to adapt to our rapidly changing societies. the central banking community therefore actively supports the ongoing revision of these standards, not least to develop adequate methodologies for measuring new phenomena that constantly emerge. lastly, it is also important to reflect on our past while we grapple with current and future problems. an important development in this context was the recent ifc decision to host the historical monetary and financial statistics ( hmfs ) central bank network. this network brings together statisticians and academic experts to exchange approaches to compile historic data and to facilitate learning from each other. noteworthy advancements have already been made in the dissemination of long - term statistics concerning credit, interest rates, housing prices and, more recently, central banks'balance sheets. i am confident that the insights shared and the discussions held during this conference will facilitate our understanding of how data governance, it advancements, and practical applications of data science are shaping modern statistical analyses and in turn supporting central banks'public mandates. it is through such gatherings that we can learn from one another, exchange ideas, and build bridges that transcend borders. i am confident that, by working together, we can better harness the power of data to strengthen the resilience and effectiveness of policy actions. i wish you all fruitful and engaging discussions. 3 / 3 bis - central bankers'speeches

alberto naudon : statistics and beyond - new data for decision making in central banks welcoming remarks by mr alberto naudon, board member of the central bank of chile and chair of the irving fisher committee on central bank statistics, at the 12th biennial ifc conference " statistics and beyond : new data for decision making in central banks ", basel, 22 august 2024. * * * it is my pleasure to welcome you all to the twelfth biennial conference of the irving fisher committee on central bank statistics ( ifc ) of the bank for international settlements ( bis ). as you are well aware, this committee is a global network whose fundamental raison d'etre is to promote discussions around statistical issues that are of interest to central banks. ifc membership has significantly expanded in recent years and has become quite universal. this is evident from the rich representation of organisations gathered here today. as i look around this room, i see diversity and i have been informed that we have participants from almost 70 diverse nations, with about 140 participants representing about 80 institutions. let me thank in particular the high - level representatives of the imf, the isi, the oecd and the world bank for their presence with us today. we are also pleased to welcome many participants attending virtually from all over the world. our gathering clearly reflects the great collaboration achieved between central banks as well as within the global statistical community. the presence of each one of you here today is essential. it will enrich our discussions, broaden our perspectives, and strengthen the ifc network. and this is particularly welcome because the theme of this conference is of utmost importance for central banking. in today's rapidly changing world, good statistics can play a pivotal role in central banking. firstly, central banks are important statistical producers serving the public good. we are well aware of the need to ensure the quality of this information and to develop more comprehensive and flexible datasets. this calls for a good dialogue with other stakeholders, including other authorities, national statistical offices, market participants, and academia. it also requires continuous support to the main international statistical initiatives, such as the revisions of the national accounts or the data gaps initiative sponsored by the g20. just as importantly, we require a good dissemination policy to bring the statistical products to different users. achieving good communication with citizens is essential so that they can clearly understand what we are doing. secondly, central banks are also heavy data users. they need accurate and reliable data as well as sophisticated