraints, ensuring no one is left behind. Thailand also reaffirmed the commitment to contributing high-quality data to the UN Demographic Yearbook system. In aligning with the 2030 World Population and Housing Census Program, we recommend expanding the definition of adequate housing to explicitly include secure tenure and community rights. Moreover, we advocate for utilizing spatial data and bridging tables to move beyond the traditional rural-urban dichotomy by integrating standard methodologies With community participatory geospatial mapping, we can accurately identify slums and informal settlements, ensuring our national housing strategies effectively address the Sustainable Development Goals. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Thailand. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Malaysia.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Malaysia welcomes the methodological update. Malaysia recognizes the importance of further development and testing, particularly to refine the delineation of urban agglomeration functional areas and to improve the distinction between residential and non-residential zones. Malaysia notes the progress of the quality of life initiative. In support of this agenda, Malaysia has developed and published the Malaysia Well-Being Index, Malaysia Happiness Index, and the Malaysian Human Development Index. Malaysia notes the progress of the 2030 World Population and Housing Census program and has begun preparation for Census 2030. Malaysia is advancing digitalization through GeoAI for geospatial application and exploring artificial intelligence and multimode innovation. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Malaysia. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Cambodia.

Thanks, thanks, thank you so much, Chair. Respected distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Cambodia conducted the interpopulation census in 2024 and now is going to conduct the 2029 General Population and Housing Census. The National Institute of Statistics looks forward to collaborating with the UNFPA and other development partners to explore evidence-based transformative and cost-effective investment option for the next General Population Census and Housing Census plan in 2029. And Cambodia needs to embrace the AI and new technologies to make data collection and analysis faster, more accurate, and more efficient. Cambodia is proud to have already implemented 5 rounds of the Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey. We also thank UNFPA for mobilizing the technical expertise needed to conducting the 2026 Cambodia Demographic and Health Surveys and ensuring continuing the measuring the large number of SDG indicators. Thank you, Chairman.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Cambodia, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Cuba. I give the floor to Brazil.

Gracias, Senhora Presidente. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Brazil supports consolidating the degree of urbanization with a harmonized methodology for international comparisons. We recognize its analytical value in order to reflect the urban-rural continuum and support the formulation of more effective public policies. Nevertheless, we would like to underline the importance of making sure its implementation respects national specificities and goes along with investments in technical training, as well as strengthening the integration between statistical and geospatial data. In that sense, it is essential to make sure that the application of the methodology has continuous technical support and the exchange of best practices among countries. We would like to highlight the importance of perfecting statistical definitions as well as —operational instruments when it comes to identifying marginalized neighborhoods as well as informal settlements, especially during the planning phases as well as the phases where we will delimitate the areas. Brazil supports prolonging the mandate of the group of experts, taking into account its direct contribution to improving the quality and comparability of census data. Thank you, Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Brazil. And I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Indonesia.

Thank you, uh, thank you, Madam Chair. Indonesia fully supports the implementation of the degree of urbanization methodology. We consider this approach highly relevant, particularly in light of the rapid and significant growth of urban areas in Indonesia. A harmonized and internationally comparable methodology will greatly enhance our ability to measure, monitor, and respond to urban transformation in an evidence-based manner. Indonesia also reaffirms its strong support for the United Nations Demographic Yearbook system as the authoritative global repository of official national demographic statistics. We underscore its vital role in ensuring the availability, comparability, and credibility of the demographic data at the global level. Furthermore, BPS Statistics Indonesia supports and takes note of the activities undertaken by the Statistics Division in implementing the 2030 round of the Population and Housing Census program. In preparation for the 2030, Indonesia is focusing on the development of register-based population census, with particular emphasis on strengthening the reliability, coverage, and readiness of administrative data for statistical purposes. At the same time, BPS Statistics Indonesia continues to advance digital-first and multimodal census approaches to enhance efficiency, inclusiveness, and data quality. Thank you very much.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Indonesia, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of the United Arab Emirates.

