The Pacific wants to see statistics feature prominently in the guidelines set to replace the Millennium Development Goals.
Papua New Guinea's permanent representative at the United Nations, Robert Aisi, who is also the chair of the Pacific Small Island Developing States group, says the Pacific already embraces the call to put statistics at the heart of the debate.
He says there should be a standalone cross-cutting goal focusing on statistics in the Sustainable Development Goals, which are to replace the MDGs when they wrap up next year.
The ambassador made this comment while addressing the 45th session of the UN Statistical Commission, which has discussed the post-2015 development agenda.
The MDGs have highlighted the need for strong statistical development by calling attention to the need to monitor accomplishments and what remains to be done.
And he says the Pacific is already making significant progress with the help of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and its Statistics for Development Division.
Mr Aisi says in 2000, only 3 of 15 Pacific countries could provide relevant statistics on poverty but by 2010, 14 out of 15 countries could do so.
