New York City: The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) participated in the 56th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, held over four days in New York City with the participation of heads or representatives of statistical authorities from around the world.
According to Saudi Press Agency, GASTAT's delegation was led by Vice President Mohammed Alrasheed, who commended the high-level task force's report on partnership, coordination, and capacity-building in the field of statistics for monitoring the 2030 sustainable development agenda.
The Kingdom's participation was in response to an invitation from the United Nations, aiming to highlight Saudi Arabia's preparations to host the sixth UN World Data Forum in Riyadh from November 9 to 12, 2026, and to consult on aligning the event's schedule with other international statistical and global calendar events.
GASTAT also participated in the high-level group and the commission's side meetings, reaffirming its commitment to the report of the Committee of Experts on Environmental-Economic Accounting, and supporting the overall work program of the commission's working groups and technical committees. GASTAT also welcomed participation in key initiatives, including those on the circular economy, biodiversity, sustainable tourism, and climate change.
The UN Statistical Commission is recognized globally as the leading body for setting international statistical standards, promoting the use of reliable data, formulating statistical policies, discussing methodology-related issues, data collection, and monitoring progress on Sustainable Development Goals.