1. International migration data sharing: What can be done in the UNECE region?
Paolo Valente, UNECE
UNECE-Eurostat Work Session on Migration Statistics Geneva, April 2010

2. Background – UNECE (cont.)
2006: Data exchange exercise for preparation of Guidelines (19 countries in 4 clusters)
2007: UNECE Study on data exchange in 11 CIS countries
2009: Guidelines on exchanging data to improve emigration statistics, suggesting:
a) Set of standard tables on stocks and flows for bilateral exchanges among countries
b) Setting up clearing house maintained by an Intl. Org. to facilitate sharing of data among countries
August 27, 2019

3. Background – UNECE (cont.)
2010: UN Development Account Project on migration – Objectives include:
Improving migration data quality
Promoting exchange and dissemination of information on migration
 Feb. 2010: Workshop in Bishkek (CIS countries)
Agreed set of 9 tables on basic migration data to be transmitted to UNECE by participating countries
August 27, 2019

4. Other initiatives
Other data collection, sharing, dissemination initiatives in the UNECE region:
Joint migration questionnaire (Eurostat, UNSD, UNECE…) (flows) currently being revised
Eurostat data collection (EU regulation, incl. candidates + EFTA)
UNSD Questionnaire on flows (under revision) + Quest. on stocks (census data)
UN Global Migration Database (UN Pop. Div.) (stocks) based on UNSD quest. & other sources
OECD-World Bank collection on characteristics of immigrants living in OECD countries (stocks)
IOM/UN-ESCAP planned data collection in ASIA …
Annex A: Standardised tables for immigration data compilation and exchange
Annex B: Report on data exchange exercise
August 27, 2019

5. Priority: Avoid duplication!
 Launch a new initiative only if:
It’s not duplicating other existing activities
There is clear added value for final users
Countries are willing to participate
Mechanism can be set up and maintained with resources available in UNECE and NSIs
Alternative: use resources to support and contribute to existing initiative(s)
4. The guidelines were already used to guide data exchanges among members of UNECE (Canada and US) and within the group of 11 countries belonging to Commonwealth of Independent States CIS. The Canada-US exchange provided Canada with more comprehensive information and profile of outflows. The project involving CIS countries demonstrated that data exchange at the regional level can be very useful to obtain more precise picture of the regional migratory movement and provide a very important insight into differences between in methodologies of countries' migration data collection.
August 27, 2019

6. Key decisions to be taken
1. Objective of new initiative:
Data sharing AND dissemination?
Data sharing only? (dissemination through other existing platforms)
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7. Key decisions to be taken
2. Which countries should participate?
Bilateral exchanges (Guidelines)?
Sub-regional level (ex. CIS) only?
Regional (UNECE) level?
Support to existing global initiative? (i.e. support revision of Joint migration questionnaire)
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8. Key decisions to be taken
3. What data to be exchanged?
Limited set of tables on stocks and flows? (Guidelines, Bishkek workshop?)
Focus only on stock data from 2010 round censuses?
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9. Technological solutions
To be discussed in detail depending on the “key decisions” still to be taken
UNECE has limited resources to manage the process once it will be set up. Therefore:
Preference for models based on automatic data transmission, or data “pushed” by countries
No heavy data processing possible in UNECE
UNECE has expertise on IT systems for data exchange and dissemination, and can provide technical support (including Russian speaking IT expert)
August 27, 2019

10. Data exchange formats Solution 1 (hi-tech) based on: Requirements:
SDMX (Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange) standard
Software for Census hub developed by Eurostat
Requirements:
Knowledge of SDMX format
Relational database (i.e. SQL, Oracle, Access)
Stable IT infrastructure, good access to Internet
August 27, 2019

11. Data exchange formats (cont.)
Solution 2 (low-tech) based on:
CSV files produced with Excel
Transmission by or UNECE downloads from NSI website
Requirements:
Minimal: Excel and
Each country could choose between solution 1 or 2
They could be used in parallel…
August 27, 2019

12. Data exchange formats Country 1 UNECE Country 2 Country 3 SDMX CSV
August 27, 2019