Two documents, considered crucial for the harmonisation of statistics on forcibly displaced populations, were agreed by the United Nations Statistical Committee in New York yesterday.
The “International Recommendations on Refugee Recommendations” and the “Technical Report on Internally Displaced Populations statistics” are widely expected to improve the global availability of the data on asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced populations (IDPs).
Nearly 40 countries and 15 international organisations were involved in the preparation of the documents. Eurostat, together with Statistics Norway and UNHCR, lead the process.
Among the key achievements are the:
- Creation of a statistical framework to set the terminology, concepts and classifications for refugee and IDP populations
- Identification of basic, internationally comparable statistics and indicators
- Recognition of appropriate data sources used for the collection of refugee and IDP statistics
- Identification of indicators of refugee integration and well-being
- Call for improved coordination at national level and the role of national statistical institutes in this area.
Eurostat intends to play an important role in ensuring the implementation of these recommendations at global level.