Strategy for the Implementation of the Addis Ababa Plan of Action for Statistical Development in Africa in the 1990s

Terms of Reference [Rev. 3]

Overall objective

The Coordinating Committee on African Statistical Development (CASD) shall act as the coordinating body for statistical development activities in Africa.

In that regard, the Committee shall:

• Conduct regular review of the overall progress made by African countries in the implementation of the Addis Ababa Plan of Action for Statistical Development in Africa in the 1990s;
• Facilitate, with the means at its disposal, the implementation of coordinated actions intended to harmonize statistical systems and methodologies; this implementation will be the primary responsibility of the African national and regional institutions, but should obtain the support of bilateral, and multilateral agencies in so far as these actions are part of agreed work programmes;
• Set up mechanisms for the continuous exchange of information among African governments, national agencies, regional and subregional organizations and all bilateral and multilateral agencies; the CASD Secretariat will ensure dissemination of the information to all actors;
• Identify specific themes on which particular and convergent efforts could be made by those actors and consequently propose lines of action to all parties;
• Inform the Committee on Development Information on the progress made on various aspects related to the Addis Ababa Plan of Action;
• Conduct regular evaluation of its own activities.
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Membership

1. ECA Member States

Membership of the CASD, with regard to African member States, shall take into consideration the following criteria: geographic and linguistic balance, level of statistical development as well as indications that the member State is largely self-supporting with regard to statistical activities.

The following shall constitute the membership of the African region:

2. Regional Statistical Training Centres participating in the Statistical Training Programme for Africa (STPA)

Two centres will represent the STPA: 1 English-speaking and 1 French-speaking.

3. African and non-African Bilateral and Multilateral Agencies and Donors

Eight (8) members

4. Chair

The Chair shall be a member of CASD. He/she shall be elected at each meeting of the Committee without prejudice to re-election.

5. Secretariat

ECA shall be a member of CASD.

Duration of membership

Membership shall be for 2 years. Half the membership shall be changed every two years, after the initial 2 years, election of the members shall be from a list proposed by the Secretariat, without prejudice to re-election.

Interested actors, who are not members of the CASD, in statistical development in Africa, who feel that they would like to take active part in on-going CASD activities are encouraged to participate in the work of the Task forces, whose membership shall consist of CASD and non-CASD members.

Secretariat

The Secretariat of the Committee is located in ECA Development Information Services Division (DISD). It is the repository of all reports and reference materials relating to the activities of the Committee.

Place of meeting

The Committee shall meet, at least once a year at ECA Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, unless otherwise agreed.

Task forces

The Committee may establish task forces or commission individuals to handle specific assignments, as necessary.

Composition of the new CASD

1. Members representing African region:

ECA Member States

Regional training centers participating in the STPA

• Ecole nationale supérieure de statistique et d'économie appliquée (ENSEA), Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

• Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics (ISAE) Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
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2. Members representing African and non-African Bilateral and Multilateral Agencies and Donors

• Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT)

• United Kingdom Department for International Development

• Statistics Sweden

• World Bank

• United Nations Statistics Division

• Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE)

• Observatoire économiques et statistiques d'Afrique subsaharienne (AFRISTAT)

• US Bureau of the Census