Madam Chair, my country would like to welcome efforts to improve the demographic and housing statistics data. We welcome all progress to revise different frameworks in this space. My country is developing an exhaustive system of data processing based on using national registers in order to obtain demographic indexes to improve their quality and durability. We adopted a strategic plan that is focused on our registers and is based on our cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council. This project has a time horizon of 2030, and it reflects our commitment to the digital transformation as well as regional complementarity. We will be ready to share this national experience with other countries. We insist on behalf of the GCC on the importance of using an exhaustive approach when it comes to these statistics on demography and housing, taking into account national specificities. National statistical offices should coordinate their activities and strengthen their capacities. It is necessary to ensure equitable regional representation in this field. This year.

Thank you.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of the United Arab Emirates, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Uzbekistan.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Uzbekistan thanks Secretary-General, UNSD, UN-Habitat, and partners for the comprehensive update. Uzbekistan supports the continued global implementation of the degree of urbanization as a complementary methodology that strengthens international comparability and enables more policy-relevant disaggregation along the urban-rural continuum. Uzbekistan reaffirms the importance of the UN Demographic Yearbook as a global compendium of the official demographic statistics and supports efforts to revise its questionnaires to reflect updated standards while minimizing reporting burdens through clear metadata requirements and streamlined transmission. Finally, building on Uzbekistan's recent experience with major census operations, we welcome continued UNSD support for the 2030 Population and Housing Census program and would appreciate for the clarity on available tools, timelines, and opportunities for technical exchange that help countries improve dissemination, small area outputs, and post-census integration with administrative and geospatial source. Thank you.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Uzbekistan. And I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of UNFPA.

Thank you, Chair. UNFPA expresses its strong support for the Secretary-General's report on demographic and housing statistics, including work on the degree of urbanization and implementation of the fourth revision of the principles and recommendations for population and housing censuses. Reflecting on the recently completed 2020 census round, we acknowledge both significant modernization advances and serious operational disruptions. It is essential that lessons learned translate into strengthened resilience, improved digitalization, and enhanced quality assurance in the 2030 round. Censuses remain the cornerstone of national statistical systems. They provide the foundation necessary for disaggregation, small area estimation, and integration with administrative geospatial data. In a context of rapid urbanization, climate vulnerability, displacement, population aging, and fiscal constraints, high-quality and timely census data are indispensable for national planning and development. UNFPA is fully committed to supporting member states in implementing the principles and recommend— the revised principles and recommendations, including application of the degree of urbanization methodology. We provide technical assistance, digital innovation support, capacity development, and resource mobilization to strengthen CESSA's operations and promote effective data use. We also want to highlight our collaboration with Statistics Norway, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the National Institute of Statistics of Uruguay, and commend their co-chairing of the community of practice. On population registers to advance pathways toward register-based approaches where feasible and appropriate. UNFPA takes note of the recommendation to align the United Nations Demographic Yearbook questionnaires with updated international standards and look forward to continued collaboration with the Statistics Division and the Population Division at DESA and with WHO. Robust demographic and Housing statistics are a global public good. UNFPA remains committed to ensuring that every country has the capacity to produce and use them effectively. Thank you, Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of UNFPA, and I now give the floor to UN-Habitat.

Thank you, Madam Chair. UN-Habitat commends the continued progress in the global implementation of the Degree of Urbanization methodology and the significant uptake by national statistical offices, and of course also the growing integration of this methodology into various surveys, censuses, but also the SDG monitoring frameworks. From our perspective, The application of the degree of urbanization has already demonstrated its value in revealing disparities in access to services, but also in infrastructure across different settlement types. We therefore strongly recommend and encourage member states to continue applying the degree of urbanization in the 2030 round of population and housing census, and also encourage many of them to ensure that they produce SDG indicators using the disaggregation by the degree of urbanization categories. On housing, Madam Chair, UN-Habitat welcomes the recognition of adequate housing for all and the strengthening of housing data ecosystems across the board. Today, of course, the global housing crisis requires that we build strong data coalitions that can cover the full breadth of breadth of housing data, which includes monitoring supply, ownership, adequacy, tenure security, affordability, etc. We therefore welcome extending the work on the expert group on slums and informal settlements and the continued work in advancing the area-based methodologies, particularly in support of SDG indicator 11.11. Finally, Madam Chair, UN-Habitat wishes highlight the work of the Quality of Life Initiative and the development of the Quality of Life Index. The Quality of Life Framework already responds directly to the growing calls from member states to measure progress beyond GDP. Its uniqueness, of course, is in providing a territorially grounded, policy-relevant, and statistically coherent approach that supports assessing well-being within cities human settlements but also our neighborhoods. We believe that the time is right for the Commission to recognize this initiative and agree with many member states on the need to formally endorse this initiative as a complementary statistical framework within the global system. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished representative from UN-Habitat. We have heard the last Speaker for this debate. And now I would like to invite Ms. Grum to summarize our discussion on this item.

