1. Reporting Structure of the ACSS Committee

2. The Meetings of the ACSS Committee

The ACSS Committee meetings covering the period 2011-2019 were, as follows:

- The 1^st Session of the ACSS Committee (ACSS1), Jakarta, Indonesia, 2-3 November 2011;

- The 2^nd Session of the ACSS Committee (ACSS2), Siem Reap, Cambodia, 27-28 September 2012;

- The 3^rd Session of the ACSS Committee (ACSS3), Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, 10-12 September 2013;

- The 4^th  Session of the ACSS Committee (ACSS4), Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, 14-16 October 2014;

- The 5^th Session of the ACSS Committee (ACSS5), Putrajaya, Malaysia, 3-5 November 2015;

- The 6^th Session of the ACSS Committee (ACSS6), Vientiane, Lao PDR, 1-3 November 2016;

- The 7^th Session of the ACSS Committee (ACSS7), Manila, Philippines, 11-13 October 2017;

- The 8^th Session of the ACSS Committee (ACSS8), Singapore, 9-11 October 2018;

- The 9^th Session of the ACSS Committee (ACSS9), Bangkok, Thailand, 9-11 October 2019.

3. ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS) Committee

In 2011, the Terms of Reference of the ACSS Committee were adopted by the 43^rd ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) (replacing the ASEAN Heads of Statistical Offices Meeting (AHSOM) before).

Functions

The ACSS Committee shall be the highest policy making and coordinating body on statistical matters in the ASEAN region. It shall be responsible for strengthening regional statistical cooperation in support of the ASEAN Community, and provide professional guidance on the production, dissemination and communication of ASEAN statistics. The ACSS Committee’s primary functions are to:

- Ensure supply of timely and comparable ASEAN statistics through regional statistical policies, standards and systems based on the AFCS;

- Promote improvement of statistical infrastructure at the national level and facilitate human resource and institutional capacity building;

- Promote and maintain an efficient statistical system by establishing appropriate mechanisms for statistical coordination and development of the ACSS;

- Formulate statistical policies on all matters relating to statistical operations geared towards improvement and harmonisation of ASEAN statistics;

- Monitor and evaluate the progress of the implementation of statistical policies, plans and programmes in ASEAN; and,

- Establish and enhance institutional linkages with other international statistical bodies to further the statistical development agenda of the ACSS.

The ACSS Committee shall make decision on the following:

- Developments and priorities in Strategic Plan for the Development of ASEAN statistics;

- ACSS’s Annual Work Plan;

- Issues concerning statistical confidentiality;

- The measures which the ASEAN bodies/working groups under all three pillars of the ASEAN Community and ASEAN Secretariat (ASEANstats) intend to take for the production, dissemination and communication of ASEAN statistics, their justification on a cost-effectiveness basis, the means and timeliness for achieving them;

- Other issues, in particular issues of methodology, arising from the establishment or implementation of statistical programmes that are raised by its Chair, either on its own initiative or at the request of a Member State.

Organization

The ACSS Committee shall consist of Heads of National Statistical Offices of all ASEAN Member States (AMSs). Each of them represents their National Statistical System at the Committee meetings. The Head of ASEANstats of the ASEAN Secretariat is also a member of the Committee.

The ACSS Committee shall be chaired on a rotating basis by a representative from one of the AMSs, and meet once a year. If there are urgent matters to be discussed, a special meeting of the Committee may be convened.

The ACSS Committee shall establish ‘The Bureau’, which constitutes Heads from three AMSs, i.e., the incumbent chair, the preceding chair, and the succeeding chair.

The ACSS Committee shall establish working groups and task forces for the development of parts of the ACSS, when required. 

4. ACSS Working Groups

4.1. The ACSS Sub-Committee on Planning and Coordination (SCPC)

The Terms of Reference of the SCPC were adopted at the first session of the ACSS Committee on 2-3 November 2011.

The SCPC shall support the ACSS Committee’s decision-making process and act as the national statistical office’ focal point on matters related to the ACSS and ACSS Committee. It shall replace the Task Force on Strategic Planning, under the guidance of the Head of national statistical office, and serve as a link between the ACSS Committee and the national statistical system.

The ACSS Planning and Coordination Sub-Committee shall consist of senior officials preferably at Director Level or higher, with sufficient access to the top management, with extensive networking and extensive experiences in coordination and communication with other data producing agencies and stakeholders at the national level. The members shall be appointed by the Head of the national statistical office of the ASEAN Member States (AMSs). The SCPC shall be chaired by the appointed representative of the AMS chairing the ACSS Committee. It shall also have as its two vice chairs, the appointed representatives of the preceding and succeeding AMSs chairs.

The SCPC shall meet regularly twice a year. ASEAN Statistics Division (ASEANstats) shall be the secretariat for the SCPC.

