Government of Iraq, United Nations launch findings of Iraq Knowledge Network survey

Baghdad, 3 December 2011 – Under the patronage of His Excellency the Prime Minister of Iraq, the Ministry of Planning lunched findings of Iraq Knowledge Network (IKN) survey. The Deputy Minister of Planning and Head of Iraq’s Central Statistics Organization, Dr. Mehdi Al-Alak, and the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Ms. Christine McNab, jointly launched the findings of the survey which represent socio-economic statistics collected from around 29,000 households at the district level in all 18 governorates of Iraq.

“The survey represents an important tool for enhancing evidence based planning at the national, sub-national and local government level. It provides a comprehensive socioeconomic database on a key set of indicators in essential services, food security and the public distribution system, as well as Iraq’s labour force and topics related to governance,” Dr. Mehdi said. He also stated that the IKN will inform national development planning and lay a solid foundation for the government to improve socio-economic monitoring and improve service delivery.

“The launch of the IKN is an important event. The United Nations and the Government of Iraq share a common development vision for the country. The completion of this round of IKN survey is a pillar for launching a socioeconomic monitoring system which is a key tool to track progress and help relevant Iraqi authorities to plan and deliver assistance to the Iraqi people and improve services,” Ms. McNab said.

The survey, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Development Programme, has been implemented by surveyors of the Central Statistical Office and the Kurdistan Regional Statistical Office.

The Government of Iraq and the United Nations underscored their continued commitment to cooperate on Iraq’s socio-economic development in the framework of Iraq’s National Development Plan and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the years to come.

The IKN is the result of a collaborative process between the Central Statistics Organization, the Kurdistan Region Statistical Office, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Health Organization (WHO) and international non-governmental organization Mercy Corps, under the overall coordination of the Inter-Agency Information and Analysis Unit.