AMMAN - The strong reputation of the Kingdom's statistical sector and its advanced level encouraged the Union for Arab Statisticians (UAS) to establish its permanent headquarters in Jordan, UAS Secretary General Amin Bayyati said on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, with which the Department of Statistics is affiliated, and the UAS signed an agreement to this effect on Wednesday.
"We call on all stakeholders to rally efforts to ensure that the union carries out its duties successfully and creates an active partnership among all Arab statisticians that will reflect positively on the outcomes of statistical work at the regional and international levels," Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suhair Al-Ali said at the signing ceremony yesterday.
Bayyati told The Jordan Times that some Arab countries, such as Jordan, have come a long way in the statistical field, but many still lack the required knowledge.
He added that by having the group's headquarters in Amman, "we hope that they can benefit from the Jordanian expertise".
Moreover, Bayyati said the new centre would help members exchange information relevant to the statistical sector and would also work on developing up-to-date information that can be used for future plans.
"Not only is statistics important in the information it gathers, but also in presenting this data to stakeholders, whether governments, researchers or individuals," he said, adding that technology has made the world a small village and time plays an important factor in any development process.
Although it is an important and vital sector that can help in policy making, Bayyati noted that public interest in statistical education is fading due to the fact that it is rather difficult for statistics graduates to find jobs.
He expressed hoped that having the union's headquarters in the Kingdom would lead to the improvement of the sector's image among the public and boost the profession to its rightful position.
By Hani Hazaimeh
© Jordan Times 2009