4.2. The Working Group on Data Sharing, Analysis, Dissemination and Communication of ASEAN Statistics (WGDSA)

The Working Group on Data Sharing, Analysis, Dissemination and Communication of ASEAN Statistics (WGDSA) is a creation of the ACSS Committee and responsible for reporting to the ACSS Committee.

The Terms of Reference of the WGDSA were adopted by the ACSS Committee at its 2^nd Session in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on 27-28 October, 2012.

The WGDSA is created with the following objectives:

-          To establish a system of sharing, regular dissemination and communication of ASEAN Community goals-relevant statistical information, including statistical information dissemination and communication in order to promote transparency and wide use of statistics in the strategy and policy making process;

-          To improve capacities in analysis, dissemination and communication of statistics in support of policy and program implementation, monitoring and evaluation, as well as improved accountability in ASEAN.

The WGDSA takes responsibility for:

-          Defination of a statistical dissemination and communication model in line with the ASEAN Framework of Cooperation in Statistics;

-          Establishment of policies, guidelines and procedures on data sharing, dissemination and communication;

-          Overall coordination of provision of data in the updating of statistical databases and inputs for ASEAN Statistical publications;

-          Provision of inputs and advice to the ASEANstats in the development of ASEAN Statistical Indicators (ASI) and high profile statistical products;

-          Development of statistical dissemination and communication products;

-          Design and facilitation of the conduct of capacity building programs for ASEAN Member States agencies responsible for data compilation and the ASEAN Secretariat;

-          Promotion, coordination and monitoring of implementation of above policies and guidelines.

The WGDSA shall regularly report to the ACSS Committee the progress of programs and plans. Decisions on the adoption and implementation of policies and guidelines as recommended by the WGDSA rest solely on the ACSS Committee.

4.3. The Working Group on International Investment Statistics (WGIIS)

The WGIIS serves as the technical arm of the ACSS Committee on international investment statistics. The objective of the WGIIS is to foster the development, compilation, dissemination and reporting of international investment statistics by ASEAN Member States (AMSs) for the design, development, implementation and monitoring of ASEAN investment policies and programs.

The WGIIS is responsible for:

-          Developing an Action Plan; timely and accurately compiling, disseminating and reporting the statistics on ASEAN international investment in compliance with international standards;

-          Fostering the development of the necessary statistical infrastructure or mechanisms for the collection/compilation of comparable international investment statistics including, but not limited to foreign direct investmnet statistics (FDIS) in AMSs;  

-          Ensuring adherence to international standards, methodologies and best practices in the compilation of international investment statistics; in particular, in compliance with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Benchmark Definition’s concepts and coverage for the compilation of FDIS; the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual;

-          Recommending statistical policies and providing technical guidance on tools, recommending approaches to issues/problems related to the implementation of methodology or statistical approach on data collection, methods of data estimation, transmission, production and dissemination;

-          Promoting collaboration among AMSs in order to narrow and close the gaps among AMSs’ international investment statistics;

-          Giving recommendations to the ACSS Committee on the compilation and dissemination of regional international investment statistics;

-          Collaborating, consulting with pertinent regional bodies, international organizations and relevant stakeholders on activities related to investment captital while ensuring that no work is duplicated, resources are maximized in order to meet the objectives set up.

4.4. The Working Group on international merchandize trade statistics (WGIMTS)

The ACSS Committee at its 2^nd Session in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 27-28 September 2012 agreed to convert the Task Force on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (TFIMTS) into the Working Group on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (WGIMTS) to reflect its permanent status within the decision making framework of the ACSS Committee.

The main objective of the WGIMTS is to facilitate the development and harmonization of IMTS, enhance timeliness and effectiveness of IMTS data sharing and dissemination, and to better respond to the information requirements in support of economic integration and development as envisaged in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint.

The WGIMTS’s tasks are to:

-          Define and recommend, for adoption and implementation, common references based on international standards for the compilation and reporting of more timely and comparable IMTS; Develop mechanisms for improved collection, production, and dissemination of IMTS;

-          Initiate a regular and comprehensive review of data and metadata relative to agreed specification, methodologies, quality and timeliness in the supply of national trade and related data to the ASEAN Secretariat; Recommend mesures to address statistical gaps and deficiences;

-          Identify relevant policy and procedural changes and statistical developments that may affect the generation of IMTS, e.g., national processes/practices, regional economic agreements, changes in international and regional frameworks, standards and classification systems, among others, and recommend appropriate adjustments;

-          Review the implementation of the Annual Work Plan, mechanisms for the harmonization and improvement of IMTS at the national and regional levels;

-          Elevate, through the ACSS Committee, issues and recommendations, to the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) through the Senior Economic Officials Meeting, as well as to other concerned ASEAN bodies; and

-          Develop an Annual Work Plan to include capacity building programme in support of the harmonisation and development of IMTS.

