|  | |
| Abbreviation | StatCom | 
|---|---|
| Formation | 1947 | 
| Type | Intergovernmental organization, regulatory body, advisory board | 
| Legal status | Active | 
| Location | 
 | 
| Chair | Gabriella Vukovich,  Hungary[1] | 
| Parent organization | United Nations Economic and Social Council | 
| Subsidiaries | United Nations Statistics Division | 
| Website | unstats | 
|  Politics portal | |
The United Nations Statistical Commission (StatCom) is a Functional Commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, established in 1947.[2] The Statistical Commission oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). 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,[3] 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;"[4]
- "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).
- Chairpersonship[5]
- YearSessionCountryChair2023 54th  Hungary HungaryGabriella Vukovich 2022 53rd  Hungary HungaryGabriella Vukovich 2021 52nd  Japan JapanShigeru Kawasaki 2020 51st  Japan JapanShigeru Kawasaki 2019 50th  Kenya KenyaZachary Mwangi 2018 49th  Kenya KenyaZachary Mwangi 2017 48th  Brazil BrazilWasmália Bivar 2016 47th  Brazil BrazilWasmália Bivar 2015 46th  United Kingdom United KingdomJohn Pullinger 2014 45th  United Kingdom United KingdomJil Matheson 2013 44th  Hungary HungaryGabriella Vukovich 2012 43rd  Hungary HungaryGabriella Vukovich 2011 42nd  Oman OmanAli Bin Mahboob 2010 41st  Oman OmanAli Bin Mahboob 2009 40th  South Africa South AfricaPali Lehohla 2008 39th  South Africa South AfricaPali Lehohla 2007 38th  Mexico MexicoGilberto Calvillo Vives 2006 37th  Mexico MexicoGilberto Calvillo Vives 2005 36th  US USKatherine Wallman 2004 35th  US USKatherine Wallman 2003 34th  Hungary HungaryTamás Mellár 2002 33rd  Hungary HungaryTamás Mellár 2001 32nd  Japan JapanShigeru Kawasaki 2000 31st  Botswana BotswanaGuest Charumbira 1999 30th  Botswana BotswanaGuest Charumbira 1997 29th  Mexico MexicoCarlos Jarque 1995 28th  United Kingdom United KingdomBill McLennan 1994 Special session  Poland PolandJozef Olenski 1993 27th  Netherlands NetherlandsWillem Begeer 1991 26th  Netherlands NetherlandsWillem Begeer 1989 25th  Argentina ArgentinaLuis Alberto Beccaria 1987 24th  Ghana GhanaEmmanuel Oti Boateng 1985 23rd  Ireland IrelandTom Linehan 1983 22nd  Hungary HungaryVera Nyitrai 1981 21st  US USJoseph W. Duncan 1979 20th  Soviet Union Soviet UnionMikhail Antonovich Korolev 1976 19th  India IndiaV. R. Rao 1974 18th  United Kingdom United KingdomClaus Moser 1972 17th  France FranceJean Ripert 1970 16th  France FranceJean Ripert 1968 15th .svg.png.webp) Australia AustraliaKeith Archer 1966 14th  Norway NorwayPetter Jakob Bjerve 1965 13th  Norway NorwayPetter Jakob Bjerve 1962 12th  Ireland IrelandDonal McCarthy 1960 11th  Ireland IrelandDonal McCarthy 1958 10th  New Zealand New ZealandGeorge Wood 1956 9th  India IndiaP.C. Mahalanobis 1954 8th  India IndiaP.C. Mahalanobis 1953 7th  United Kingdom United KingdomHarry Campion 1951 6th  United Kingdom United KingdomHarry Campion 1950 5th  Netherlands NetherlandsPhilip Idenburg 1949 4th  Netherlands NetherlandsPhilip Idenburg 1948 3rd .svg.png.webp) Canada CanadaHerbert Marshall 1947 (August) 2nd .svg.png.webp) Canada CanadaHerbert Marshall 1947 (January) 1st .svg.png.webp) Canada CanadaHerbert Marshall 1946 Nuclear session  US USStuart A. Rice 
 
See also
References
- ↑ "Bureau". UN Statistical Commission. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ↑ "Introduction". UN Statistical Commission. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ↑ "Background information on the Statistical Commission and practical information on its functioning" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-10-25. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
- ↑ refer also to Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA)
- ↑ "Chairs of past sessions" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-03-09. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
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

