The National Secretary of Planning, Sariha Moya, and the Representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Ecuador (UNFPA), Markus Behrend, signed an Annual Work Plan until June 2025 that will enable the generation of the first Population Situation Analysis for Ecuador and the Prioritization of Information for the Strengthening of Administrative Records for Planning. These products constitute relevant inputs for national and territorial planning. Likewise, it will serve to strengthen the National Information System.

The Population Situation Analysis will allow Ecuador to have a comprehensive analysis of demographic dynamics, vulnerable groups, gender, diversity and self-identification, sexual and reproductive health, human mobility, poverty, socioeconomic development and environmental factors. The information generated will enable the development of policies and programs aimed at priority groups.

On the other hand, the Prioritization for the Strengthening of Administrative Records for Planning seeks to establish the baseline information and data for territorial planning that contribute to the development of the next National Development Plans and that contribute to the measurement of the indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, work that will be carried out in an articulated manner with the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC).

The annual work plan will be launched in August 2024 and will end in June 2025. This great effort will be possible thanks to the technical and financial support of UNFPA, through non-reimbursable cooperation; the National Planning Secretariat will contribute with the technical team and inter-institutional coordination for the development of the established target products.

During the event, the National Secretary highlighted the agreement signed with UNFPA:

“It is a fundamental step in our commitment to building a more just, equitable and prosperous Ecuador. We reaffirm our willingness to work in a coordinated and strategic manner to address the demographic and social challenges facing our country. We cannot face them as long as we do not have information: quality information, disaggregated information, published information that can be used by the different actors that make up the National Planning System, which is participatory and decentralized.”

She also highlighted the importance of strengthening administrative records in the country: "They must be strengthened, they must go through a structuring of data management methodology, of data governance that allows us to have quality indicators, that can be published and easily understood by our population. This will help us to be more accountable, which guarantees greater transparency.”

UNFPA Representative, Markus Behrend, stated: “The signing of this agreement represents a joint commitment to transform the way we generate and use data for development in Ecuador.” He added:

“For UNFPA, the focus on population and development is key to ensuring that all people are counted and represented. Generating and using high-quality data is essential to monitoring public policies and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.”

UNFPA is the agency for sexual and reproductive health, whose objective is to grant universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights under the principles of leaving no one behind. Therefore, the joint work between UNFPA and the National Planning Secretariat will allow the potentiation of the resources of each institution for the benefit of the most vulnerable sectors.

For more information:

Social Communication Directorate of Senplades: (+593) 98 493 0158/ www.planificacion.gob.ec

UNFPA Communication Officer: gmontano@unfpa.org