Thank you, Chair. The Commission welcomed the report of the Secretary-General on demographic and housing statistics, took note of the methodological updates to the degree of urbanization, and recommended further development on delineating urban agglomerations and functional areas. The Commission took note of the progress made on the global mapping of slums and informal settlements and approved extending the related expert group to 2030. The Commission took note of the Quality of Life Initiative, its Quality of Life Index, and the progress made on the implementation of the Global Urban Monitoring Framework. The Commission reaffirmed the importance of the UN Demographic Yearbook as the— an authoritative international reference for official demographic and social statistics, and supported plans to align its questionnaires with current international statistical standards. And finally, the Commission appreciated the activities undertaken by the Statistics Division and partners in implementing the 2030 World Population and Housing Census Programme and stressed the need for continued capacity development and practical tools like census toolkits to support census undertaking aligned with international statistical standards and best practices. Thank you.

I would like to thank Ms. Grum. The Commission has concluded its discussion of Item 3. I now invite the Commission to begin its consideration of Agenda Item 3 entitled Health Statistics, under which the Commission has before it for discussion and decision the report of the World Health Organization on health statistics contained in document E/CN.3/2026/5. I now give the floor to Mr. Haidong Wang from the Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics, and AI at the World Health Organization to introduce the report.

Madam Chair, I have the honor to introduce the report of WHO on health statistics. This report comes at a critical moment. It documents the sharp reversal in gains in healthy life expectancy during the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrates that as we move closer to 2030, progress across the health-related SDGs remains insufficient and uneven. Although advances have been recorded in selected areas, current trajectories indicate that most targets are off track and will require accelerated evidence-based and equity-oriented action. Updated analysis highlights mixed trends in communicable diseases. Notable progress in reducing new HIV infections and stabilizing tuberculosis after pandemic-related disruptions is tempered by continued increase in malaria incidence in several high-burden settings. There are advances in non-communicable disease prevention and control, but not enough to reach global targets. Women's health and wellbeing remain central concerns. Maternal mortality remains unacceptably high, and progress must accelerate to meet global commitments. Access to reproductive health services has largely stalled. Anemia among women of reproductive age continues to pose a significant public health challenge, and violence against women and girls remains high, underscoring the need for sustained multisectoral efforts and improved measurement of underlying risk factors and vulnerabilities. Beyond the sector-specific outcomes, the report emphasizes the foundational role of strong statistical system. The emerging uncertainties of a major survey programs and the decline in external financing have exposed persistent fragility in data availability, particularly in low and lower middle-income countries. So transitioning nationally owned civil registration systems, survey platforms, and interoperable digital health infrastructure is essential to ensure credible monitoring, accountability, and informed decision-making. Madam Chair, the Commission is invited to reaffirm WHO's commitment to supporting member states in strengthening the generation, analysis, and the use of high-quality health data, to recognize the urgent need to reinforce national health information systems, including civil registration and vital statistics, facility and population-based data sources, and to reflect on governance and regulatory frameworks ensuring that digital and AI tools are deployed safely, transparently, and in alignment with international principles. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank Mr. Wang. The Commission will now begin its debate on the report of the World Health Organization. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Equatorial Guinea.