Principle 5 of the African Statistics Charter of the African Union Commission, adopted in February 2009, concerns the protection of individual data, sources of information and survey respondents.

In this context, AFRISTAT and INSEE are organising a seminar on the theme “THE PROTECTION OF OFFICIAL STATISTICAL DATA: ISSUES, RISKS AND TRADE-OFFS” from 2 to 4 July 2024 at the École Nationale Supérieure de Statistique et d’Economie Appliquée (ENSEA) in Abidjan. Drawing on the experience of several experts, the objectives of the seminar are as follows:

• To present the literature and the state of the art in terms of data protection in official statistics;
• To provide the directors-general of African national statistical institutes with food for thought, to facilitate their decision-making in this area. In particular, the aim is to offer a panoramic view incorporating all the questions that need to be asked if confidentiality is to be managed as comprehensively as possible;
• Sharing practical examples and case studies from France and abroad to inspire solutions tailored to the contexts of African national statistical institutes; exchanging views on these solutions.

This seminar aims to enhance the knowledge of Directors-General and their deputies about the various aspects of data protection in official statistics, with a view to facilitating decision-making in this area in their respective institutions. It is also intended to be a forum for sharing experiences, with a view to providing food for thought on possible reforms.