Initiatives for better data and evidence

Expert Group on Refugee and IDP statistics

An international Expert Group on Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Statistics (EGRIS) was established at the 47th United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) session in 2016. This decision was based on a joint proposal by Statistics Norway, Eurostat, the Turkish Statistical Institute and UNHCR in order to improve the collection and dissemination of official refugee statistics. EGRIS consists of participants from national statistical authorities, international and regional statistical organizations and other technical experts. The role of EGRIS is to develop recommendations on statistics related to refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced populations.

The International Recommendations on Refugee Statistics (IRRS) were adopted in 2018 at the 49th session of the UNSC. This was an important milestone as it set a global standard for the collection, compilation, analysis and dissemination of refugee statistics. EGRIS also developed a refugee statistics compilers’ manual with operational instructions established in compliance with the IRRS.

In addition, the International Recommendations on Internally Displaced Persons Statistics were adopted at the 51st session of the UNSC in March 2020. For the first time, a comprehensive statistical framework exists for refugees and internally displaced persons.

Further information:

Expert Group on Statelessness Statistics

The Expert Group on Statelessness Statistics (EGSS) was established in 2019, with the aim of developing and adopting common standards and definitions to improve the quality and quantity of statistics about stateless populations. The Expert Group met in Bangkok in the same year to discuss the development of International Recommendations on Statelessness Statistics. During the 51st UN Statistical Commission, UNHCR shared the information and received strong support from several Member States. Since then, the work of the Expert Group has made great progress, being modeled on the work and methodology of the Expert Group on Refugee and IDP Statistics (EGRIS). In 2020 the work of EGSS was included under the auspices of EGRIS, the International Recommendations on Statelessness Statistics (IROSS) are scheduled to be discussed by the 53rd session of the UNSC in 2022.

Inter-agency Group on Statelessness Estimates

The Inter-Agency Group on Statelessness Estimation (IGSE) has been established to update the Inter-agency estimates of statelessness in order to advance the work on monitoring progress towards the SDG’s overarching ambition that no one is left behind in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The IGSE considers improved methodologies for analyzing and collating data on statelessness for use by agencies associated with the IGSE. A Technical Advisory Group supports this analysis through expert advice on the methodologies to be developed and applied.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Indicators

UNHCR has worked with the Inter-Agency Expert Group on SDG indicators (IAEG-SDGs) to add to the indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals an indicator measuring the number of refugees as a percentage of their country of origin population (indicator 10.7.4), within the 2020 Comprehensive Review. The inclusion of this additional indicator ensures refugees are granted the specific importance accorded to them for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. Data disaggregation in the SDG context is equally important. Read more about this topic in our Data disaggregation of SDG indicators by forced displacement report.

UNHCR-World Bank Joint Data Center

The World Bank - UNHCR Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement aims to enhance the ability of stakeholders to make timely and evidence-informed decisions that can improve the lives of the forcibly displaced and their host communities. The JDC will capitalize on the synergies between UNHCR and the World Bank, complementing each other’s strengths: UNHCR in protection data, registration and collection, and the World Bank in household data, policy dialogue and analytical work. Both organizations expect to achieve efficiency and provide value to partners such as governments, the private sector, civil society, NGOs and researchers, among others.