Statistics Day

Resolution 64/267 (PDF) of the United Nations General Assembly of June 3 2010, established 20 October 2010 as the date to commemorate World Statistics Day (PDF), in accordance with the proposal contained in the general secretary's report (PDF) presented at the 41st period of sessions of the United Nations Statistics Commission.

The resolution, using the slogan "Celebration the many contributions and achievements of official statistics", heralds the basic values of service, integrity and professionalism in the general secretary's report and recognises the role of the United Nations in fostering and coordinating official statistics and their comparability since the creation of the Statistics Commission in 1947.

In terms of contributions to official statistics, the report highlights the contributions of official statistics to economics, demography, social issues, health and the environment, with basic data being provided to measure the progress and success of policies. It also makes express reference to population and housing censuses and the national accounting system as the most significant developments.

In Catalonia, the Statistics Day of Catalonia has been celebrated on an uninterrupted basis since 2001. The first organising body was the University of Barcelona, followed by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the Pompeu Fabra University, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the University of Girona, Idescat, the University of Lleida, the University of Vic and Rovira i Virgili University.

In accordance with the spirit and recommendations of the United Nations, both events, the World Statistics Day and the Statistics Day of Catalonia have merged as one. This edition will be held in the Aula Magna of the University of Barcelona, and will involve the presentation of the Student awards sponsored by the UAB and Idescat and the Catalan Statistics Society will be introduced. There will also be a conference given by Jorge Wagensberg.

Also, the statistical body in the different Autonomous Regions have produced a joint pronouncement on occasion of World Statistics Day, also signed by Idescat, which stresses the contributions to official statistics by the autonomous regions.