During his academic stay in Santiago, Dr. Luca Di Gennaro examined the challenges of producing official data in Latin America and its effect on public decision-making.

During February and March 2025, Dr. Luca Di Gennaro, researcher at the University of Malta and Marie Curie Fellow, carried out an academic stay at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile.

The purpose of his visit was to deepen the study of the strategic role of official statistics in strengthening democratic governance and its impact on international cooperation, seeking to promote ethical practices in data management and thus make visible the importance of statistics-producing agencies for regional development.

During his stay, Dr. Di Gennaro was assisted by ECLAC's Statistics Division, directed by Mr. Rolando Ocampo. His work plan included meetings with representatives of National Statistical Offices and with academics from various universities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

His research focused on how political regimes influence the generation and use of official statistics and addresses the geopolitical challenges facing the region. He also analyzes the emerging role of citizenship and changes in the data ecosystem.

Among his outstanding activities, Dr. Di Gennaro attended the seminar Measuring development and its relationship with international cooperation, organized by ECLAC, which brought together representatives from 21 member countries, three associate countries and three international organizations. The event discussed key issues such as concessionality criteria in development loans, new metrics beyond GDP and the challenges of a new statistical agenda towards the Seville conference.

Dr. Di Gennaro's presence at ECLAC reaffirms the organization's commitment to international academic collaboration and to strengthening statistical capacities for evidence-based decision making.