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Equatorial Guinea would like to take the floor on behalf of the African Group to speak about this important issue. The African Group would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report, and we welcome the central role played by the World Health Organization in order to provide support to member states to produce and use trusted health data in a context characterized by a drop in international financing as well as the suspension of some important survey programs. We observe that the current pace of progress on most of indicators relating to health continues to be insufficient to reach the goals that we have set for ourselves for 2030. This situation truly highlights the urgent need to strengthen our national health systems when it comes to information. In this respect, the African Group would like to highlight the need to consolidate national registries as well as vital statistics, as well as to improve the quality and exhaustiveness of the data coming from health centers, harmonizing standards as well as international classifications, and to produce demographic data that allows for a trusted follow-up of health results. These efforts require sustained national investments as well as international cooperation that is aligned with national priorities. We would also like to welcome the initiatives carried out at a continental level to digitalize our national health registries, and we invite member states to to continue with these reforms, promoting thus the interoperability and the integration of data systems. We would like to highlight the meeting held in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, in June of 2025 that brought together the heads of national registries and vital statistics of Africa to address issues relating to the modernization digitization, and interoperability of our national registries and vital statistics. The African Group would like to support the gradual integration of digital methodologies, and this includes artificial intelligence in national health information systems. Nevertheless, this integration should be carried out in a prudent fashion, and it should be supported by adequate governance mechanisms as well as regulation, data protections, and respect for human rights. At the same time, we should take into account the specificities of each country involved. To conclude, strengthening health statistics is not merely a technical exercise. It is an indispensable condition to save lives, to reduce inequalities, and to strengthen accountability. The African Group would like to reaffirm its commitment to resilient statistical systems that are interoperable and focused on human beings in order to ensure everyone's well-being. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Hola, gracias. I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Equatorial Guinea. And I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Kyrgyzstan.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. The Kyrgyz Republic would like to thank the World Health Organization for presenting the report on health statistics and for the work they have done to monitor indicators related to the Sustainable Development Goals. The Kyrgyz Republic supports the initiative to strengthen national data and information systems in the area of health, to develop civil registry systems and vital statistics. We also support the development of digital solutions and the use of artificial intelligence in the health sphere, provided that the protection of personal data is respected. It is important that the introduction of these technologies is accompanied continued with the creation of precise normative and methodological frameworks. In turn, increasing— boosting the capacities of countries in the use of these digital solutions and artificial intelligence is a key aspect when it comes to developing health statistics. The Kyrgyz Republic currently consistently is strengthening its electronic healthcare system, including via the use of administrative data about population morbidity. Particular attention needs to be paid to ensuring the quality at every stage of the formation, processing, and integration of official statistics. In that regard, the Kyrgyz Republic believes it is appropriate to provide methodological support to countries on the subject of integration as well as the exchange of good practices, digital transformation, and ensuring the comparability of data. At the same time, we underscore that good quality timely health statistics are a key basis for forming state policy, for the allocation of resources, and for ensuring social justice. Thank you for your attention.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Kyrgyzstan. And I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Canada.

Merci, Madame la Présidente.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Canada would like to recognize the work of the World Health Organization to strengthen health statistics, and we would like to recognize its constant leadership to provide support for all Agenda 2030 health indicators. We take note of the WHO's commitment to support member states in the production and use of indicators for the SDGs, and we recognize the importance of solid national data systems in order to provide for accountability when it comes to health. Canada supports exploring AI at the WHO to fill gaps when it comes to data on health and improve the timeliness of data. We would like to highlight the importance of international cooperation and to have strict ethical guardrails. Collaboration among UN bodies will continue to ensure alignment with the current work on AI when it comes to official statistics. It will also improve information exchange, among other things. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Canada, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Cuba.

