A delegation from the National Statistical Institute (NSI), led by Assoc. Prof. Atanas Atanasov, PhD took part in the 57th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC), which was held from 3 to 6 March 2026 at the UN headquarters in New York. The UNSC is the highest body in the international statistical system, which reviews and approves global statistical standards and traditionally brings together the heads of statistical institutions from all 193 member states of the organisation.
During the session, key issues related to the development of official statistics across all statistical domains were discussed, including social and demographic statistics, health statistics, national accounts, environment and climate change statistics, data governance, well-being measurement, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and others.
The representatives of the NSI also participated in a number of side events that traditionally precede the Commission’s session. Of particular interest to participants was the high-level seminar aimed at discussing readiness to use artificial intelligence in official statistics and the extent to which users receive accurate, timely, and relevant official statistical data when AI is used.
Another important event was the forum titled “Beyond GDP: Rethinking Progress in a Changing World,” during which opportunities were discussed for developing additional indicators to be used alongside gross domestic product in order to more accurately reflect the economic, social, environmental, and institutional dimensions of sustainable development.
As part of his visit to New York, the President of the NSI also took part in the first meeting of the year of the Bureau of the Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), to which he was elected as a member at the beginning of the year.
Copyright © 2026 NSI All rights reserved