The WGIMTS shall meet at least once a year. At the national level, the WGIMTS members shall lead in the implementation of recommendations, mechanisms and activities and shall keep informed the ACSS country focal point/ACSS SCPC of the implementation progress in the WG.

4.5. The Working Group on statistics on international trade in services (WGSITS)

The original Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Task Force on Statistics on International Trade in Services (TFSITS) were adopted on 26-27 January 2010 at the Tenth ASEAN Heads of Statistical Offices Meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

At the 2^nd Meeting of the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS) Sub-Committee on Planning and Coordination (SCPC) in July 2012, it was proposed that the TFSITS be converted into the Working Group on SITS (WGSITS) to reflect its permanent within the decision making framework of the ACSS Committee.

The WGSITS’s general objective is to promote the development and harmonization of SITS in support of the ASEAN evidence-based policy in monitoring the free flow of services within the ASEAN Economic Community as well as between ASEAN and the global economy.

The functions/tasks of the WGSITS are to:

-          Develop and recommend for the application of common references and mechanisms for the regular SITS collection, compilation, and dissemination ensuring timeliness, accuracy and comparability of SITS for ASEAN purposes;

-          Undertake a periodic data quality review of national statistics and metadata based on the ACSS Code of Practice assessment measures; Monitor the implementation progress of technical standards, methodologies, quality and timeliness in the supply of national data to the ASEAN Secretariat; Recommend measures to address statistical gaps and deficiencies;

-          Respond to user needs and identify relevant statistical developments that may affect the generation of SITS for ASEAN purposes, e.g., regional economic agreements, changes in international and regional frameworks, standards and classification systems, among others; and recommend appropriate adjustments;

-          Recommend, promote and facilitate adoption and implementation of strategies and programs for the improvement and harmonization of SITS;

-          Submit issues and recommendations, through the SCPC, to the ACSS Committee for adoption.

The Working Group shall meet at least once a year. At the national level, the WGSITS members shall lead in the implementation of recommendations, mechanisms and activities, and shall keep the ACSS-SCPC country focal point informed of the progress and developments in the Working Group.

4.6. The Working Group on sustainable development goal indicators (WGSDGI)

In the context that the global sustainable development indicators (SDG indicators) may not necessarily be applicable to all countries, and that indicators for regional, national and subnational mornitoring indicators are necessary to be developed at the regional and national levels, it is deemed important to create the Working Group on SDG Indicators.

The WGSDGI’s Terms of Reference were adopted at the 6^th Session of ACSS Committee in November 2016.

The WGSDGI aims to address the statistical requirements in monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the SDGs in the AMSs and in the ASEAN, and the region’s position at the global level.

The main tasks of the WGSDGI are to develop and disseminate the ASEAN SDG indicators. In order to fulfill these tasks, the WGSDGI needs to improve professional skills, strengthen the coordination, statistical capacity building as well as the dissemination of SDG indicators.

The WGSDGI shall meet at least once a year. The Working Group takes responsibility for reporting the progress of developing and disseminating the SDG indicators to the ACSS Committee, who may update the relevant ASEAN Bodies.

4.7. The Working Group on System of National Accounts (WGSNA)

The WGSNA’s Terms of Reference were adopted by the ACSS Committee at its 6^th Session, 1-3 November 2016.

The WGSNA is set up to promote the production and dissemination of SNA statistics to support the monitoring of the economic development of individual AMSs and the ASEAN Community as a whole. The WGSNA shall be a key forum for discussions on the development and improvement of national accounts in ASEAN, the coordination of regional capacity building efforts and advices on the 2008 SNA implementation recommendations.

The functions/tasks of the WGSNA are to:

-          Support the periodic review of the 2008 SNA implementation;

-          Facilitate the the adoption of new/updated frameworks, concepts, compilation guidelines, methodologies, and standards; identify issues concerning the production, and dissemination of national accounts statistics by AMSs and recommend possible solutions;

-          Recommend key economic indicators that are useful for comparative analysis of economic issues in the region and for the purposes of monitoring the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025;

-          Review the results of regional researches on national accounts issues relevant to ASEAN Member States;

-          Recommend measures for institutional, information technology and human resource capacity building to support the development of national accounts statistics;

-          Provide standards, methods, and mechanism for regular data dissemination of ASEAN Member States

-          Implement a regular and comprehensive review of data and metadata in line with the agreed specification methodology, quality, and timelines in the supply of the national accounts statistics to the ASEAN Secretariat and recommend the measure to address statistical gaps and deficiencies;

-          Provide recommendations on formulation of the Annual Work Plan of the WGSNA in line with the ACSS Strategic Plan 2016-2025.

-          The WGSNA shall operate within the framework of the ASEAN Cooperation in SNA, and carry out its functions and activities under the purview of the ACSS Committee.