Achievements under Switzerland’s chairmanship of the UN Statistical Commission
Neuchâtel, 03.03.2026 — Switzerland has come to the end of its two-year chairmanship of the United Nations Statistical Commission led by Georges‑Simon Ulrich, Director General of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Elected in 2024 and confirmed for a second term in 2025, Switzerland actively promoted global data governance and the modernisation of statistical systems.
Under the Swiss chairmanship, the Commission has strengthened the statistical community’s role in the field of data governance. These efforts led to the establishment of a working group to develop a common framework for data governance within national statistical systems, which offers guidance to countries grappling with rapid technological change and the emergence of new data sources.
On behalf of the UN Statistical Division, Switzerland also oversaw the negotiation of a resolution to make the Commission more inclusive and representative. Two other resolutions were adopted during the Swiss chairmanship: the System of National Accounts 2025 and the 2030 World Population and Housing Census Programme. Both are key to ensuring the international comparability of economic and demographic data.
New dietary diversityindicator
In 2025, Switzerland contributed to the international efforts to improve the measurement of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by proposing a new indicator on dietary diversity as part of the review of the SDG indicator framework. At the International Conference on Financing for development, Switzerland’s advocacy for greater investment in national statistical systems led to the inclusion of ambitious wording in support of national systems in the Sevilla Commitment.
A third key focus of Switzerland’s chairmanship has been artificial intelligence (AI). Switzerland advocated the integration of AI readiness in the Commission’s agenda, supporting the organisation of a high-level seminar dedicated to making official data readable for large language models.
Achievements and outlook
As Switzerland comes to the end of its two-year term, it will hand over the chairmanship to Mexico on 3 March 2026 leaving a strong legacy of progress in terms of modernisation, international data governance and AI readiness. As a member of the Statistical Commission, the main coordinating body for the global statistical programmes in general and of the United Nations statistical and data-related system, Switzerland will continue its active involvement in international efforts in the field of data and statistics.
At the 57th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, to be held from 3 to 6 March 2026 in New York, delegations will be discussing a wide range of topics, including developments in social, demographic, economic and environmental statistics, the implementation of the updated systems for national accounts and geospatial information, and the statistical monitoring of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.