1993 SNA - Updates
PROCEDURES FOR CONTINUOUS UPDATING OF THE SYSTEM OF NATIONAL ACCOUNTS 1993
Procedures for updating SNA 1993 were approved by the Statistical Commission of the United Nations in March 1999 (Report of the Commission, para. 18 (a).) Extracts from the proposal approved by the Statistical Commission are given in SNA News and Notes, Issue 7, January 1998 (see also table 1. below). Updating may take four different forms: editorial amendment, clarification beyond dispute, interpretation and change. Proposals to the United Nations Statistics Division may be submitted at sna.un.org.
In principle, any individual or institution may initiate the review process by proposing an amendment to ISWGNA. Hhowever, individual national accountants and/or country offices are strongly encouraged to discuss and pre-screen proposed amendments by using such mechanisms as appropriate regional expert groups to the extent possible. Unless significant new economic developments have taken place, issues of a controversial nature should not be reopened if a deliberate decision was taken during the course of the 1993 revision.
Change
Due to changes in the macroeconomic environment, some of the basic concepts in the 1993 SNA may become irrelevant and may even result in figures that might mislead users. In that case, relevant parts of the SNA text must be substantially revised to reflect those changes. ISWGNA, assisted by a panel of experts, will prepare a text, for wide dissemination and comment. If a broad consensus emerges from this process of consultation, ISWGNA will prepare a final draft and will submit it to the 24 member countries of the United Nations Statistical Commission for approval. See "Report of the Task Force on National Accounts", submitted by the Secretary General to the Statistical Commission at its thirtieth session, in 1999 (E/CN.3/1999/2, table 1).
Clarification beyond dispute
This type of amendment would arise when a new economic situation has emerged, or a situation that was negligible when the SNA 1993 was designed has since grown considerably in importance. ISWGNA will provide explanations, as needed, in order to arrive at unambiguous interpretations of existing SNA rules. It is important in that context to establish clearly that there is no conceptual issue change involved in the clarification.
Editorial amendments
Editorial amendments refer to wording errors, apparent contradictions or translation errors in the non-English versions. Their main characteristic is that their correction will affect neither concepts nor the structure of the system and the tables therein. ISWGNA will discuss and decide on the final version, which will be published as an errata sheet.
Interpretation
Where new economic situations have emerged and their treatment in national accounts is not clear, various solutions on how to treat the phenomenon in question in national accounting may be put forward, indicating that there seems to be room for different interpretations of SNA 1993 rules. In this case, ISWGNA, assisted by a panel of experts, will draft a preliminary text that will be sent to working parties and regional panels of experts. ISWGNA will then prepare the proposed final drafting, that will be sent tot he 24 member countries of the United Nations Statistical Commission for approval. If during a period of 60 days no objections are raised the proposal will be considered as adopted.
Once amendments have been agreed to, an official booklet detailing the changes (i.e., the SNA paragraphs affected) and providing a brief explanatory text will be published in all official United Nations languages and disseminated widely. Amendments are posted on the Internet, with the complete revised SNA text. The newsletter SNA News and Notes will be used to announce amendments. Prints of the integral SNA text and a reissuance of the SNA CD-ROM will be added, as resources permit.
TABLE 1
Updating procedures for the System of National Accounts,1993 | Stage of handling | Editorial Amendment | Clarification beyond dispute | Interpretation | Change |
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| Proposal | ISWGNA reviews the proposed amendment and classifies it | | Preliminary Drafting | ISWGNA | ISWGNA | ISWGNA assisted by a panel of experts | ISWGNA assisted by a panel of experts | | 1st Discussion | | | Working parties or regional panels of experts | Working parties or regional panels of experts | | 2nd Discussion | | | | National statistical offices in all regions |
| Final Drafting | | | ISWGNA assisted by a panel of experts | ISWGNA assisted by a panel of experts | | Approve | | | Member countries of Statistical Commission during 60-day period | Member countries of Statistical Commission during 60-day period (see 1999 Statistical Commission report, para. 18 (a) |
| Publication | Errata Sheet | SNA News and Notes, then periodic booklet | SNA News and Notes, then periodic booklet | SNA News And Notes, then periodic booklet |
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