The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is organizing in cooperation with the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) in Iraq a series of webinars on Population and Housing Censuses in Iraq. Webinars (#1 to #4) aim to provide training workshops (training of trainers( for a high-level team on definitions and concepts related to census topics, specifically, housing, methods of enumeration, migration and disabilities, based on “Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses” (third revision) issued by the United Nations, and in line with national needs. Webinar #5 addresses the use of geospatial information systems in all stages of 2022 population and housing census in Iraq.  
 

Webinar #1:Training of Trainers on Population and Housing Census Topics (housing and buildings)

21 December 2020: 12:15 am – 14:30 pm
The webinar offered an opportunity to benefit from ESCWA’s expertise in the United Nations’ principles and recommendations on planning, organizing and managing population and housing censuses and in using technology in all census stages, based on the third revision of “Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses”. It aimed to train trainers from a high-level team in the Central Bureau of Statistics in Iraq on the definitions and concepts of housing and buildings, in line with international recommendations and national needs. The webinar also provided a platform for the exchange of experiences from the Egypt and the United Nations Population Fund. 

All related documents and presentations can be found on the Arabic link of the webpage.

Webinar #2:Training of Trainers on Population and Housing Census Topics (methods of census enumeration: de facto and de jure)

21 January 2021: 10:00 a.m – 12:15 pm
The webinar offered an opportunity to benefit from ESCWA’s experience regarding census methodologies, concepts and methods of enumeration, namely, de jure and de facto population enumeration, time reference and usual place of residence. The Central Bureau of Statistics in Iraq, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund, presented a proposal to implement the General Population Census in Iraq for the year 2022 by specifying the time reference period and methods of population enumeration, and what it entails as administrative and technical requirements. 

All related documents and presentations can be found on the Arabic link of the webpage.

Webinar #3:Training of Trainers on Population and Housing Census Topics (de jure method of census enumeration and migration

8 February 2021: 9:30 am – 11:00 pm
The webinar aimed to discuss the proposal on the time reference and methods of population enumeration for the 2022 Iraq Census, which was presented by the Central Bureau of Statistics in Iraq during the second webinar. The webinar also provided an opportunity to benefit from the experience of Palestine and the Arab Republic of Egypt in undertaking the census, where Egypt implemented the 2017 census on the basis of de jure population enumeration, which is distinguished from the 2006 and 1996 censuses which were both de facto censuses, and its plan to combine both de jure and de facto methods of enumeration in the upcoming census.

All related documents and presentations can be found on the Arabic link of the webpage.

Webinar #4:Training of Trainers on Population and Housing Census Topics (disability) 

24 February 2021: 9:30 am – 11:00 pm
The webinar aimed to review and discuss the guidelines for collecting disability data, including, the importance of disability data, defining disabilities and their areas, aid devices, questions related to the causes of disability and age at the onset of disability. The session also discussed the implementation of the items related to the classification of disability according to the recommendations of the Washington Group, where the United Nations Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses (Revision 3) recommend that the Washington Group's questions be included in the censuses to collect and analyze data on persons with disabilities.
 
All related documents and presentations can be found on the Arabic link of the webpage.

Webinar #5:The Role of Geospatial Information in Planning and Undertaking Population and Housing Censuses in Iraq

6 April 2021: 13:15 – 15:00  
The webinar focused on the challenges and opportunities of using geospatial information in planning and undertaking the population and housing census in Iraq. The webinar offered an opportunity to benefit from the experience of ESCWA and other regional experts in determining the role of geospatial information in planning for censuses, alternatives available for free in GIS softwares and their effectiveness, as well as the United Nations’ recommendations for the 2020 round of censuses and the benefits of using geospatial information technologies at all the stages of the Census.

All related documents and presentations can be found on the Arabic link of the webpage.

Webinar #6: Electronic Applications in Planning and Undertaking Population and Housing Censuses in Iraq

26 April 2021:10:30 – 12:30  
The webinar focused on the readiness of electronic applications for planning and undertaking the census in Iraq. The webinar provided an opportunity for experts from the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) in Iraq to present the geographical information systems and software used and intended to be used in the various stages of implementing the census. The webinar also provided an opportunity to benefit from the experience of RealSoft and other regional experts in the benefits of using geospatial information technologies in all census stages, the role of technology and software in census quality assurance, and the importance of developing a clear training plan of action for the adoption of technology and software, including time schedule and required human resources. The webinar concluded with a set of recommendations, including a study on the possibility of adopting computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) in the enumeration phase, and organizing an additional session to discuss the software used in Iraq’s census and to what extent.

All related documents and presentations can be found on the Arabic link of the webpage.