United Nations Statistical Commission
The United Nations Statistical Commission is a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council established in 1946;[1] it oversees the work of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Its 24 member states are elected by the Economic and Social Council on the basis of the following geographical distribution: African states (5), Asian States (4), Eastern European States (4), Latin American and Caribbean States (4), Western European and other States (7). Since July 1999 the Commission meets every year. As set forth by the Economic and Social Council, in the terms of reference,[2] the Commission shall assist the Council:
- "In promoting the development of national statistics and the improvement of their comparability;"
- "In the coordination of the statistical work of specialized agencies;"[3]
- "In the development of the central statistical services of the Secretariat;"
- "In advising the organs of the United Nations on general questions relating to the collection, analysis and dissemination of statistical information;"
- "In promoting the improvement of statistics and statistical methods generally."
One of the best known subunits of the Statistics Division is the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), also known as the United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names (UNCSGN). This unit attempts to standardize the names of locations across languages, alphabets, and cultures.
The sixth UN Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names was in 1992 (New York), the seventh in 1998 (New York), the eighth in 2002 (Berlin), and the ninth in 2007 (New York). One issue addressed at these conferences was the Sea of Japan naming dispute.
The Bureau
The officers are the Chairman, 3 Vice-chairmen and the Rapporteur, elected for a one-year period by the members of the Commission at the beginning of a session. Since 1999, its role is more of a steering one; the Chairman may seek for complementary assistance from other members (Friends of the Chair).
- Chairmanship [4]
Year Session Chair
(Country)2017 48th Brazil2016 47th Brazil2015 46th United Kingdom2014 45th United Kingdom2013 44th Hungary2012 43rd Hungary2011 42nd Oman2010 41st Oman2009 40th South Africa2008 39th South Africa2007 38th Mexico2006 37th Mexico2005 36th USA2004 35th USA2003 34th Hungary2002 33rd Hungary2001 32nd Japan2000 31st Botswana1999 30th Botswana1997 29th Mexico1995 28th United Kingdom1994 Special session Poland1993 27th Netherlands1991 26th Netherlands1989 25th Argentina1987 24th Ghana1985 23rd Ireland1983 22nd Hungary1981 21st USA1979 20th Soviet Union1976 19th India1974 18th United Kingdom1972 17th France1970 16th France1968 15th Australia1966 14th Norway1965 13th Norway1962 12th Ireland1960 11th Ireland1958 10th New Zealand1956 9th India1954 8th India1953 7th United Kingdom1951 6th United Kingdom1950 5th Netherlands1949 4th Netherlands1948 3rd Canada1947 (August) 2nd Canada1947 (January) 1st Canada1946 Nuclear session USA
See also
References
Further reading
- Hausner, Isolde: Die „United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names“ (UNGEGN) und die Standardisierung geographischer Namen. In: Kainz, W. / Kriz, K. / Riedl, A. (eds.): Aspekte der Kartographie im Wandel. Festschrift für Ingrid Kretschmer zum 65. Geburtstag. Wien 2004 (= Wiener Schriften zur Geographie und Kartographie).
- Kerfoot, Helen: Role of the United Nations in the standardization of geographical names: some fifty years on. In: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division (ed.): Manual for the standardization of geographical names. United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. New York 2006: 83-97. ISBN 92-1-161490-2