ICON-INSTITUTE, under contract with Eurostat, successfully supported the organisation of the 2025 High Level Seminar (HLS) for senior management of National Statistical Institutes (NSIs) from Eastern Neighbourhood and Central Asia countries. Held in Budva, Montenegro, this event brought together high-level delegates to address key challenges and opportunities facing official statistics in a rapidly evolving global context.
Themed “Official Statistics in a Changing World: Value, Efficiency and Readiness for the Future of Statistics”, the seminar was organised by Eurostat in cooperation with the EFTA Secretariat and UNECE. The three-day programme featured expert-led sessions, country presentations, and collaborative discussions focused on enhancing the relevance, quality, and resilience of national statistical systems.
Opening remarks were delivered by Ms Claudia Junker (Eurostat), Mr Michel Di Pietro (EFTA Secretariat), and representatives from UNECE (Ms Tina Luige) and the Statistical Office of Montenegro (Mr Miroslav Pejović). Throughout the seminar, participants shared recent national developments and explored ways to promote the value of official statistics, improve efficiency through new technologies and data sources, and prepare for future demands on statistical systems.
Key highlights included:
- Insights into communicating the value of statistics in the face of misinformation;
- Experiences with the use of administrative and privately-held data for greater efficiency;
- Presentations on AI and emerging technologies, including Eurostat’s AIML4OS project;
- Peer learning on the concept of “statistics under development” and future ESS priorities;
- Dedicated sessions on regional cooperation, peer reviews, and global assessments.
The seminar concluded with a closed-door meeting between Eurostat and ENP-East delegates to discuss the new Eurostat cooperation strategy for 2028–2034.
ICON-INSTITUTE was proud to facilitate this strategic dialogue and contribute to the continued strengthening of international statistical cooperation.
For more information about our work in supporting high-level international events and statistical development, please contact us at enp-hls@icon-institute.de