Statement by Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin on the release of Census Main Results

Your Excellency U Thein Sein, President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, 
Senior government officials,
Mr. Vijay Nambiar, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Myanmar, 
Members of the diplomatic corps, 
Donors to the census,
UN colleagues,
Members of the media,
Distinguished guests, 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

On behalf of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, allow me to thank the Government of Myanmar for inviting us to this historic and auspicious occasion. 

Let me start by congratulating the President, the country’s leadership and the people of Myanmar for successfully conducting the 2014 Population and Housing Census, the country’s first in three decades. A census, by its very nature, is a complex and massive exercise for any country to undertake, regardless of its size, and even without a 30-year hiatus and a relatively short time to prepare. This is a milestone worth celebrating. 

Myanmar has successfully joined the international community in conducting its census systematically and according to global standards, reaching some 98 per cent of its people. This remarkable achievement, reflects months and months of hard work, commitment and determination by the Ministry of Immigration and Population under the leadership of Minister U Khin Yi, and by the UNFPA Myanmar team and international advisers. 

Up-to-date and accurate population data are indispensable for any country’s development. Information on the number of people, their geographical distribution, their age and sex composition, their living conditions and other key characteristics enable policy makers to make smart investments where they are needed most – investments in education, health, transportation infrastructure, employment and livelihood opportunities, and other key areas of development. 

In the context of Myanmar’s ongoing democratic process, census data can help the Government, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia and the media to understand trends that warrant response, and to address disparities and inequalities across and within Myanmar society. 

This is why UNFPA is grateful for the opportunity to fulfil a key pillar of its mandate – to support countries to conduct reliable and regular censuses, by strengthening their technical capacities and mobilizing resources. In Myanmar as elsewhere, UNFPA has provided guidance and technical support to ensure that the census conformed to international norms and quality standards. 

Here the support was extensive, as the preparations had to start virtually from scratch due to the long time lapse since the last census. Beforehand, the Department of Population had to map the entire country, set up the data processing system, train more than 100,000enumerators, and educate the population about the purpose and conduct of the census. The three-week-long enumeration required a massive mobilization of people and resources, and extensive logistical coordination. And the compilation and analysis of census results over the past year has called for considerable diligence and expertise. 

UNFPA has deployed independent international experts to monitor the entire process. It pleases me greatly to report that they have given high ratings to nearly every aspect of Myanmar’s census. 

Let me express my profound gratitude to Australia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America for their generous support, without which the Myanmar census would not have been possible. We are also grateful to United Nations colleagues and other development partners for their support and advice throughout the census process. 

The 2014 Myanmar census has been one of the country’s most inclusive development efforts to date, in which the vast majority of persons had the chance to participate. This achievement would have been even more remarkable if access had been given to all households to be counted, including in northern Rakhine state. 

We are encouraged that the Government has said that uncounted areas will be included in sample household surveys to be conducted in the near future. Generating reliable data on the characteristics of all population groups is critical so that their needs are addressed within local and larger development initiatives. 

Your Excellency, 

I am pleased to note that the Government has committed to making the census information widely available to all who need to use it through various channels including printed materials and electronically. This will help ensure that the data are utilized to the maximum, engaging local communities and different social groups, and ultimately helping to strengthen development – including in the post-2015 development agenda – to reduce poverty and support Myanmar’s reform and peace processes. UNFPA and its partners are ready to support these efforts. 

In consideration of how the census data can be used, I would like to make one additional point. The results reveal geographic differences in fertility rates and family sizes. Higher fertility often correlates with lower economic status and poorer access to services -- and in particular to unmet needs for family planning. Voluntary family planning initiatives are critical to development and women’s empowerment. Every woman and couple has the right to freely determine the number, timing and spacing of their children, free of discrimination, violence and coercion. Coercive laws regulating the number or spacing of children violate human rights, and contradict the Government’s national commitments and international obligations. 

Your Excellency Mr. President, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, 

I am confident that the gains we celebrate today will lead to more economic and social progress and that Myanmar will regularly conduct population and housing censuses from now on, including at least one in the 2020 round of censuses. As always, UNFPA stands ready to partner with the Government to achieve this and to provide the necessary support. 

Thank you.