Abstract
The United Nations Statistical Commission commenced its life 60 years ago. It was conceived and implemented by some of the world's finest statisticians of the time and indeed of all time. It provided a fine start to the development of official statistics in the post World War 2 period. National statistics have evolved substantially over the last 60 years. The paper explores the main developments that have led to the major improvements in official statistics. It also describes the major challenges for the future, both for national and international statistical agencies. Effective leadership is crucial and there are areas for improvement.
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