IAOS 2014Da Nang, Vietnam, from 8 to 10 October 2014

1.Introduction

2. MEDSTAT program: Objectives and thematic coverage

3. MEDSTAT program: Outputs and benefits

4. MEDSTAT program: an evolutionary approach

5. From MEDSTAT to the Forum of Euro Mediterranean statisticians

6. Conclusion

Euro -Med Partnership (Barcelona Process 1995, ENP 2004, UfM 2008) to meet common challenges:

enhancing dialogue on social policies, migration and security supporting economic development (free trade, energy alternative

sources, transport infrastructure, sustainable development ).

Strong need of reliable, comparable and harmonized statistics for decision-making, monitoring and assessment

Development of a regional cooperation in statistics (MEDSTAT Program)

The ContextThe Context

3 phases: MI (1996- 2003), MII (2006-09), MIII (2010-2013)

The program was financed by EC & managed by an external contractor

Eurostat ensured the technical support & the follow up of the implementation of the activities

MED Partner countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia (Turkey, Cyprus and Malta were only concerned by MI)

Even if the partners are the representatives of the NSOs, the activities concerned the whole national statistical systems

Main objective: strengthening the statistical capacity of the southern Mediterranean countries to produce and disseminate harmonized and comparable data.

Sectoral themes: Agriculture, energy, migration, social statistics, transport, external trade, tourism, environment and national accounts.

Horizontal themes: training courses, quality , publication dissemination

Visible Progress has been made in terms of production, availability, quality and comparability of statistics

Harmonization

process Regional & national publications

MEDSTAT

Sharing of best practices

Common tools

Promotion of emerging issues

Regular exchage of data

Regional network of

statisticians

Improvement of methodologies

Ex 1: the countries agreed on a list of harmonized social indicators that have been published under Medstat III.

Ex 2: Development of performance indicators related to the sectors Energy & Transport. The performance indicators on transport were recently published and very welcomed by different users

Ex 3: Support for implementing new standards & classification (trade, transport, energy..).

Ex 4: Mirror exercise on external trade

Ex1 on Energy Sector As visible output, the elaboration of Energy balances in

Mediterranean countries according to international standards. Assistance for development of the methodology for a surveys on

energy consumption

Ex 2 on Transport sector Technical assistance for development of a reflection on intermodal

transport

Ex 3 on Trade sector Assistance for producing statistics on trade of services

As concrete output, the design of the “harmonized Household Surveys to measure international migration (MED-HIMS)

◦ Large consultation (EC, international & regional organisations & PPM)

◦ Development of 7 questionnaires◦ Development of a related manuals◦ sampling, processing and tabulation◦ Contribution of EU and MED experts ◦ Mobilisation of funds for the implementation of the surveys◦ The surveys have been implemented in Palestine, Jordan & Egypt◦ Will be conducted in Lebanon, Morocco , Tunisia & Algeria.

Regular training courses (ToT, e learning) Strengthen of national coordination Experts networking Data collection and Visibility (quality & availability of data, MoU) Users-producers relationship: “Regional guidelines for users-

producers dialogue” Quality assurance framework for the MED NSOs (Adapted CoP)

Through the three phases of the MEDSTAT program, the “concept” of this regional cooperation has changed both in terms of content and management:

◦ Regular review of the thematic priorities according to the evolution of the needs (users producers relationship, quality issues)

◦ The evolution of the approach to ensure the ownership of the practices by PPM

◦ New orientations to focus on concrete outputs directly linked to more available data with a good quality.

◦ More & more involvement of the countries in the implementation of the activities /Enhancing the mobilization of MED experts

◦ Promotion of south/south cooperation

The progressive evolution of the status of MED countries from “Beneficiaries "to “partners”.

Given the following findings:

◦ the value added of this regional cooperation has been proved and recognized by all partners

◦ even if visible progress has been accomplished, the needs of improvement and development are still important for the MED statistical systems

◦ It’s worth consolidating what has been achieved◦ needs of data are growing up and the challenge for statisticians

to accompany the demands is stronger◦ The need of statistical cooperation in both national & regional

level ◦ the willingness and commitment of different partner to continue

working together It’s strongly needed to move

towards a sustainable way of

cooperation

A new reflection has been launched under M III to progressively move towards a reshaped regional cooperation based on :

◦ a mutually beneficial partnership in statistics

◦ an active role of all the partners in both the design of the common orientations,

the management and implementation of the joint work programs

◦ establishment of a long term, achievable, adaptable and mutually beneficial framework  for serving the interest of all involved

14

Initial findings

2011

DC Istanbul April 2011

Discussion of the scooping study

DC Lux Nov 2011

Endorsement & discussion of structures

Finalisation of the ToR DC Athenes June2012

1st forum May 2013

2nd Forum Brux Oct 2013

Adoption of all ToR

3rd Forum LUX October 2013

Objective 1

Improving statistical production

Objective 2

Strengthening the

technical and managerial capacity of

HR of the NSS

Objective 3

Empowering the users

Objective 4

Establishing a LT

framework for the

cooperation

Sectoral: employment, migration, energy, transport, trade, business register horizontal sectors :quality and training

Selected areas

The Why?The Why?

Two years forum of EU MED Statisticians (Orientation – Monitoring & validation)

Support cell (secretariat) in Eurostat (Follow-up of the implementation of the activities)

Thematic working groups Mecanisms of coordination (Chairs, NCs, PNCs)

Tool: knowledge plateforme( repository & archiving materials developped & communication )

What has been done :

Forum of EU MED Statisticians : 3 sessions so far

o Co- charing by Eurostat & Lebanon

o Validation of the different structures & sectoral concept notes

o Validation of the Working programmes (Business register,

Employment Energy Migration ,Trade , Transport, Training )

o Elaboration of an adapted regional COP

Continuation of the activities after the end of MIII

(Eurostat)

WGs are leaded by MED countries (except quality WG)

successful practices were built under the regional program on statistics (MEDSTAT)

The value added of this regional approach was recognized by all partners

This cooperation platform couldn’t replace the bilateral tools that target specific development

An adequate articulation between the two tools would be efficient for the development of statistical systems in the region.

The development of a strategy for a sustainable regional cooperation is a decisive step reflecting the commitment of all partners to move towards a real partnership.

THANK YOU

Hasnae FDHILHasnae.fdhil@gmail.comhfdhil@statistic.gov.ma