Africa Validates a Proposal for a Charter on Statistics

14 June 2007

African countries have validated a proposal for an African Charter on Statistics, which aims to guide the collection, dissemination and use of statistical data across the continent to allow easy monitoring of development indicators and cross-country comparisons.

The proposed Charter was validated on June 6 after three days of intense consultations at a meeting in Gisenyi, Rwanda, chaired by the African Union Commission in close collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank; and attended by delegates from African Union member States and representatives of the African Capacity Building Foundation, AFRISTAT, EUROSTAT and Paris 21.

The meeting was opened by Professor Romain Murenzi, the minister in charge of science, technology and scientific research in the Office of the President of Rwanda.

In his opening remarks, Professor Murenzi reminded delegates of what His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda said when he opened the Second Symposium on Statistical Development in January 2007. President Kagame underscored the importance of statistics and the weakness of African statistical systems and advocated capacity building to provide statistics needed for evidence based decision-making.

Noting the recent increase in demand for statistics in Africa, the minister highlighted the links between economic growth and the application of science and technology, and pointed out that such a strategy had been responsible for the economic growth of the United States of America, and more recently of China and India.

Professor Murenzi urged the meeting to come up with principles, ethical codes and best practices for statistics; and address the problem of resources mobilization for statistical development and put in place advocacy tools as well as mechanisms to promote national statistical systems.

Participants recommended that all member States take the necessary steps to promote the charter in their countries; that the Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank assist the African Union Commission to enable the charter to be adopted by the Heads of States during the forthcoming Accra Summit after going through the adoption mechanism of the Union; that the African Union should evaluate the African Statistical System before the establishment of an implementation mechanism of the charter; and for the African Union to take all necessary steps to establish sustainable financing of statistics in Africa.