Spotlighting UNDP South-South Cooperation in Statistical Capacity Building: Ethiopian Delegation’s Study Mission to the Republic of Korea
From 10 to 14 November 2025, the UNDP Seoul Policy Centre (USPC) and the UNDP country office facilitated a knowledge exchange between Ethiopia and the Republic of Korea on statistical systems, through a study trip to Korea. The Ethiopian delegation included senior officials responsible for survey methodology, geospatial statistics, strategic affairs, and statistical research and training in the Ethiopian Statistical Service (ESS), accompanied by a National Economist from UNDP Ethiopia.
The mission aimed to strengthen Ethiopia’s national statistical capacity through peer learning and institutional exchange. The Ethiopian delegation engaged with Korean counterparts to explore the Republic of Korea’s integrated statistical system, widely recognized for its digital innovation, strong inter-agency coordination, and robust quality assurance mechanisms. Through technical sessions, practical trainings, hands-on demonstrations and site visits, participants examined Korea’s approaches to data governance frameworks, digital census operations, geospatial data platforms, administrative data integration, and the application of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in official statistics.
With key insights from firsthand exposure to Korea’s experience, the Ethiopian representatives reflected how these approaches could be adapted to support Ethiopia’s ongoing efforts to modernize its national statistical system and expand access to research and data analysis capacity. The mission also laid a solid foundation for future cooperation aimed at advancing evidence-based governance and supporting Ethiopia’s long-term statistical development.
The study visit underscored the catalytic role of South-South and Triangular Cooperation in facilitating demand-driven, context-sensitive knowledge exchange between countries. By fostering direct engagement between statistical institutions in Ethiopia and the Republic of Korea, the exchange reinforced a partnership grounded in mutual respect and shared development aspirations, while laying the groundwork for sustained technical collaboration, institutional strengthening, and long-term cooperation.
The study trip was part of the SDG Partnership on statistical capacity building for sustainable development, an initiative of USPC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, which connects Korean statistical institutions with partner countries to share experiences in strengthening data and statistical systems to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
Discover more South-South in Action stories here: South-South and Triangular Cooperation.
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