IBGE
IBGE resumes position on Global Statistical Governance after series of international meetings
March 20, 2026 02h39 PM | Last Updated: March 24, 2026 10h45 AM
In 2026, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) returned to occupy a seat on the United Nations Statistical Commission following an election held by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The IBGE´s return to the main international statistical coordination forum occurs in the same year in which Brazil was also appointed to join a new instance within the scope of the Commission: the Advisory Committee on the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.
During the 57th session of the Commission, the composition of the first Committee was confirmed, an unprecedented instance of global statistical governance. The collegiate is made up of five countries — Brazil, India, Norway, Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates. Brazil participates in the Committee representing Latin America and the Caribbean. "The IBGE's participation in the 57th session of the UNSC reaffirmed Brazil's leading role in international statistical governance, with relevant contributions to debates on innovation, data integration and strengthening of official statistics and geosciences in the world," highlighted the president of the IBGE, Marcio Pochmann.
The Committee's role is to raise awareness and advocacy; provide advisory services to national statistical authorities; periodically review the best practices related to implementation and adherence; and respond to specific requests from national statistical authorities and other relevant stakeholders seeking guidance to strengthen adherence to the Fundamental Principle.
"The IBGE has been expanding its role on the international scene in very relevant roles like this. It is a huge recognition of our technical capacity," says Andrea Diniz, head of International Relations at the IBGE.
The committee's mission is to monitor, promote and support the implementation of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics by countries, through their national statistical offices. These principles were adopted by the United Nations in 1994 and establish guidelines for the production of public statistics, including professional independence, technical quality, methodological transparency, confidentiality of information and respect for legal and ethical frameworks.
Throughout the week, the IBGE also participated in bilateral meetings with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Global Partnership for Data on Sustainable Development, the Intersecretariat Working Group on Household Surveys of the UN Statistics Division, as well as delegations from partner countries such as Peru, Argentina, Indonesia, India and others, to discuss ongoing activities and new partnerships.
The presence of the IBGE in this new institutional arrangement reinforces the Brazilian commitment to the integrity of public information, international cooperation and the strengthening of social trust in official statistics, considered essential elements for democracy and sustainable development.
IBGE stands out in international events
During the meeting of the Board of Directors of the International Comparison Program (ICP), in New York, in the United States, at the beginning of the month, the IBGE was elected co-chair of the
Council, one of the largest statistical comparison initiatives in the world. The Presidency of the Council will be exercised jointly with Badan Pusat Statistik Indonesia (BPS), the National Statistical Office of Indonesia.
In the event “Modernizing the 2030 Round of Population and Housing Censuses: Integrating Technologies and Methodological Innovations,” the IBGE presented experiences and methodological advances in the areas of censuses and territorial statistics. The meeting discussed the challenges and opportunities of the 2030 Round of the World Population and Housing Census Program, which covers the period from 2025 to 2034.
The IBGE also participated in the event “Applying the Degree of Urbanization: Key Lessons, Recent Progress and Future Directions,” held in the context of the UN Statistical Commission, where it presented progress in adopting the method to measure the degree of urbanization in Brazil. The event aimed to present lessons learned, highlight recent advances and discuss challenges and next steps for implementing the methodology in different countries. Representatives from the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UN-Habitat, the European Commission and the IBGE participated.
In an activity organized by the “Praia City Group”, an international initiative created within the scope of the UN Statistical Commission to develop standards, methods and guidelines for the production of official statistics on governance, the IBGE highlighted its initiatives that dialog with this agenda, such as the incorporation of related themes in the Municipal Basic Information Survey (MUNIC) and in household surveys.
