Distributive trade statistics

Items for discussion and decision distributive trade statistics

C. Conclusions of the Expert Group on Distributive Trade Statistics

Only 73 countries confirmed that they compiled some distributive trade statistics.

In 2005, the Statistics Division established the Expert Group on Distributive Trade Statistics in order to obtain assistance and guidance during the revision of existing United Nations recommendations on distributive trade statistics.

Moreover, a pilot version of the United Nations distributive trade statistics database for storage, processing and dissemination of distributive trade statistics will be developed and its outline will be presented to the Expert Group.

However, in many national statistical offices, distributive trade statistics are not sufficiently developed.

The Statistical Commission, recognizing the economic importance of distributive trade, acknowledging that the availability and quality of national data on distributive trade needs improvement and expressing concern regarding the international comparability of such data, may wish

Since that session, the Commission has not had distributive trade statistics on its agenda.

However, where necessary, those definitions could be adjusted to reflect the peculiarities of distributive trade.

In general, the survey confirmed that distributive trade statistics definitely need revisiting and careful re examination.

In 2004, the Statistics Division developed a multi year strategy for updating international recommendations on distributive trade statistics.

The newly established United Nations Expert Group on Distributive Trade Statistics held its first meeting in August 2005.

Strategy of the Statistics Division for updating international recommendations on distributive trade statistics and the status of its implementation

(d) To support the work of the Statistics Division in building a worldwide database to store and disseminate distributive trade statistics in order to assist countries in making the most effective use of the compiled data, including measuring the structure and dynamic of their distributive trade on an internationally comparable basis.

The experts concluded that there was an apparent need to revise the current international recommendations on distributive trade statistics in order to reflect new developments in the distributive trade sector, changing data needs, availability of new data sources, data collection methods and recent revisions of the international recommendations in other areas of economic statistics.

Distributive trade is an important activity that provides employment to a significant segment of the population and contributes greatly to gross domestic product.

It was agreed that the scope of distributive trade statistics should include wholesale trade, retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles.

After all, other arrangements for allocating labor appear to involve more domination and alienation than the labor market, which offers people opportunities, not constraints. Similarly, social norms and views about distributive justice usually turn out to favor whomever has the biggest spear or can convince others that obedience to the powerful is obedience to God.

The one thing I think I disagree with about Yochai's presentation is when he said the Internet causes this distributive capacity for innovation to come alive.

The United Nations Statistical Commission, at its eighteenth session in 1974, adopted international recommendations on statistics of distributive trades and services (see ST ESA STAT SER.M 57).

This requires significant institutional strengthening to integrate economic and social policies more explicitly and to evaluate the distributive impact of economic policies on the improvement of people's livelihoods.

It also came to light that countries frequently use very different definitions of the scope of distributive trade and of compiled variables thus making international comparisons quite difficult.

It was concluded that national statistical offices should cooperate with other national agencies, if necessary, to develop a viable programme for distributive trade index numbers and volume measurement.

In the second half of 2007, the Division will begin technical assistance activities for developing countries to help build their capability to compile and disseminate distributive trade statistics.

In 1977, at the request of the Commission, the United Nations Statistics Division published a manual entitled Organization and Conduct of Distributive Trade Surveys (ST ESA STAT SER.F 19).

In this context, further improvement in the compilation, analysis and dissemination of internationally comparable distributive trade statistics is recognized by the Statistics Division as one of its immediate priority activities.

The experts agreed, in particular, that a list of such indicators, useful to the distributive trade industry and for analytical purposes, should be developed and recommended for national and international reporting.

The same is true of minimum wages. These distributive effects play an important role in the politics of exchange rate devaluations, and most of these effects appear in fiscal devaluations as well.

Assuming that the share of non compilers is higher among countries that did not respond, the number of countries that do not compile distributive trade statistics is deemed to be quite high.

Regarding data compilation, the experts agreed that high priority should be given to the identification and collection of data items needed by the distributive trade industry and by compilers of national accounts.

They welcomed the initiative by the Statistics Division to revise international recommendations on distributive trade statistics and endorsed its programme of work, including its objectives, proposed actions and schedule for the revision process.

The experts recognized a business register as an indispensable tool for effective data collection and concluded that statisticians dealing with distributive trade should participate actively in the maintenance creation of such a register.

We can ask ourselves, what is justice, and is justice blind, or is justice blindness?

Special attention was given to the need to develop a set of recommendations regarding the compilation of indices of distributive trade, such as the index of retail trade and the index of wholesale trade.

(b) Enhancing criminal justice reform, including restorative justice

Workshop 2 Enhancing Criminal Justice Reform, including Restorative Justice

The survey and the follow up clarifications revealed that about 40 per cent of the countries that responded are unable to conduct quarterly monthly surveys and to compile indices of distributive trade and or performance indicators.

(c) To stress that it is essential that the revision of distributive trade statistics is carried out in full consultation with national statistical offices and is seen as part of building an integrated economic statistics programme

Most experts on restorative justice hold the view that restorative justice should not be seen as a parallel justice system, but rather as a complement to conventional criminal justice measures.

The Group was established to assist the Statistics Division in the revision of the 1975 publication International Recommendations on Statistics of the Distributive Trades and Services6 (more information can be found at http unstats.un.org unsd newsletter unsd_workshops distributive_trade.htm).

Several speakers described their proactive efforts to put in place community justice programmes and provisions for access to justice and restorative justice.

Climate Justice

Transitional justice

Transitional justice