12.06.2026
UNECE highly assesses Kazakhstan’s statistical system reforms and their alignment with GAMSO standards
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has successfully completed a sector review of the activities of the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Following three days of work, international experts presented a draft set of recommendations and a roadmap for transitioning to a process-oriented model of official data production, while also highly assessing the reforms underway in Kazakhstan and noting their alignment with leading international standards, including GAMSO, GSBPM and GSIM.
The expert team included Taeke Gjaltema, UNECE Regional Adviser; Anton Karlsson from Statistics Iceland; Mira Nikic and Nikola Orlic from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia; and independent expert Steven Mark Vale.
The international experts conducted an in-depth analysis of the implementation of the GAMSO and GSBPM international standards in Kazakhstan, which provide frameworks for the effective, transparent and technology-enabled organization of data collection and processing. They presented best practices from Iceland and Serbia in transitioning to a fully process-oriented model of official statistics production.
The experts noted that the existing statistical production processes are fully aligned with the GSBPM international standard.
Given the significant progress achieved in the development of official statistics, the experts recommended that the Bureau expand its role as a regional leader in statistics to the global level.
Particular attention was paid to the Bureau’s achievements in ensuring the quality of administrative data and using alternative data sources, developing technology-based solutions for statistical production, and strengthening human resources.
“We have carefully analyzed the current state of Kazakhstan’s statistical system and can confidently say that the reforms being implemented here deserve high recognition. I would particularly like to emphasize that the approaches being introduced are fully aligned with GAMSO standards, which is an important criterion for integration into the international statistical community. Kazakhstan is not simply declaring changes, but is consistently implementing a process-oriented model, metadata management and digital transformation. This is a level that many countries in the region are striving to achieve. The roadmap presented is a mature and realistic document and will provide a solid foundation for further progress,” said Taeke Gjaltema, UNECE Regional Adviser.
During open discussions with a broad range of Bureau staff, participants discussed the links between the GAMSO and GSBPM models and centralized, metadata-driven production, as well as modern IT solutions.
“It was extremely important for us to receive an independent expert assessment of the reforms being implemented, learn about international practices and discuss approaches to the further development of the Bureau in line with current requirements for official statistics. We highly value the recommendations and proposals presented. I am confident that the results of this review will serve as an important guide for further improving our activities, increasing the efficiency of statistical processes and successfully implementing international standards and best practices,” said Maxat Turlubayev, Head of the Bureau of National Statistics, summarizing the results of the review.
He also expressed his particular appreciation to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe for its continued support, the development of international cooperation and its contribution to strengthening the capacity of national statistical offices.
The final report and roadmap will be further developed with the participation of UNECE experts and specialists from the Bureau and the Information and Computing Centre. The recommendations received will form the basis for further reform of Kazakhstan’s statistical system.
Background: GAMSO, GSBPM and GSIM are international UNECE standards and frameworks for organizing statistical production, managing metadata and ensuring the comparability of official data across countries.
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