Objectives of the Expert Group Meeting

Giovanni Savio, UN-ESCWA

Expert Group Meeting on National AccountsCairo, 12-14 May 2009

Objectives

1. To establish a stable forum for exchange of views, consultation, discussion and decision on main issues for NA harmonization at regional level

2. To tackle relevant issues in SNA 2008, such as:a. Strategy at global and regional levelsb. Technical challenges (classifications, constant prices and

rebasing, back-recalculation, QNA)c. Other issues relevant at regional level (mineral exploration,

FISIM etc.) and exhaustive estimation of NA, including informal sector treatment

3. To finalize an inventory of sources and methods of NA estimation in the region

Actions undertaken by the ESCWA (with partners) in latest few years in NA

Regional Workshop on NA, Cairo, Dec. 2006 National Workshop on Estimation of NA at Constant

Prices for Iraqi Officials, Cairo, Oct. 2007 Technical assistance through Regional Advisor in NA &

ES since January 2007: 25 missions to 7 countries Development Account Project on Informal Sector and

Informal Employment

Future activities planned Expert Group Meeting on NA & ES, 2011 From outcomes/recommendations of this EGM

Actions undertaken and the future

First day, 12 May 2009 Issue 1: Updating on recent development for SNA

2008, future steps, global implementation strategy Issue 2: Assessment of NA practices in the ESCWA

region (booklet on sources and methods) Issue 3: Countries’ presentations

Second day, 13 May 2009 Issue 4: Main challenges (classifications, constant

prices, back-recalculation and rebasing, QNA, other items)

Issue 5: Exhaustivity and the informal sector

Agenda of EGM

Third day, 14 May 2009 Issue 5 (contd.): Exhaustivity and the informal

sector Issue 6: Implementation strategy for SNA 2008 Issue 7: Evaluation and future steps, including

recommendations

Agenda of EGM