Bandar Seri Begawan – The Third Session of ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS) Committee conducted last week in Brunei Darussalam adopted enabling mechanisms for more comparable ASEAN statistics, clearer policies and guidelines on data sharing, confidentiality, and enhanced dissemination and communication of ASEAN Statistics.

The Heads of the National Statistical Systems of the ASEAN Member States agreed on the direction of the ASEAN statistics future development to ensure their relevance to ASEAN Community and at the same time to contribute to the statistical development at the global and regional levels. Along this line the Committee adopted the outcomes of the Mid-Term Review of the ACSS Multi-Year Action Plan 2011-2015 and discussed draft ACSS Strategic Plan 2016-2020 as well as draft ASEAN Communication Strategy.

At the meeting, the Task Force on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (TFIMTS) was transformed to a Working Group on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (WGIMTS), and the Task Force on Statistics on International Trade in Services (TFSITS) to a Working Group on Statistics on International Trade in Services (WGSITS) to facilitate the development and harmonization of trade in goods and trade in services statistics.

The Meeting was officially opened by Brunei Darussalam’s Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, YM AWG Yusof bin Haji Abd Rahman. The three-day Meeting was chaired by the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Economic Planning and Development, Tuan Haji Abd Amin bin Haji Hashim and attended by the Heads of the National Statistical Systems of the ASEAN Member States and their delegates, the ASEANStats, and representatives from international organizations and Dialogue Partner Countries.

The 3rd Session ACSS Committee Joint Media Statement is available here.