عربي
Ms. Ola Awad, President of Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics "PCBS"
Presents the Statistical Achievements of PCBS in 2016
It is my great pleasure to present to you the 2016 annual report of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS); the report highlights the milestones of the year.
Of the 2016 milestones, we most importantly highlight the preparation for the Population, Housing and Establishments Census 2017. This third census in Palestine fulfills the requirements of the General Statistics Law for the year 2000. It is particularly important since it will be the first census to use tablet-supported data collection methods. PCBS focused its efforts in 2016 to finalize the technical and financial preparations including producing the questionnaires and work manuals as well as training teams for different phases. Moreover, It formed the technical and administrative committees, provided the teams with tablets and developed the applications needed to update maps and collect data from the field. PCBS also provided the necessary IT infrastructure. A pilot census was conducted in 2016 to test the tools to be used in the main census.
Our second achievement was the organization of the conference of the International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS) in Abu Dhabi from December 6th to 8th, 2016. PCBS, being the IAOS president, coordinated the conference in cooperation with Statistics Centre- Abu Dhabi (SCAD). The conference was held under the title: “The Spirit of Official Statistics: Partnership and Continuous Innovation”. The Conference addressed a number of important issues on the development of global official statistics system under increasing demand. It also tackled the use of technologies and new sources of data and reiterated the importance of partnerships and consolidation of relations. During the conference, three Young Statisticians Prizes (YSP) to young sta0tisticians were announced for the year 2016; the winners of first and second places were invited to present their papers in the conference.
The third milestone is PCBS efforts to implement the Population and Housing Census in the Palestinian Refugee Camps and Communities in Lebanon. This census is part of PCBS role in providing statistical data about Palestinians in their different places of residency. During the fourth quarter of 2016, PCBS started preparing for this project in partnership and cooperation with the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee and the Lebanese Central Administration of Statistics. The census will produce a comprehensive and accurate database on the different economic, social, and demographic characteristics of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. This effort will inform policy and plan makers aiming to improve the living conditions of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
The fourth highlight relates to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) 2030. In 2016, PCBS undertook practical moves to institutionalize the activities related to SDG’s indicators at several levels. At the national level, the national team was formed to coordinate and lead the national efforts to implement the UN- Sustainable Development Goals 2030 under the presidency of the Council of Ministers and with membership of all line ministries and relevant institutions. PCBS is leading and coordinating the efforts to accommodate the indicators and monitor relevant data. Internationally, PCBS was chosen as a representative of the Arab region in the senior team of partnership, coordination and capacity building to monitor post-2015 period. Regionally, PCBS cooperates with the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the United Nations Economic and the Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and continually coordinates with Arab Statistical Institutions. Next year, PCBS will have intensified statistical activities to respond to providing the needed data to monitor SDG’s indicators.
The report sheds light on the key achievements in institutional building and development, networking and strengthening local, regional and international relations as well as social responsibilities. It covers 2016 activities and plans for the years 2015-2017.
Success and excellence of any statistical institution depend on a number of factors, namely the shared values by the statistical family that strives for excellence and creativity, team work, perseverance and resilience in facing obstacles and problems. It also banks on the trust and support of the Palestinian leadership, led by His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas “Abu Mazen” and Prime Minister, Dr. Rami Hamdallah. Our third factor is the trust and support, we receive from the Advisory Council of Official Statistics, governmental institutions and ministries, the private sectors, international organizations, partners, sponsors and donors who play a major role in facilitating PCBS work and overcoming obstacles.
In the end, we pray to Allah to support our efforts and that we continue to make positive contribution to the building of our state. We are hopeful that our efforts will continue to harvest further success and that with our determination and resilience, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics will be a model of the values of giving toward building the Palestinian state and its capital "Holy Jerusalem."
Note:
For further information on the Palestinian Statistical Annual Report 2016, please click the below link: http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Downloads/book2236.pdf