Doha, May 22 (QNA) - The National Planning Council, represented by the National Statistics Center, hosted a nationwide forum entitled "Forum on Statistical Integration in Social, Environmental and Human Development Domains to Support Decision-Makers: Challenges and Prospects." The event examined the current landscape of national indicators and evaluated their integration across social, environmental, and human development fields using a multidimensional statistical and analytical approach. The forum gathered representatives from various government entities in data production and utilization, international organizations and technical bodies responsible for classifications and methodological standards. Among those represented were prominent research centers, academic institutions, and a distinguished group of decision-makers, analysts and statistics experts. The opening speech was delivered by HE Secretary General of the National Planning Council Dr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, who said: "The theme of this forum directly aligns with the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy, which places people and the environment at its heart. It seeks to promote social justice, environmental sustainability, and the well-being of Qatari society, today and into the future. This ambition cannot be achieved without an integrated statistical system capable of accurately and clearly measuring progress and evaluating performance." His Excellency added: "As we continue our work under Qatar National Vision 2030, we emphasize that social, environmental, and human development statistics are not merely numbers. They tell the story of the Qatari society and environment. They reveal challenges, help define priorities and unlock opportunities to support the nation’s strategic direction towards a thriving society." For his part, Director-General of the National Statistics Center at the National Planning Council Ahmed Hassan Al Obaidly said: "This forum is organized around the critical role of statistics in enabling multidimensional analysis of national data, and empowering decision-makers to address the challenges of comprehensive development. Through the management of social and environmental statistics, the National Statistics Center is committed to enhancing the national indicators framework and strengthening the interconnectivity between social, environmental, and human databases. This ensures accurate modelling of real-world conditions, efficient resource allocation, and alignment between data, analysis, and policymaking." In his keynote address, Director of the Department of Social and Environmental Statistics Mohammed Jassim Al Buainain said: "In recent years, Qatar has seen notable improvements across multiple national indicators. In education, the gross enrollment rate in higher education increased from 17.4 percent in 2014 to 37.6 percent in 2023. In the environmental field, the proportion of wastewater treated at designated plants rose from 95.6 percent in 2013 to 99.6 percent in 2023, while the rate of overfishing dropped significantly from 18.6 percent to 8.0 percent between 2013 and 2024. In terms of human development, life expectancy at birth among Qataris rose from 79.6 years in 2013 to 81.7 years in 2022. At the international level, Qatar's rankings have also improved across several key indices. In the Global Quality of Life Index, the country moved up from 20th place at the beginning of 2023 to 9th globally by early 2025, as ranked by Numbeo Database Encyclopedia. Qatar’s ranking in the World Press Freedom Index rose significantly from 128th place in 2021 to 79th globally - and first in the Middle East - in 2025, as ranked by Reporters Without Borders." The Forum on Statistical Integration aims to develop an interconnected map of national indicators encompassing the social, environmental and human development to formulate technical recommendations on methodologies for producing and analyzing multidimensional composite indicators. Sessions featured in-depth discussions on the conceptual framework for multi-domain statistical integration, advanced analytical models for generating composite indicators and methodological alignment with international organizations. Additional topics included implementing global technical guidelines and standardizing terminology and concepts at the national level. The forum issued a set of key recommendations, most notably: transitioning from isolated, sector-specific indicators to multidimensional and interactive indicators; standardizing methodologies in line with international classifications and concepts and maximizing the use of administrative data as a primary source for official statistics. This forum was organized in response to the growing importance of social, environmental and human development statistics in shaping public policy, given their direct impact on human well-being and the sustainability of resources and the environment. Social statistics measure indicators related to education, health, employment, income and equality. Meanwhile, environmental statistics provide essential tools to address climate challenges and balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. The Statistical Integration Forum reaffirms the National Planning Council and the National Statistics Center's ongoing commitment to strengthening cooperation with key stakeholders within the national statistical system. It further underscores a shift from sector-based models to more integrated, multidimensional analytical models, in line with the Third National Development Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030. This comes within the framework of supporting the recently launched National Data and Statistics Strategy, which aims to develop an integrated national statistical system that keeps pace with digital developments and enhances the use of data to support policies and evidence-based decision-making. (QNA)