About us

The Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21) aims to improve the production, quality, availability, and use of statistics for informed decision making for sustainable development. It was established in 1999 by the United Nations, the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank as a response to the need for accurate and reliable data to achieve and track progress toward development goals. 

PARIS21 works with governments, international organisations, civil society, and other stakeholders to strengthen national statistical systems, promote the use of data for policy making, and foster partnerships and networks in low and middle-income countries. 

PARIS21 recognises the critical role that accurate and timely data play in addressing global challenges, making informed policy decisions, and monitoring progress toward sustainable development. By working to improve statistical capacities and systems, PARIS21 contributes to more effective and targeted development efforts worldwide.

Our PARIS21 2021-2025 Strategy provides the strategic orientation of our organisation during a time at which the world is experiencing an acceleration of the data revolution, brought about by increasing digitalisation. We have also passed the halfway point of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with significantly greater action needed to ensure that we “leave no one behind”. 

Responding to these challenges, from 2021-2025, PARIS21 will focus on three priority action areas: Accelerate Innovation, Bridge Data Ecosystems, and Develop Statistical Capacity. These areas make best use of our strengths: our strong relationship with national statistical systems, our technical capacity, our operational agility, and our ceaseless drive to innovate. 

To ensure that our strategy is followed up by a robust implementation, monitoring and evaluation framework, the PARIS21 2021-2025 Results Framework elaborates how PARIS21 will contribute to transformative and structural changes at the country, regional and global levels to make progress towards five outcome areas.