GCC-Stat Conducts 2nd Meeting for Communication Officers

Workshop highlights important role of communication officers in disseminating statistical data and information of GCC member states.

 regional workshop conducted for communication officers kicked off yesterday in the Omani capital Muscat. Organised by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat), the workshop aims to identify the GCC-Stat requirements to improve its capacity to disseminate social and economic indicators that reflect the ongoing social and economic development of the GCC member states.

Participants at the workshop represented the national statistical department from the six GCC member states, namely; UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, and included senior communication officers staff who are involved in the production and dissemination of reports and indicators related to the progress and development in the region. Reports and bulletins that cover this sector are regularly referred to by government officials and policy makers, as well as statisticians, researchers and specialists in the field.

Commenting on the importance of conducting the workshop, Hessa Al Janahi, Consultant at the GCC-Stat, noted: “Witnessing the consistent and comprehensive development and progress in various fields achieved across the GCC region over the past few decades, there has been a growing need for prescribed statistical data and information that parallels such development and progress. Effectively sharing statistical reports is one of most important functions for GCC-Stat, which depends on the data flow from the respective national statistical departments of GCC member states. The GCC national statistical offices provide data and indicators that measure the well-being and sustainable development in the GCC society, so the role of communication officers is highly important in connecting GCC-Stat and the national statistics departments for effective sharing of social and economic data. Their professional efforts are reflected in the positive impact and high quality of the submitted published by GCC-Stat.”

The workshop covers a number of key points that include: a presentation about the statistical strategic plan and roadmap of the center from 2015- 2020, effectively communicating statistics of pan GCC progress and development and indicators for the Millennium Development Goal (MDG), and the GCC development post 2015. Workshop participants also discussed the framework for sharing of progress and development data and indicators, in addition to the GCC-stat plans for effectively communicating future statistics in this field.

This workshop comes within the GCC-Stat’s efforts that aim to enhance the quality of statistical data and information, and to boost the statistical work across the GCC region through continuous training programmes and workshops where participants exchange experiences and improve their skills and capacity by following best international practices that are also adapted to suit the GCC society and serve the common goals of the GCC member states.