On December 5, 2025, Mr. K.E. Laykam, Chairman of the Statistical Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS Statistical Committee), presented the results of the implementation of the project “Development of CIS Statistics” at the 108th Meeting of the CIS Economic Council. The project, financed the Government of the Russian Federation, aims to improve the comparability of statistical data in the CIS countries and create a unified information space.

In his speech, Mr. K.E.Laykam emphasized that high-quality and comparable statistics are an important component for the effective implementation of integration programs and the adoption of evidence-based decisions within the CIS.

The presentation focused on the creation of the International Statistical Data and Metadata Hub. The system's capabilities and functionality were demonstrated during the Meeting. The Hub, which includes the Unified Information and Analytical System and the Knowledge Management System, provides access to extensive statistical information on the CIS and the world, as well as detailed metadata (smart data), enabling data analysis and identifying the causes of cross-country statistical incomparability. Currently, the Hub contains 335 dashboards on CIS statistics and 590 dashboards on international sources.

The Chairman of the CIS Statistical Committee also discussed the use of Linked Data technology, which ensures the interoperability of statistical information and makes it accessible to search engines and Artificial Intelligence systems.

In conclusion of his speech, Mr. K.E. Laykam expressed gratitude to the National Statistical Services of the CIS countries for their active participation in the project and support from their governments. He also outlined promising areas for the project's development, including expanding its scope, introducing new international standards, preparing for the 2030 census, monitoring the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal indicators, and using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence in statistics.

Commenting on the report of the Chairman of the CIS Statistical Committee, Mr. S.N. Lebedev, CIS Secretary-General, noted the significant progress achieved within the project over the past three years, including the harmonization of statistical methodologies, the translation of international standards, and the strengthening of cooperation between national statistical services.

For reference.

The Economic Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States is the main executive body that ensures cooperation between the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States in the economic and social spheres on issues of mutual interest, makes decisions on the instructions of the Council of Heads of State and the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS, as well as on issues within its competence. The members of the Economic Council are Deputy Heads of Government of the CIS member states.