Thank you, Chair. The National Office for Statistical Information in Cuba would like to join this discussion on the repercussions of the deterioration on certain SDGs. SDG indicators, specifically SDG number 3, whose goal is to protect the health and well-being of all people everywhere. The rollbacks described in the report are very serious. We believe that this analysis leads us to take into account the results of the general debate in the Second Committee during the main segment of the 80th session of the General Assembly, which address the need to accelerate actions when it comes to implementing Agenda 2030 with a sense of urgency and that addresses multiple factors, among them geopolitical tensions and their global impact, as well as unilateral coercitive measures. In Cuba, in our national statistic system, we have a robust system that has been consolidated, and in the current The scenario of the persistence of the economic and financial blockade imposed by the United States and the recent executive order signed on the 29th of January, 2026, by the president of the aforementioned country with the purpose of choking off our fuel supply affects our circumstances. It is hard to have a constant data collection system and to work at a national and international level so we can react in a timely fashion when it comes to certain indicators that track progress or lack thereof. 280,000 pregnant women will face additional risks and threats as the consequence of this energy blockade. At the same time, as the days pass, we see other vital services that affect newborn patients, children, diabetic patients, cancer patients, or patients patients that need surgeries or experiencing an emergency. We take note of the WHO's commitment on helping member states to generate, analyze, and use excellent quality data in order to craft policies, strengthen accountability, and also work more quickly to reach the SDGs. We agree with the other measures that are being considered for approval in the Commission in order to consolidate national systems on health information. And of course, we support everything in the report, and we underline the need for coordinated action in the entire United Nations system and its partners. Thank you.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegation of Cuba, and I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Belize.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Belize, on behalf of the CARICOM region, notes and welcomes the reaffirmed commitment of the WHO to support member states in the production and analysis of high-quality health statistics. We recognize that access to such data is vital to support policy development, monitoring, and the efficient allocation of resources towards interventions that are needed to revive and accelerate progress towards targets for the SDGs and for the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States. While our region was not a part of the DHS program, other initiatives such as the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey have been extremely beneficial in narrowing data gaps in demographic and health statistics. We acknowledge the need to reinforce national health information systems and strengthen civil registration and vital statistics, especially within the context of diminishing funding for demographic and health surveys, as well as our own regional context of rising respondent fatigue among our small populations. In this regard, we emphasize the need for technical and financial support towards building capacity in the use of administrative data for statistics and the strengthening of national statistical systems within our region and among other SIDS countries. Such assistance from key partners such as Paris 21 and the Korea International Cooperation Agency has been critical to Belize in its efforts to develop and implement its national strategy for the development of statistics, which includes the strengthening of health statistics and administrative data. Finally, CARICOM recognizes the potential of frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence to enhance the efficiency, quality, and responsiveness of data and health information systems. We therefore reiterate the need for support from our partners to develop data governance frameworks and build the requisite institutional capacity to ensure the responsible deployment of these new technologies. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Belize. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of India.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It is an honor and privilege for me to participate in 57th session of UNSC and to share India's view. At the very outset, we would like to place on record our deep appreciation to the WHO's initiatives in supporting member states in generating, analyzing, and using high-quality health data for policy formulation, accountability, and monitoring progress toward the SDGs. India has demonstrated significant progress in enhancing data capacities across key score interventions, with a particular focus on data utilization for impactful health policy formulation and action. These advancements reflect a positive trajectory towards leveraging data for improved health outcomes and population well-being in the country. Chair, while reiterating the comments in the written statement submitted by India on the health, on the health statistics, we would like to emphasize few issues. India underscores that the use of tools and modeling approaches by international agencies should be undertaken in close consultation with national authorities and be firmly grounded in official nationally validated data sources. It therefore needs to be emphasized that international agencies like WHO, NIGME, FAO, and UNDP, UNPD, etc. must be requested to consider the official data source of India as signal— single data source after due consultation with the line ministries of Government of India, rather than resorting to further modeling methods by using multiple data It is also worth emphasizing that the official estimates and data for India are considered robust and well accepted in international organizations. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of India. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Poland.

Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, Poland aligns itself with the WHO report on health statistics and welcomes WHO's continued commitment to strengthening national health information systems to inform public policies and accelerate progress towards the SDGs. However, we wish to underline one critical point. The future of health statistics is not incremental improvement It is structural integration. Since 2022, in close collaboration with WHO Statistics, Poland has built Europe's first nationally representative refugee health monitoring system. This collaboration has evolved beyond emergency response into systematic transformation of how we measure health equity. The objective is clear: to integrate surveys, administrative registers, electronic medical records, vital statistics, and embodying big data sources into one coherent analytical ecosystem. Health statistics must no longer be fragmented outputs. They must be interoperable systems. We are also advancing AI for health development, not as— a technical experiment, but as a strategic priority and an evident— evidence-based solution embedded within official statistical governance, ensuring quality, transparency, and alignment with the fundamental principles of official statistics. In a time when donor financing is shrinking and global data system— face strain, the answer is not more parallel surveys. It is smarter integration. Poland stands ready to continue working with WHO and member states to demonstrate how integrated national data systems can improve disaggregation, strengthen health equity monitoring, enhance timeliness, support universal health coverage without financial hardship. We encourage WHO to continue complementing national leadership efforts with technical coherence and global comparability frameworks. Thank you.

Doy las gracias a la institución.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Poland. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Hungary.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Hungary welcomes the reaffirmed commitment of the World Health Organization to support member states in producing and using high-quality health data to guide policymakers. Strong national health information systems remain essential for timely, reliable, and comprehensive monitoring of health outcomes. Enhanced data integration would make more detailed information available by reducing the need for direct data collections, thereby lowering administrative burden and improving efficiency across the sector. Hungary acknowledges the need to reinforce national health information systems to use the existing synergies of population-based data collections and administrative data to ensure comprehensive, reliable, and timely monitoring of health outcomes. In line with these objectives, we see significant potential in the expanded use and secondary processing of administrative data sources and in the application of modern data production technologies. The use of record-level linkable data can enable deeper analysis reveal new relationships, and support more targeted health policies. Hungary agrees that regulatory governance mechanisms are required to ensure that digital tools and frontier technologies are safe, transparent, equitable, and aligned with the international principles and human rights standards. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Hungary. And I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Spain. We will continue then and give the floor to the distinguished representative of UNFPA.

Thank you, Madam Chair. UNFPA thanks WHO for the report of the World Health Organization on health statistics. We welcome the report's recognition of intersecting challenges affecting population health, including post-pandemic recovery, demographic shifts, widening inequalities, and financing uncertainties. The Commission's discussions this year on AI in official statistics are particularly timely. While AI presents opportunities for efficiency and innovation, it cannot compensate for incomplete foundational population data systems. Civil registration and vital statistics systems constitute part of the base population layer of national data systems. Where births and deaths are not fully registered, health statistics and demographic indicators remain systemically biased. Strengthening CRVS and health information system must therefore remain a priority investment. Madam Chair, UNFPA notes with concern that the 2020 census round left substantial population coverage gaps in several regions, that many CRVS systems remain incomplete and that International Household Survey financing models face uncertainty. These vulnerabilities underscore the need for country-owned sustainable data systems. Um, through UNFPA's Center of Excellence for CRVS Systems, our Global Census Program, and our role on the Health Data Collaborative Board, UNFPA supports member states and partners in assessing and strengthening population health data systems and translating data into actionable demographic and health intelligence. A whole-of-government approach is essential to ensure that foundational population data systems are resilient, interoperable, and sustainable. UNFPA stands ready to continue supporting member in this effort. We thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of the UNFPA. I can see that Egypt has also requested the floor, and Egypt will be the last speaker on this subject. Go ahead. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Egypt. Shukran. Thank you, Madam Chair.

