FASDEV II Opens with high expectations for consensus

Addis Ababa, 9 February 2006 - Expectations are high for approving a framework for statistical development for Africa during the second Forum for African Statistical Development (FASDEV II), starting today at United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) headquarters, in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

During the meeting, over 150 representatives from African countries, donors, partners, sub regional, regional and international organizations will review and endorse the Reference Regional Strategic Framework for Capacity Building in Africa (RRSF), which will to guide African statistical development in the future.

FASDEV II is co-sponsored by the ECA, African Development Bank (ADB), the Partnership in Statistics for the 21st Century (PARIS 21) Consortium, and the World Bank. The meeting is an opportunity to showcase the importance of building capacity in the field of statistics on the continent in order to improve targeting for development programmes.

“African countries, with full support from the donor community, should engage in making statistics a keystone of their development process,” said Abdoulie Janneh, the Executive Secretary of the ECA.