The Expert Forum is convened annually by the United Nations in collaboration with regional partners, under the guidance of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Disaster-related Statistics (IAEG-DRS). The 2025 Forum is hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). 

It is organized in collaboration with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Disasters caused by natural and anthropogenic hazards continue to affect societies and economies worldwide. To mitigate these impacts and build resilience, countries require robust, timely, and accessible disaster-related statistics. These data are essential for guiding decision-making, shaping effective policies, and allocating resources for disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

However, the connection between those who produce the data, such as national statistical offices, and those who use it, including policymakers, researchers, and disaster risk management practitioners, remains limited. Strengthening these linkages is key to improving the availability, quality, and usability of disaster-related data across sectors and institutions.

The 2025 Expert Forum will serve as a key opportunity to advance this agenda. Participants will discuss national and regional experiences, explore technical developments, and engage with the Common Statistical Framework for Disaster-related Statistics (CF-DRS). While several technical frameworks and guidance documents on disaster statistics already exist, the CF-DRS represents the first comprehensive effort to develop a common statistical framework for disaster-related statistics to be proposed for consideration by the United Nations Statistical Commission. The draft framework is expected to undergo global consultation in late 2025 and be submitted to the Commission in early 2026.

Through interactive discussions and peer exchange, the Forum will equip participants with practical approaches, country examples, and technical guidance to strengthen disaster-related statistics in their own contexts. It will also offer a space to engage with the draft CF-DRS, contribute to its relevance for national needs, and explore emerging priorities for risk-informed decision-making.

Audience 
The Forum will convene representatives from governments, academia, NGOs, the private sector, international organizations, and leading experts involved in the production and use of disaster-related statistics, including statisticians, risk management experts, geospatial scientists, and policymakers.