Las Naciones Unidas y el Indec

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Forty-seventh session

Geneva, 14 November-2 December 2011

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under Articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant

Concluding Observations of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Argentina

A. Introduction

2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the third report of the State party but regrets, however, that it was submitted with a delay of eight years. It also acknowledges the submission of the comprehensive written replies to the list of issues (E/C.12/ARG/Q/3/Add.1) on 14 November 2011, although their late submission made their translation into the working languages of the Committee impossible before the dialogue with the State party.

C. Principal subjects of concern and recommendations

11. The Committee is concerned that, since 2007, the introduction of different statistical methods within the national statistical system (INDEC), which are not always publicly available, pose difficulties for the correct interpretation of data and comparison of progress and challenges to the enjoyment of the Covenant rights by all. It also notes with concern the data and calculation discrepancies between certain provincial and national official statistics as well as doubts raised by national and international civic, research, and financial institutions with regard to the credibility of data produced by INDEC. (art. 2).

The Committee underlines the importance of the availability of reliable and comprehensive data for the development of public policies and their implementation. It recommends that the State party take the necessary steps to make its official statistics comparable with data produced by relevant international institutions. It also recommends that the State party ensure that methodologies used and data gathered by INDEC in the course of its surveys are accessible to external users and adequately disseminated.