At the outset, and on behalf of the ESCWA countries, we express our appreciation to WHO for its vital role to develop international systems for health data and to improve their comparability between countries. We fully support the efforts to advance the quality of health statistics in order to improve public policies and to implement the Sustainable Development Goal on health. ESCWA believes it is important to improve national data systems. We also note the importance of financing to carry out national surveys, whether through foreign financing or national financing, given the importance of these results to support the development policies of these countries so that they can draft health— the appropriate health policies. For Egypt, Egypt made several efforts in order to link the health systems. We have data on birth and death as soon as we have them so that we can provide this information and we have a website dedicated to this end. Egypt was one of the first countries that discussed the importance of international financing for census as part of the DHS program. We did the census through national financing in order to maintain The health and population indicator so that we can compare with other countries according to the international standards in place. Egypt in recent years has implemented a number of health policies that contributed to data systems that cover a large segment of society through early detection of diseases, improving maternal and child health,. And these efforts have led to improving the data available. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Egypt. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the OECD. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The OECD welcomes the update on health statistics provided by the WHO and agrees on the urgent need to reinforce national health systems to ensure comprehensive, reliable, and timely monitoring of health outcomes. The OECD is strongly committed to support health measurement efforts in close coordination with the WHO and other international and national agencies. We would like to place a special emphasis on the importance of disaggregated and granular statistics which remain essential for monitoring an effective policy intervention. Given rising mental health issues, especially among young populations, OECD considers mental health as a strong priority for measurement. The OECD report on measuring health population provides guidance to national statistical offices and other data producers on how to best collect high-quality measures on population mental health outcomes in a more frequent, consistent, and internationally harmonized manner. As concerns artificial intelligence, the OECD promotes a balanced approach that would both leverage the possible benefits while mitigating possible risks. The OECD invites a reflection on enabling conditions necessary to ensure widespread adoption of national health information systems of safe and effective digital tools and frontier technologies, including by ensuring appropriate regulatory and governance mechanisms that are transparent, equitable, and aligned with international principles on human rights standards. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegation of the OECD. I now invite Ms. Francesca Groome, Chief of the Demographic and Social Statistics Branch of the United Nations Statistical Division, to summarize our discussion on this item.

Thank you, Chair. The Commission welcomed the report of the World Health Organization on health statistics and the organization's commitment to support member states in producing and using high-quality health data. The Commission acknowledged the urgent need to reinforce national health information systems, including by strengthening civil registration and vital statistics systems, facility-based reporting, and population-based data sources to ensure comprehensive, reliable, and timely monitoring of health outcomes and called on all stakeholders to support these efforts. And finally, the Commission underlined the importance of regulatory and governance mechanisms to ensure that digital tools and frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence, adopted in national health information systems are safe, transparent, equitable and aligned with international principles. Thank you, Chair.

I thank Ms. Groome. The Commission has concluded its discussion of Item 3D. I now invite the Commission to begin its consideration of Agenda Item 3E, entitled National Accounts, under which the Commission has before it for discussion and decision the report of the Intersecretariat Working Group on National Accounts contained in document E/CN3/2026/6. Background documents are also available on the Commission's website. I now give the floor to Ms. Haishan Fu. Chief Statistician of the World Bank Group and Chair of the Intersecretarial Working Group on National Accounts to introduce the report.

The Intersector Working Group is pleased to inform the Commission that the International Monetary Fund continues to advance in the editing of the English version of the 2025 SNA according to schedule. The publication is expected to be released during the second half of 2026. Preparations for translation into the other 5 United Nations languages are underway in coordination with relevant stakeholders where appropriate. Since the Commission's endorsement of the 2025 System of National Accounts and its implementation strategy at its 56th session, the Intersector Working Group has expanded its implementation activities in line with the agreed roadmap in collaboration with other partners, including the Balance of Payments Committee. A growing set of implementation and compilation guidance is developed to assist country compilers. A new assessment tool will help align future technical assistance with specific country requirements. The Commission is invited to express its view on the progress made in implementing the 2025 SNA. The Commission is also requested to comment on the work related to the maintenance and updating of international microeconomic statistical standards, the work programs of the Working Group and the regional commissions, and the reporting of annual national accounts data. In addition, the Commission is asked to take note of the terms of reference for the task team established to review the mandate and terms of reference of the Intersector Working Group and the Advisory Expert Group. Chair, in closing, 2025 SNA implementation is vital for data users and for informing policy, and it remains the Intersector Group's highest priority. The chairmanship of the Intersector Working Group will transition from the World Bank Group to the IMF following this session. I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to all partners for their strong support and collaboration throughout the World Bank Group's tenure as chair of the Intersector Working Group. Thank you.

