GENERAL%20DATA%20CHALLENGES%20FACING%20THE%20CARIBBEAN

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ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE
CARIBBEAN Subregional Headquarters for the
Caribbean

• GENERAL DATA CHALLENGES FACING THE CARIBBEAN
• in the context of sustainable development

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Session objectives

• This session discusses the following
• Externally originating need for data
• The need for data at national level even in
• the absence of external demand
• Data deficiencies in SIDS as contributors to
• their vulnerability
• _ The pressure to create regional databases
• and its implications on the national dataset

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Session objectivesconcluded

• This presentation ends with recommendations on
  how the general data challenges can be confronted.

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THE NEED FOR DATA - EXTERNALLY IMPELLED OR NEEDED
NATIONALLY?

• The demands of globalization
• More data, better data, timely data
• The demands of national development and
  self-respect
• More data, better data, timely data
• A country should not bargain for foreign direct
  investment with concessions on data supply.

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THE JOHANNESBURG 2000 PLAN OF IMPLEMENTATION

• The Plan of Implementation highlighted the
  importance of
• Strengthening national and regional information
  services
• Encouraging promoting further work on
  indicators for sustainable development policies
  and programmes
• Developing information systems that make the
  sharing of data possible
• Supporting countries, particularly developing
  countries, in their national efforts to collect
  data that are accurate, long-term, consistent and
  reliable.

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THE DATA PROBLEM - POSSIBLE CAUSES

• Small societies and the fear of loss of privacy
• Existence of islands of information and the
  notion of knowledge being power
• Poor attitudes toward information - an
  unimportant by-product of an administrative
  process rather than the essence of strategic
  thinking

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NATIONAL vs. REGIONAL DATA SYSTEMS
A CHICKEN AND EGG SITUATION?
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THE REQUIREMENTS OF INTEGRATION OF DATA

• Harmonization of concepts and definitions and
  coding schemes at national level in accordance
  with a regional or international framework
• Official support at national level for the
  development of effective data structures and
  institutions

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ECLAC ITS DATA ROLE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE SIDS POA

• The entire work programme is aimed at SIDS.
• ECLAC prepares Caribbean SIDS for international
  Conferences
• ECLAC collects information to arrive at country
  and regional situation appraisals and shares that
  information

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• One major recommendation is that the regional and
  international organizations get together to agree
  on the type of national information systems that
  should exist and make inputs at national level in
  accordance with the agreed architecture.