United Nations Statistical Commission
The United Nations Statistical Commission (StatCom) is a Functional Commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, established in 1947.[2] The Statistical Commission oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Its 24 member states are elected by the Economic and Social Council on the basis of the following geographical distribution: African states (5), Asian States (4), Eastern European States (4), Latin American and Caribbean States (4), Western European and other States (7). Since July 1999 the Commission meets every year. As set forth by the Economic and Social Council, in the terms of reference,[3] the Commission shall assist the Council:
- "In promoting the development of national statistics and the improvement of their comparability;"
- "In the coordination of the statistical work of specialized agencies;"[4]
- "In the development of the central statistical services of the Secretariat;"
- "In advising the organs of the United Nations on general questions relating to the collection, analysis and dissemination of statistical information;"
- "In promoting the improvement of statistics and statistical methods generally."
Abbreviation | StatCom |
---|---|
Formation | 1947 |
Type | Intergovernmental organization, regulatory body, advisory board |
Legal status | Active |
Location |
|
Chair | Gabriella Vukovich, Hungary[1] |
Parent organization | United Nations Economic and Social Council |
Subsidiaries | United Nations Statistics Division |
Website | unstats |
Politics portal |
One of the best known subunits of the Statistics Division is the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), also known as the United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names (UNCSGN). This unit attempts to standardize the names of locations across languages, alphabets, and cultures.
The sixth UN Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names was in 1992 (New York), the seventh in 1998 (New York), the eighth in 2002 (Berlin), and the ninth in 2007 (New York). One issue addressed at these conferences was the Sea of Japan naming dispute.
The Bureau
The officers are the Chairman, 3 Vice-chairmen and the Rapporteur, elected for a one-year period by the members of the Commission at the beginning of a session. Since 1999, its role is more of a steering one; the Chairman may seek for complementary assistance from other members (Friends of the Chair).
- Chairpersonship[5]
- YearSessionCountryChair
2023 54th Hungary Gabriella Vukovich 2022 53rd Hungary Gabriella Vukovich 2021 52nd Japan Shigeru Kawasaki 2020 51st Japan Shigeru Kawasaki 2019 50th Kenya Zachary Mwangi 2018 49th Kenya Zachary Mwangi 2017 48th Brazil Wasmália Bivar 2016 47th Brazil Wasmália Bivar 2015 46th United Kingdom John Pullinger 2014 45th United Kingdom Jil Matheson 2013 44th Hungary Gabriella Vukovich 2012 43rd Hungary Gabriella Vukovich 2011 42nd Oman Ali Bin Mahboob 2010 41st Oman Ali Bin Mahboob 2009 40th South Africa Pali Lehohla 2008 39th South Africa Pali Lehohla 2007 38th Mexico Gilberto Calvillo Vives 2006 37th Mexico Gilberto Calvillo Vives 2005 36th US Katherine Wallman 2004 35th US Katherine Wallman 2003 34th Hungary Tamás Mellár 2002 33rd Hungary Tamás Mellár 2001 32nd Japan Shigeru Kawasaki 2000 31st Botswana Guest Charumbira 1999 30th Botswana Guest Charumbira 1997 29th Mexico Carlos Jarque 1995 28th United Kingdom Bill McLennan 1994 Special session Poland Jozef Olenski 1993 27th Netherlands Willem Begeer 1991 26th Netherlands Willem Begeer 1989 25th Argentina Luis Alberto Beccaria 1987 24th Ghana Emmanuel Oti Boateng 1985 23rd Ireland Tom Linehan 1983 22nd Hungary Vera Nyitrai 1981 21st US Joseph W. Duncan 1979 20th Soviet Union Mikhail Antonovich Korolev 1976 19th India V. R. Rao 1974 18th United Kingdom Claus Moser 1972 17th France Jean Ripert 1970 16th France Jean Ripert 1968 15th Australia Keith Archer 1966 14th Norway Petter Jakob Bjerve 1965 13th Norway Petter Jakob Bjerve 1962 12th Ireland Donal McCarthy 1960 11th Ireland Donal McCarthy 1958 10th New Zealand George Wood 1956 9th India P.C. Mahalanobis 1954 8th India P.C. Mahalanobis 1953 7th United Kingdom Harry Campion 1951 6th United Kingdom Harry Campion 1950 5th Netherlands Philip Idenburg 1949 4th Netherlands Philip Idenburg 1948 3rd Canada Herbert Marshall 1947 (August) 2nd Canada Herbert Marshall 1947 (January) 1st Canada Herbert Marshall 1946 Nuclear session US Stuart A. Rice
See also
References
- "Bureau". UN Statistical Commission. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- "Introduction". UN Statistical Commission. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- "Background information on the Statistical Commission and practical information on its functioning" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-10-25. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
- refer also to Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA)
- "Chairs of past sessions" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-03-09. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
Further reading
- Hausner, Isolde: Die „United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names“ (UNGEGN) und die Standardisierung geographischer Namen. In: Kainz, W. / Kriz, K. / Riedl, A. (eds.): Aspekte der Kartographie im Wandel. Festschrift für Ingrid Kretschmer zum 65. Geburtstag. Wien 2004 (= Wiener Schriften zur Geographie und Kartographie).
- Kerfoot, Helen: Role of the United Nations in the standardization of geographical names: some fifty years on. In: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division (ed.): Manual for the standardization of geographical names. United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. New York 2006: 83-97. ISBN 92-1-161490-2