December 9, 2024
PHNOM PENH – The Ministry of Planning’s National Institute of Statistics (NIS) and the EU officially launched the “EU Twinning” project on December 5.
The event was attended by Minister of Planning Bin Troachhey, EU ambassador to Cambodia Igor Driesmans and Team Europe representatives from Italy, France, Poland and Lithuania.
Titled “Enhancing the Quality of the Statistical System in Cambodia”, the project is a first-of-its-kind EU initiative in Cambodia and Asia, according to a December 5 press release from the EU delegation in Cambodia.
Addressing the event, Driesmans explained that the initiative creates a platform for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and technical expertise between Cambodian and European statistical institutions.
“This institutional collaboration offers practical knowledge and best practices in areas such as regulatory and institutional frameworks, data infrastructure and technology, data quality standards and professional development for statisticians,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of official statistics for good governance, evidence-based policy-making and sustainable development. He called on the Royal Government of Cambodia to invest further in this sector, given its pivotal role for transparency and informed decision-making.
The planning minister also spoke at the launch, where he underscored the government’s commitment to inclusive and high-quality statistics.
“The NIS plays a vital role in supporting the government’s data-driven and evidence-based policymaking. This is crucial for development directions to be appropriate, context-specific, and meet the real needs of the Cambodian people, in line with the ‘leave no one behind’ principle. This twinning partnership with the EU will harness the power of data to shape development policy in Cambodia,” said Troachhey.
He emphasised the importance of the European Statistics Code of Practice and the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics as key pillars for the development of a modern statistical system that will support evidence-based policymaking.
The event also featured a panel discussion highlighting EU and Cambodian experiences and practices in key areas: National Statistical System Coordination and Data Exchange, System of National Accounts, and Career Development for Official Statisticians.
“These topics align with the primary focus areas and Mandatory Results of the Twinning Project. EU experts described European best practices, and the discussion focused on how these practices could benefit Cambodia and be applied by the NIS and within the National Statistical System,” explained the EU release.
The project will be implemented over 30 months, using a budget of more than two million dollars. The initiative is led by Italy, in a consortium with France, Lithuania and Poland.
It has three main components: strengthening institutional coordination within the national statistical system (NSS); enhancing methodologies for the collection, production, and dissemination of statistical products; and upgrading the training and professional development system for statisticians.