02 March 2010
MUSCAT - The Sultanate of Oman was elected by consensus as Chair of the United Nations Statistical Commission at its 41st session held at the United Nations in New York last week. Oman is the first Arab country to head this permanent Commission.
Ali bin Mahboob bin Hassan, representing the Ministry of National Economy, was elected chairperson of the UN Statistical Commission for two consecutive years. The UNSC is the highest global authority entrusted with articulating and endorsing statistical policies.
Two years ago, Oman was elected a member of the UNSC representing the Asian countries for a duration of four years.
Representing the Sultanate at the UNSC's 41st session was a high level delegation led by Shaikh Al Fadhel bin Mohamed al Harthy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of National Economy for Development Affairs. The delegation included a number of key officials of the Ministry.
The election of Ali bin Mahboob bin Hassan as Chair of the UNSC by consensus affirms the unique status attained by Oman represented by the Ministry of National Economy in the statistical sphere, not only at the Arab level but globally.
This election is a recognition of Ali bin Mahboob's pioneering scientific role in developing advanced methodologies and approaches in the area of censuses and surveys.
These methodologies have translated for the Sultanate, as well as other countries that have imbibed Oman's expertise in this area, significant benefits in the form of high quality and comprehensive data, cost savings, and speedy finalisation of results. The use of satellite photographs, digital maps and the Geographic Information System (GIS), together with eco-friendly PDAs, which do away with the need for paper-based questionnaires, were also key attributes of these methodologies.
Significantly, Oman was the first country to introduce PDAs in data collection in place of traditional paper questionnaires. PDAs loaded with digital maps, internal consistency programmes and computer-assisted-codification application were used for the first time globally in Muscat Governorate for the 2003 Population, Housing and Establishments Census and all the ensuing surveys.
Ali bin Mahboob has over three decades of experience in statistical matters, having successfully led two editions of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census of Oman, as well as a number of household surveys. He is currently overseeing the third census of 2010. He was also conferred a State Honour bestowed by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, for his dedicated services in the statistical field.
The Omani delegation also held talks with the UN Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, the Executive Director of UNFPA, the Deputy Executive Director of Unicef, the Director of the UN Statistics Division, and the UN Human Resources Director. Discussions covered cooperation between Oman and these agencies in the statistical and developmental fields.
Next week, the delegation will visit the US Bureau of Economic Analysis in Washington DC to discuss America's experience in economic analysis and Economic Indicators development.
MUSCAT - The Sultanate of Oman was elected by consensus as Chair of the United Nations Statistical Commission at its 41st session held at the United Nations in New York last week. Oman is the first Arab country to head this permanent Commission.
Ali bin Mahboob bin Hassan, representing the Ministry of National Economy, was elected chairperson of the UN Statistical Commission for two consecutive years. The UNSC is the highest global authority entrusted with articulating and endorsing statistical policies.
Two years ago, Oman was elected a member of the UNSC representing the Asian countries for a duration of four years.
Representing the Sultanate at the UNSC's 41st session was a high level delegation led by Shaikh Al Fadhel bin Mohamed al Harthy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of National Economy for Development Affairs. The delegation included a number of key officials of the Ministry.
The election of Ali bin Mahboob bin Hassan as Chair of the UNSC by consensus affirms the unique status attained by Oman represented by the Ministry of National Economy in the statistical sphere, not only at the Arab level but globally.
This election is a recognition of Ali bin Mahboob's pioneering scientific role in developing advanced methodologies and approaches in the area of censuses and surveys.
These methodologies have translated for the Sultanate, as well as other countries that have imbibed Oman's expertise in this area, significant benefits in the form of high quality and comprehensive data, cost savings, and speedy finalisation of results. The use of satellite photographs, digital maps and the Geographic Information System (GIS), together with eco-friendly PDAs, which do away with the need for paper-based questionnaires, were also key attributes of these methodologies.
Significantly, Oman was the first country to introduce PDAs in data collection in place of traditional paper questionnaires. PDAs loaded with digital maps, internal consistency programmes and computer-assisted-codification application were used for the first time globally in Muscat Governorate for the 2003 Population, Housing and Establishments Census and all the ensuing surveys.
Ali bin Mahboob has over three decades of experience in statistical matters, having successfully led two editions of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census of Oman, as well as a number of household surveys. He is currently overseeing the third census of 2010. He was also conferred a State Honour bestowed by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, for his dedicated services in the statistical field.
The Omani delegation also held talks with the UN Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, the Executive Director of UNFPA, the Deputy Executive Director of Unicef, the Director of the UN Statistics Division, and the UN Human Resources Director. Discussions covered cooperation between Oman and these agencies in the statistical and developmental fields.
Next week, the delegation will visit the US Bureau of Economic Analysis in Washington DC to discuss America's experience in economic analysis and Economic Indicators development.
By A Staff Reporter
© Oman Daily Observer 2010
