From October 15-17, 2024, the workshop and the 8th Meeting of Experts on Statistics for the Sustainable Development Goals was organized for the first time, dedicated to experts from National Statistical Offices, international organizations, and other interested parties involved in the production, communication, and coordination of SDGs statistics reporting.

This meeting, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in collaboration with INSTAT, gathered around 75 participants, experts from more than 33 countries. These included countries from Central, Eastern, and Western Europe, Central Asia, and several countries from Africa and North America, as well as over 20 international organizations.

The main topics discussed included lessons learned from producing statistics for the SDGs, program overlaps, and the future of sustainable development monitoring. The meeting also focused on strategic issues and served as a platform for sharing experiences, best practices, and lessons learned; presenting innovative solutions to challenges faced; and identifying priorities for future methodological work and capacity development in this field.

During the meeting, INSTAT delivered the opening speech, welcoming the participants and emphasizing the importance of the meeting while sharing its experience in engaging with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Additionally, in her capacity as co-chair of the High-Level Group on Partnership, Coordination, and Capacity-Building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (HLG-PCCB), Ms. Elsa Dhuli, Director General of INSTAT, presented an informative report detailing the important work carried out by the group in preparation for the UN World Data Forum, which will be held in Medellin, Colombia, in November 2024.

The meeting continued with the Annual Meeting of the SDG Steering Group until October 18, where Albania is a member, and ongoing work of this group was discussed.