Afghanistan Statistics Chief Meets UNICEF Representatives in Kabul
The National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) of Afghanistan announced that Mullah Abdul Qahir Haji Idris, Director General of the agency, met with Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF’s Regional Director for South Asia, and Dr. Tajuddin Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, in Kabul.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the ongoing implementation of the “Household Income and Expenditure Survey” and the “Labour Force Survey.” According to the NSIA, the aim of these discussions was to enhance coordination in the collection and analysis of national-level data.
Mullah Abdul Qahir Haji Idris used the occasion to call for continued UNICEF support in several areas, including the re-implementation of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), staff capacity building, and the printing of birth registration cards for vital statistics. He stressed NSIA’s commitment, as the country’s official data-collecting and analyzing body, to providing accurate and reliable statistics to relevant institutions.
In response, Sanjay Wijesekera assured that UNICEF would continue its comprehensive cooperation with the NSIA, taking into account available resources and capabilities.
Public administration experts note that sustained collaboration between international organizations and Afghanistan’s technical institutions is essential—especially at a time when Taliban-imposed restrictions have significantly impacted the operations of statistical and educational bodies. They believe such cooperation could help maintain consistency in the national data system and ensure transparency of information.