I thank Ms. Fu. The Commission will now begin its debate on the report. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Saudi Arabia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Statistics hereby expresses readiness and formally requests to lead the initiative for translation of the SNA 2025 into Arabic, into Arabic language, with the objective of supporting Arabic-speaking countries and promoting a consistent understanding and application of the updated international statistical standards. The initiative builds on the authority's continued advancement of national accounts, including comprehensive benchmark revision of GDP completed last year, as well as the planning and the work currently under, underway to adopt SNA 2025 in the Kingdom's forthcoming national accounts revision. Saudi Arabia has also been actively strengthening regional statistical cooperation by hosting and continue to host national statistical offices from Arab countries through dedicated meetings and technical exchanges that facilitate experience sharing. In this context, Saudi Arabia invites interested members and relevant institutions to contribute to the Arabic translation of SNA 2025, especially those who have previously contributed to earlier edition of the SNA. In order to build an accumulated experience and ensure technical accuracy and consistency, the General Authority for Statistics reaffirms its readiness to coordinate and collaborate closely with all concerned parties in cooperation with the United States— with the United Nations Statistics Division. To produce a high-quality and internationally recognized Arabic version of SNA 2025 that strengthens capacity building and advances economic and statistical work across the region. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Saudi Arabia. And I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of the Bahamas.

Thank you, Chair. The Bahamas, on behalf of the CARICOM region, expresses its appreciation for the hard work that culminated in the revised System of National Accounts 2025 and the planned publication of the edited and formatted version in 2026. It commends the working group and the advisory the expert group for documenting the revision process through a comprehensive historical record. We welcome the implementation roadmap and support the continued efforts of the working group to support and monitor the implementation. CARICOM notes that the IMF Compilers Hub is one of these efforts to be a great resource for small island developing states. We encourage other international bodies and NSOs to include CARICOM in their implementation workshops and training. CARICOM welcomes the 2025 SNA alignment questionnaire. This self-assessment tool will provide flexibility and autonomy in shaping national accounts programs. We encourage the work on maintaining and updating the International —microeconomic statistical standards. The public's appetite for more timely and nuanced data is growing exponentially, and this will assist SIDS to remain relevant, accurate, and efficient in our statistical production. We agree with the terms of reference of the task team to review the mandate and terms of reference of the working group and advisory expert group. This review is essential to ensure the continued relevance and effectiveness of these bodies, especially considering the importance of pursuing completion of items of the SNA research agenda. CARICOM agrees with the planned work program of the working group and regional commissions. We anticipate that these initiatives will further strengthen countries' capacity to implement the 2025 SNA revisions and in effect effective and efficient manner. Finally, we appreciate the efforts of the Statistics Division in publishing the annual National Accounts and support CARICOM's role as a coordinating agent in encouraging compliance among member states. This reporting highlights progress in implementing S&A revisions, identifies persistent challenges, and forces collaboration to ensure ensure that no country is left behind. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of the Bahamas. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Albania.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Albania takes note of the publication of the 2025 System of National Accounts and welcomes the work undertaken document the update process from the 2008 SNA. We recognize that a well-documented transition is essential to support countries in understanding and applying the new recommendations. We support the International Implementation Strategy and emphasize that implementation should be sequenced, realistic, and aligned with national capacity. And for this, Albania has continued consolidation of alignment with ESA 2010, which remains a key priority, and the transition to the 2025 SNA will build progressively on this foundation. We also encourage the timely availability of compilation guides handbook and practical methodological guidance to ensure consistent application of the new standards and maintain international comparability. Clear priorities and coordinated timelines are important to avoid unnecessary reporting burdens and to safeguard the continuity of time series. Albania remains committed to engaging constructively in regional exchange for an effective and manageable implementation of 2025 SNA. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished delegation of Albania. We have heard the last speaker for today, although there are still several speakers on the speakers' list for this item. The Commission will therefore continue with the list of speakers on this item tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. in this conference room. The first speaker on the list for tomorrow morning is the Russian Federation. The meeting is adjourned.