Abu Harb Heads the Palestinian Delegation Participating in the Final Conference of the MedStat Program in Vienna

SadaNews - Sufyan Abu Harb, the acting head of the Palestinian Statistics Bureau, chaired the Palestinian delegation representing the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics at the final conference of the Euro-Mediterranean Statistical Cooperation Program (MedStat 5), held in the Austrian capital of "Vienna" from July 8-9, 2026, with the participation of heads of national statistical offices and key national coordinators from the southern neighboring countries of the European Union, alongside representatives from the "European Statistics" Eurostat and regional and international partners.

Abu Harb stated that the conference represents an important final station to review the main achievements of the program during its implementation years and to exchange best practices and lessons learned in developing official statistics, enhancing national statistical capacities, and expanding regional cooperation among partner countries. It also provided an opportunity to evaluate the joint experience and discuss priorities for the upcoming phase of Euro-Mediterranean statistical cooperation.

Abu Harb confirmed that the conference serves as a high-level strategic platform for enhancing regional dialogue about the future of statistical work and showcasing achievements made under "MedStat 5", which contributes to supporting the sustainability of outputs and statistical reforms at both national and regional levels. He added that the conference provided a direct space for dialogue with European statistics and partner countries regarding future trends, including exploring opportunities to employ artificial intelligence technologies in developing statistical production and enhancing the readiness of statistical systems for digital transformation.

Abu Harb added that the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has been an effective partner in implementing the activities of "MedStat 5" since its launch, as Palestine takes the lead in the working group dedicated to business registry and statistics and the working group on the quality of statistics. This has contributed to the development of statistical manuals and methodologies, exchanging experiences with partner countries, and benefiting from capacity-building programs. This participation has reflected positively on the development of national statistical work, particularly in areas such as the use of administrative records, improving data quality, and enhancing technical competencies.

Abu Harb emphasized the continuation of cooperation with regional and international partners, particularly European statistics, to contribute to future initiatives and enhance Euro-Mediterranean statistical cooperation, ensuring the sustainability of achievements and supporting the development of the Palestinian statistical system and establishing the production of high-quality official data that serves decision-makers and supports planning, policies, and achieving sustainable development goals.

Abu Harb is also scheduled to participate in a discussion session for representatives of countries to present achievements, actual impacts, and concrete improvements in the member states of the program, considering that the Palestinian statistics will be among the speakers in the session alongside representatives from Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco, during which he will highlight the most significant tangible improvements in national statistical systems, the impact of the cooperation program in improving data quality, expanding the use of administrative records, and enhancing institutional capacities.

Abu Harb is also expected to hold several side meetings on the sidelines of the conference with various heads of Arab and international statistical offices to increase and enhance aspects of joint cooperation and develop the statistical system.

Abu Harb expressed his gratitude to Dr. Salah Abdul Shafi, the Ambassador of Palestine to Austria, and the embassy staff for their distinguished efforts, warm welcome, and facilitation of the Palestinian delegation's mission, reflecting the embassy's commitment to representing Palestine in the best possible manner at this international event.