The UN ESCWA held an in-person meeting entitled “Impact of Price Fluctuations on Socio-economic Indicators and the SDGs”, in Amman, Jordan on December 6-7, 2023, with 20 attendees from 12 Arab countries.
The meeting was an in-depth exploration into the profound implications of price fluctuations on crucial socio-economic indicators and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sessions covered pivotal topics encompassing harmonizing classifications and methodologies, developing new price indices, modernizing statistics with innovative data tools, analyzing the impact of price statistics on SDGs, exploring the increasing uses of Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) in SDGs, and delving into a broad scope of PPP applications.
Through the meeting, the participating countries were equipped with modern methods that enable them to enhance the quality and accuracy of their statistical data on prices, along with valuable indicators contributing to economic analysis. The meeting also emphasized the critical need for reliable price indices and quality data for economic and socio-economic assessments and addressed the impact of price changes on poverty, food accessibility and the vulnerable.
The meeting wrapped up with attendees offering their overall impressions and commending the sessions as extremely productive and valuable. The conclusion of the meeting included a decision for the countries to revise the 2021 collected price data and the Harmonized Consumer Price Index (HCPI) for specific groups, and to incorporate ESCWA's recommendations to enhance the accuracy of price statistics which is vital for progress towards the SDGs. Finally, the meeting initiated the groundwork for the forthcoming ICP (International Comparison Program) 2024 round.
UN-House, Beirut, Lebanon
