The fundamental principles of official statistics, promulgated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in order to lead the reconstruction of the statistical systems of the countries of Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall and adopted in 1994 by the United Nations Statistics Commission, constitute a code of conduct and a universal standard for the profession. They serve both as a vital link and a clear break between statistics and the formulation of policies. They ensure that official statistics are at the service of demographic debate. At international level, they provide a reference basis for establishing good practice.
Switzerland has demonstrated its threefold commitment to the basic principles since they came into force: the adoption of a statistical act in 1992, the adoption of a national charter and the adoption of the EU Code of Good Practice.
1. Official statistics provide an indispensable element in the information system of a democratic society, serving the Government, the economy and the public with data about the economic, demographic, social and environmental situation. To this end, official statistics that meet the test of practical utility are to be compiled and made available on an impartial basis by official statistical agencies to honor citizens' entitlement to public information.
2. To retain trust in official statistics, the statistical agencies need to decide according to strictly professional considerations, including scientific principles and professional ethics, on the methods and procedures for the collection, processing, storage and presentation of statistical data.
3. To facilitate a correct interpretation of the data, the statistical agencies are to present information according to scientific standards on the sources, methods and procedures of the statistics.
4. The statistical agencies are entitled to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics.
5. Data for statistical purposes may be drawn from all types of sources, be they statistical surveys or administrative records. Statistical agencies are to choose the source with regard to quality, timeliness, costs and the burden on respondents.
6. Individual data collected by statistical agencies for statistical compilation, whether they refer to natural or legal persons, are to be strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes.
7. The laws, regulations and measures under which the statistical systems operate are to be made public.
8. Coordination among statistical agencies within countries is essential to achieve consistency and efficiency in the statistical system.
9. The use by statistical agencies in each country of international concepts, classifications and methods promotes the consistency and efficiency of statistical systems at all official levels.
10. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation in statistics contributes to the improvement of systems of official statistics in all countries.
