GCC-Stat &IMF Conduct Joint Workshop Data

Taking forward the efforts to boost the statistical system across the GCC region, the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat) conducted a three-day workshop in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The workshop – which took place on June 24th and 25th in Shangri La Resort in Muscat - aimed to promote exchange of views with key stakeholders on modernising the General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) and enhancing dissemination of statistics to the public.

The General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) was established by IMF in 1997, and it aims to support statistical development by encouraging countries to improve data quality; to provide to the public comprehensive, timely, accessible, and reliable statistics; and to evaluate needs for statistical development and dissemination.
The workshop was co-hosted by GCC-Stat and the IMF, and was attended by representatives from national statistical departments and finance ministries from member GCC States who exchanged views on their progress made under the GDDS framework, the lessons learned, and possible way forward in modernising standards to enhance data dissemination.

The workshop sessions kicked-off with a presentation by an IMF representative who shared background information to provide a stocktaking of the GDDS following nearly two decades of implementation and put forward some lessons learned. A discussion followed the presentation and highlighted GDDS challenges, progress and plans. The second session of the workshop focused on possible features of a modernized GDDS, focusing on data dissemination, possible features of a modernized GDDS, and key messages learned from the workshop and the way forward for enhancing data dissemination under the GDDS.