1. Report of the ISWGNA Task Force – Research Agenda
Agenda item 1
Advisory Expert Group
27-29 November 2018

2. Background to the TF
Created in May 2018, after UNSC agreed to prioritise:
Globalization
Digitalisation
Economic wellbeing and sustianability
Ten AEG members plus ISWGNA members
No physical meeting yet
Focus on list of research issues and then take forward practical work on priorities
UNSC in 2019: Progress report, research issues
Eventually UNSC in March 2020 should discuss SNA update process

3. List of research issues
Compilation of long list of issues from research activities..(but dynamic situation...)
SNA
BOP
GFS
SEEA
Trade and industry
Sorting process, by priority areas and by topic within “Other”
Questionnaire to TF members

4. 1. Items to be removed? Need for prioritisation and ways to do that:
Status, impact, time?
Suggestions:
Specific issues not very relevant
Specific issues already resolved
General issues (or specify them)
Use of satellite accounts

5. 2. New items? GFS issues (to GFSAC) Globalisation-related issues
Asset boundary
Sustainability/Depletion
Employment/labour
Leasing
Rent, CIF/FOB, NDP/NNI,
Detailed list of specific issues from one respondent (in annex)

6. 3. Split some items? Split globalization and digitalization
New methods or coverage? Impact?
Wellbeing > HH production & wellbeing indicators
Govt services > Health and Education
Merchanting & factoryless producers

7. 4. Allocation? Establishments and enterprise groups
Final consumption of corporations & asset boundary (IPPs)
Social security liabilities & distributional aspects
Classify by impact on key SNA boundaries & cross-country implications
Communication of eventual revisions

8. 5. Sub-division in ‘other’?
Tidy up category , follow SNA grouping
Further group issues on statistical units
No ‘other’ category, but concentrate on potential impact

9. 6. Higher importance in priority areas?
Natural emphasis on “general” categories
Globalization
Consolidation of enterprise groups
Broaden asset boundary
Leasing, IPP charges, merchanting/factoryless goods
Digitalization
Cross-border e-commerce
Digital trade, cryptocurrencies
Economic wellbeing and sustainability
Distributional aspects
Valuation of natural resources
Wellbeing

10. 7. Higher importance in ‘other’?
Mentioned several times:
Statistical units
Relationship to IASB
Leases/leasing
Income (reinvested earnings, from assets...)
Harmonisation of BOP and SNA

11. Next steps Report to UNSC in March 2019
Written consultation within statistical community
Development of guidance notes on priority issues
Enhanced user consultation
AEG invited to:
provide feedback on the grouping and prioritisation of SNA research agenda items
Comment on next steps