 | |
| Abbreviation | StatCom |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1947; 77 years ago (1947) |
| Type | Intergovernmental organization, regulatory body, advisory board |
| Legal status | Active |
| Location |
|
| Chair | Gabriella Vukovich,  Hungary |
| Parent organization | United Nations Economic and Social Council |
| Subsidiaries | United Nations Statistics Division |
| Website | unstats |
 Politics portal | |
The United Nations Statistical Commission (StatCom) is a Functional Commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, established in 1947. 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, 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;"
- "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."
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
Year Session Country Chair 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
- Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities
- List of national and international statistical services
- United Nations Statistics Division
- Voorburg group
- World Statistics Day
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.
- Rice, Stuart A. (1946). "The United Nations Statistical Commission". Econometrica. 14 (3): 242–250. doi:10.2307/1905775. ISSN 0012-9682.
- "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
External links
- Official website
- Home page for Statistical Division
- Official home page for UNGEGN
- Website for UNGEGN Working Group on Romanization Systems
