Arabstats: Sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme

Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (POGAR)

Arabstats, sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (UNDP-POGAR), is a repository of statistical indicators for human development in the region. They concern governance and Arab progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the international community for all developing countries.

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In keeping with the UNDP's mission to accelerate progress in human development, Arabstats track the processes of human empowerment implied not only by increases in income, trade and investment, but also in education and health care, freedom of expression, the rule of law, transparency and accountability, respect for diversity, protection from violence, and the preservation of the environment, all of which are understood to be "essential dimensions of human development and well being."

Indexed by variable, country, and year, the data set facilitates cross-country comparisons of progress not only toward the millennium goals but to structural changes in governance and other indicators that will make human development sustainable in the region. The user may examine interesting sub-regional variations between Maghrib, Mashraq, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the poorer countries of the region. The user may also generate comparison and charting of any indicator.

In relation to data sources used by the United Nations Development Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (UNDP – POGAR), POGAR is keen to point out that every Arab country has its own statistics agency or authority, albeit with different degrees of refinement. Moreover, many socio-economic concepts are not standardized among countries in the MENA region. Thus, POGAR finds it more convenient and efficient to resort to UN and other international data sources, on socio-economic, legal judicial and other conditions in the Arab Region, especially as these sources enable regional and international comparisons.