Who we are

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is the official and trusted source of internationally comparable data on education, science, culture and communication. As the official statistical agency of UNESCO, the UIS produces a wide range of indicators in UNESCO’s fields of action by working with national statistical offices, line ministries and other statistical organizations. The UIS Director serves as UNESCO’s chief statistician.

The data we produce fuel the policies and investments needed to transform lives and propel the world towards its development goals. As a result of our work:

  • countries and the UN system are able to monitor progress towards and target policies towards their development goals, especially in the field of education;
  • countries have a trusted source of guidance and training on international measurement;
  • national governments and international organizations can evaluate trends, benchmark progress and better target their policies;
  • donors have the vital evidence to help them direct resources to the areas of education where their funding will meet the most urgent needs and measure their impact;
  • civil society groups have the “hard facts” they need to mobilize support to provide quality education for all.

UIS expanded mandate: Transforming the Sustainable Development Goals into action

Without clear methodologies in place, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will remain just that – a set of lofty goals with no clear directions to achieve them. This is why the international development community has given the UIS the mandate to develop the methodologies, standards and indicators needed to achieve SDG 4–Education 2030 and key targets in science and innovation, culture and communication in close consultation with partners.

By working on a daily basis with national statistical offices, line ministries and technical partners around the world, the UIS is uniquely situated to lead the global initiatives to measure SDG 4.

As the statistical agency of UNESCO, the UIS has functional autonomy and applies rigorous professional standards to produce high-quality data, methodologies and global standards.

 

MORE ABOUT US

UIS Governing Board

The Institute is an autonomous organization within UNESCO. This functional autonomy enables the Institute’s independence in developing and disseminating the accurate and policy-relevant data needed in today’s increasingly complex and changing social, political and economic environments.

The UIS has its own Governing Board that consists of 12 international experts, representing users and producers of statistics from different regions and international organizations. The UIS Governing Board defines UIS policy and broad functions; approves the institutional programme and budget; and monitors, evaluates and provides guidance on the Institute’s operations.

The Board consists of 12 international experts, representing users and producers of statistics from different regions and international organizations. Six members of the Board are elected by the UNESCO General Conference and six are appointed by the UNESCO Director-General. Members serve in a personal capacity for a mandate of four years.

 

Chair of the Board 2022-23

Mr Dankert VEDELER (Norway) is the Chairperson of the UIS Governing Board for 2022-23. This is his second consecutive term as the Chairperson, following the 2020-21 mandate.

As the Chair of the UIS Governing Board, Mr Vedeler has been leading the process of re-defining the UIS and positioning it as the key element of the SDG 4 data landscape.

Further Reading

  • 2022-2023 GB Composition
  • Our previous chairpersons