(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Caribbean Statistics Day 2012 will be observed on October 15 with a slate of activities to highlight the importance of statistics in national and regional development.

Under the theme `Working together to improve statistics in the twenty-first century and beyond’, the observance of Caribbean Statistics Day coincides with the celebration World Statistics Day.

Given the significance of statistics to the development agenda in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States, this year’s celebration promises to heighten awareness of statistics among users, suppliers and producers.

A website replete with advocacy materials, country profiles, and information emanating from regional statistics research; a special newsletter; a seminar; and an inter-schools quiz competition are among the activities planned to achieve the goal of consolidating statistics and policy-making, toward national and regional development. It is anticipated that through those activities, a culture of statistics will be encouraged and sustained among regional populations.

The CARICOM Secretariat Regional Statistics Programme hopes that the activities will also foster and maintain increased collaboration among data producing and statistical units in the public sector. It is envisaged that this kind of collaboration will forge new partnerships in the development of statistics and attract increased investments to reposition and restructure statistical agencies.

CARICOM Member States have planned their own activities to improve awareness of statistics including exhibitions, panel discussions and seminars.