6th SDMX global conference : SDMX for the data revolution day one

Abstract

The 6th Statistical Data and Metadata exchange (SDMX) conference opened in Addis Ababa, of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) stressing that African countries can no longer afford to continue traditional ways of processing and disseminating statistics. the conference bringing together over 300 experts from National Statistical Offices, Central Banks, other government institutions, international agencies, and the private sector from all parts of the world, the continent would fail if it continued to process and disseminate statistics in the old way. In the era of sustainable development goals (SDGs), statistical data and metadata were now more important than ever. However, with so many data producers and consumers in the government, private sector, and civil society, maintaining consistency and coherence of the data was a real challenge. This is where SDMX can make a real difference by bringing a common understanding of the data and providing a way to supply robust metadata that can explain discrepancies. This will ensure use of credible data that is accepted by all users at all levels.