58th session of the International Statistical Institute (ISI)

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International Statistical Institute (ISI)

The International Statistical Institute (ISI) was established in 1885, but statisticians have been meeting at congresses every two years since 1853. ISI’s mission is to promote the understanding of statistics and exchange of good practice in statistics worldwide. The institute plays a leading role in the development of statistical methods, which reflects in constantly increasing demands for highly professional statistics.

The ISI is an advisory body of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Its activities are funded by grants from intergovernmental organizations, governments, local authorities, foundations, private businesses and other bodies in addition to membership fees and proceeds from the sale of ISI publications. The Institute has around 5,000 members from some 130 countries. About 2,000 of its members are internationally recognised leading experts in the field of statistics.

ISI sessions are perhaps unique in the world in bringing together statisticians from various sectors; i.e. the scientific and academic community, government and non-government sectors, official, financial and business statistics, mathematical statistics, sampling, modelling, professors of statistics, etc.

This year the 58th session is attended by about 2,500 statisticians from this wide spectrum of activities. The key characteristic is a special Theme Day – on Wednesday 24^th August all papers presented by participants are dedicated to the central theme of Water and Water Quality. The entire session will focus on the topical issues of the growing demand of the global economic, social and political situation. Participants will be informed about new developments in various fields of statistics, exchange innovative ideas of solving statistical problems and discuss new trends in statistical development.

Upon the invitation of the organisers Ms Karmen Hren, Head of the National Accounts Sector will be invited discussant in the session entitled State of the art in communicating statistics.

International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS)

The International Statistical Institute has eight sections, one of the being the International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS), the members of which are producers and users of official statistics. In the 2009–2011 period the IAOS President is SORS’s Director-General Ms Irena Križman.

For the 58th session Ms Križman has organised the session on the problem of measuring well-being, which is an important topic in times of the global crisis, which is not limited only to the financial and economic situation, and when efforts to find the way out of it are in the centre of attention, not only statistical. Within the session the following will be presented:

• the index of economic well-being in the 1980-2009 period, the role and concept of measuring well-being in analysing public policy in Australia, and 
• the human development index.