Muscat: The First Regional Workshop on “Improving Childhood Statistics in the GCC Countries” affirmed the importance of unifying Gulf statistical efforts to develop an integrated system of data and indicators related to childhood, as well as enhancing their quality, comprehensiveness, and comparability across GCC states, thereby supporting developmental planning, policymaking, and the evaluation of programs and initiatives directed toward children.
This came during the workshop organised by the Statistical Centre for the GCC (GCC-STAT) in cooperation with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
The event commenced on Tuesday under the auspices of HH Sayyida Dr. Muna Fahd Al Said, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University for International Cooperation and Board Chairperson of Children First Association, and in the presence of Sumaira Chowdhury, Representative of the UNICEF Office in the Sultanate of Oman, with the participation of representatives from national statistical offices and childhood-related entities in GCC states, alongside experts and specialists from regional and international organisations and institutions.
Intisar Abdullah Al Wahaibi, Director General of the GCC-STAT, said that building the future of societies begins with enhancing children's well-being and developing their capabilities, which requires effective policies based on accurate and comprehensive data reflecting their conditions and needs, and measuring the extent of their benefit from services and programmes directed to them.
She explained that the population of GCC states approaches 63 million people, with the age group under fifteen representing about one-fifth of the population, equivalent to nearly 13 million children. According to United Nations projections, the number of children in this age group is expected to rise to approximately 16 million over the next twenty years, a matter requiring early preparation for their future needs and enhancing the capacity of statistical systems to provide reliable data that supports planning and response to development requirements.
She pointed out that developing childhood statistics is not limited to increasing data availability, but also requires addressing variations in statistical definitions, levels of detail, update frequencies, and the timing of data release, alongside enhancing integration among their sources and converting them into indicators and knowledge that support decision-making and the evaluation of program and policy impacts.
She affirmed that the workshop represents an opportunity to exchange national expertise and experiences, identify priority indicators, and discuss ways to develop the production and dissemination of childhood statistics, thereby enhancing their consistency, comprehensiveness, and comparability at the Gulf level. She also emphasised the importance of continued coordination among GCC-STAT, national statistical offices, childhood-related entities, UNICEF, and partners to support the effective use of data in improving the lives of children across GCC states.
The workshop sessions addressed the current status of childhood statistics in GCC countries and the availability of indicators associated with various aspects of children's lives, alongside key challenges facing data production and dissemination, particularly regarding variations in definitions, statistical methodologies, levels of detail, data update frequencies, and release timing.
Participants also discussed ways to enhance methodological consistency among national statistics and identify existing gaps and development needs, enabling more accurate and reliable Gulf comparisons and contributing to building an integrated statistical database that supports policy formulation and the evaluation of programs directed toward children.
Over three days, the workshop also explores unifying statistical concepts, definitions, and methodologies related to childhood, and developing a joint Gulf framework for core indicators that can be produced periodically, while leveraging relevant international standards and taking into account the national characteristics of each country. Priority areas include health and nutrition, education and learning, social protection, protection from violence and neglect, living conditions, disability and special needs, and children's psychological and social well-being.
Participants are examining mechanisms to enhance integration among various data sources, including administrative records, health, educational, and social data, as well as household and population surveys, with the aim of reducing duplication in data collection, improving data quality, and comprehensiveness, and addressing existing gaps, while taking into account data governance requirements and privacy protection, especially regarding children's data.
They are also discussing ways to deploy data in identifying children's needs and priorities, monitoring gaps between age groups and geographical regions, and evaluating the impact of health, educational, and social programs and initiatives. This approach enhances the potential of utilising statistical indicators to direct resources, raise planning efficiency, and measure progress achieved in reaching childhood-related goals.
Within the framework of developing data availability mechanisms and promoting their use, the workshop discussed the possibility of leveraging digital technologies in disseminating, presenting, and analysing childhood statistics through interactive platforms and dashboards that facilitate access to approved indicators, support comparisons among GCC states, and provide reliable information for decision-makers, researchers, and institutions concerned with childhood.
Discussions also touched upon a proposed concept to develop a Gulf portal for children's data to serve as a reference platform providing statistical indicators, reports, and relevant studies, as well as enhancing ease of access to comparable data. The discussions included technical and institutional requirements necessary to develop the portal and ensure its sustainability, content quality, and the governance of data provided through it.
These efforts aim to enhance statistical integration among GCC states and develop a more comprehensive and reliable knowledge base on children's conditions and needs, thereby supporting the formulation of policies more responsive to national and Gulf priorities, and contributing to building a better future for the region's children.