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Nordic Statistical CooperationNordic Statistical Cooperation

Management Group on Statistical Cooperation

24 -25 March 2011, Luxembourg

Richard Ragnarsøn

Head of International Secretariat

Statistics Norway

Nordic cooperation – the countries

• Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland

• The three autonomous territories: the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland

• A region of approx. 25 million people

• And 8 official languages

Nordic cooperation - objective

• Nordic cooperation is one of the oldest and most comprehensive regional partnerships anywhere in the world.

• It is based on common values and the will to generate dynamic development and enhance the Region’s skills and competitiveness.

• Nordic cooperation has firm traditions in politics, the economy and culture.

• Nordic cooperation seeks to safeguard Nordic and regional interests and principles in the global community.

Main bodies and achievements

• The Nordic Council – the inter-parliamentary forum (1952)

• The Nordic Council of Ministers – the inter-governmental body (1971)

• The essence of the Nordic Council and Nordic Council of Ministers’ work is to generate synergies that benefit the citizens of the Region

Nordic milestones:

• Passport Union (1957)

• Helsinki Treaty (1962)

• Agreement on a fully integrated labour market (1982)

• Nordic Language Convention (1987)

• The Swan Label (1989)

• Free access to higher education (1996)

Director Generals of Nordic NSIs

-Meeting (1889)-Chair

Nordic Contact Network 1

(Specific statistics or crosscutting

areas)

Nordic Contact Network 2 .........

Nordic Contact Network 52

International Secretariats of

Nordic NSIs

Nordic Statistical Cooperation - organisation

Nordic Statistical Meeting3 years

Contact networks - extract

Contact networks - tasks I

Overall objective:

” to contribute to the further development of Nordic statistical expertise, such as the process and characteristics of the use of administrative registers, parallel development of methodology, user information, objectives to ensure a moderate burden on data providers..”

Concrete tasks:

• Exchange of information and experiences

• Take advantage of potential fellow Nordic development projects and utilise the benefits of potential work sharing

Contact networks - tasks II

• Exchange of views – and if possible – coordination of positions prior to international meetings and written consultations

• Planning Nordic meetings/seminars where there is a specific need for these

• Carry out special tasks mandated by chief statisticians on an ad hoc basis

Rotating chairmanship – three years:

• Take initiative, contact, meetings, reporting, coordination of activities

Outcome - some examples

• In general – development of harmonised statistics, methods and tools.

• Network to consult, pool of experts, learning from best practice.

• Nordic Statistical Yearbook and Nordic Statistical Bank – http://www.norden.org/en/the-nordic-region/figures-and-statistics

• PC-Axis – software for data management, data dissemination

– Other related tools; PX Web, PX Map, PX Edit ...– Other countries in EU, Africa, South-America, Asia ...

• Nordic Innovation statistics – publications and development projects (http://nind.nifu.no/nind/index.htm)

Extended cooperation - some examples

• Cooperation on census and registers– Extended from Nordic to the Netherlands, Slovenia and Austria

• Statistics and Open Standards group (SOS)– Nordic, the Netherlands, [UK and CH]– Sharing statistical software components for statistics production

• Cooperation in technical assistance– Nordic projects in developing countries – Utilisation of experts

Concluding remarks

• The 120 years of Nordic cooperation in statistics has been very useful for the development of official statistics and its production in the region.

• Success factors– Emerged of need and mutual interest – not decided upon– Nordic countries: similar statistical systems and societies hence

common challenges and problems– Continuous development of cooperation. Challenged by the

stronger EU-integration, but still a need for regional cooperation.

• Successful cooperation builds on– ”A common interest– Common goals (as concrete as possible)– Shared understanding of desired level of cooperation– Clear added value (within a reasonable timeframe) ”

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