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Swiss Charter for Public Statistics

The Charter serves as a professional code of ethics for Swiss statistical institutions and their employees.

Here you find the full text (PDF)


Swiss Ethics Board for Public Statistics

The Swiss Ethics Board for Public Statistics fosters the enforcement of the charter.

Acting through the Swiss Conference of Regional Statistical Offices (CORSTAT), the regional statistical offices have agreed to work with the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO) to create an independent private body known as the Ethics Board for Public Statistics (hereinafter referred to as the Ethics Board). Its mandate will be to promote the Swiss Public Statistics Charter and facilitate implementation of the fundamental principles contained therein. To this end, the Ethics Board's role will be to make observations, offer suggestions and provide information. It will not have the power to apply sanctions.

Here is its role and functioning (PDF)
and its rules in German / in French

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Misuse of Public Staistics: Overview

The Swiss Public Statistics Charter is intended to ensure that public statistics are used in a transparent, comprehensible and honest manner. Over the past few years, however, the Swiss Statistics Ethics Board has witnessed cases where statistics were presented to further personal interest, were falsified, were shown in a non-transparent manner and were used to draw misleading conclusions. In order to prevent such cases from happening in the future, the Swiss Statistics Ethics Board has decided to present these cases to provide information and greater clarification. The Swiss Statistics Ethics Board places considerable emphasis on ensuring that public statistics are presented in an honest, factual, transparent and comprehensible manner. The Swiss Statistics Ethics Board will update this list over time and asks the general public to notify us whenever such cases of abuse occur.

Date

Principles violated

Misuse of statistics for

Description of the problem

Sep 2004

Accountability, Reliability

Election campaign: Advertisement, "Muslime bald in der Mehrheit?" (Population soon to be overrun by Muslims)

The chart shown in the advertisement suggests to the viewer that the proportion of Muslims in Switzerland doubles every ten years. The chart was misleadingly presented as being based on official statistics. The facts in this case show that an attempt was made to deceive.
--> More info

May 2005

Accountability, Reliability

 

Election campaign: Handout, "Immer mehr Arbeitslose?" (Unemployment on the rise)

The chart shown in the handout suggests to the viewer that there is a correlation between the unemployment rate and the number of cross-border workers in Geneva Canton. The chart was misleadingly presented as being based on official statistics. The facts in this case show that an attempt was made to deceive.Die im Prospekt
--> More info

Jan 2006

Accountability, Reliability

Election campaign: Advertisement, "Sozialmissbrauch?" (Abuse of the welfare system)

The chart shown in the advertisement suggests to the viewer that the increase in welfare expenditure in Zurich Canton in 1990-2004 was the result of abuse of the welfare system. The figures published were correct but the conclusions drawn on the basis of those figures were unfounded. The chart was misleadingly presented as being based on official statistics. The facts in this case show that an attempt was made to deceive.
--> More info

Jan 2006

Accountability, Reliability

Election campaign: Advertisement, "Bezahlen, bezahlen, bezahlen?" (Taxes on the rise, when will it stop?)

The chart shown in the advertisement suggests to the viewer that tax revenues have been steadily increasing in Zurich Canton since 1999. The figures indicated were interpreted in a misleading manner. The chart was misleadingly presented as being based on official statistics. The facts in this case show that an attempt was made to deceive.
-->More info

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Petitions submitted to the Ethics Board

Here is a list of all cases treated by the Board in German (PDF) / in French (PDF)

Cases documented on this website:

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Recommendations

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How to submit a petition to the Ethics Board

Natural persons and legal entities may submit petitions, position papers or complaints to the Chairman of the Ethics Board.
Petitions must be relevant in terms of how the fundamental principles of the Charter are applied. The Ethics Board keeps all correspondence strictly confidential. Complaints submitted to the Ethics Board should be presented in the following manner
  1. Presentation of facts,
  2. Concise presentation of problems arising from 1. and damage caused,
  3. Name and address of parties submitting the complaint, including e-mail address (optional)

Contact address

Ethics Board
c/o Federal Statistical Office
Espace de l'Europe 10
2010 Neuchâtel

<ethikrat@bfs.admin.ch>

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Board Members

Chairman:   Menzel Christoph, Sonnenblickstrasse 14, 8645 Jona,
Tel. +41 (0) 55 210 77 41, <stoffmenzel@gmail.com>
 
Secretary: Maillard Stéphane, Federal Statistical Office, Espace de l'Europe 10, 2010 Neuchâtel,
Tel. +41 (0) 32 867 23 81, Fax +41 (0) 32 713 60 93, <Stephane.Maillard@bfs.admin.ch>
 
Members:

Eichenberger Philippe, Federal Statistical Office, Espace de l'Europe 10, CH-2010 Neuchâtel,
Tel. +41 (0) 32 713 6014, Fax: +41 (0) 32 713 6093, <philippe.eichenberger@bfs.admin.ch>

Eichholzer Andrea, Federal Statistical Office, Espace de l'Europe 10, 2010 Neuchâtel,
Tel. +41 (0) 32 713 60 70, Fax +41 (0) 32 713 60 93, <andrea.eichholzer@bfs.admin.ch>

Montfort Hervé, Office cantonal de la statistique (OCSTAT), 82, rte des Acacias, Case postale 1735, 1211 Genève 26,
Tel. +41 (0) 22 327 85 35, Fax +41 (0) 22 327 8510, <herve.montfort@etat.ge.ch>

Nuber Simone, Statistik Stadt Zürich, Napfgasse 6, 8022 Zürich,
Tel. +41 (0) 44 250 48 16, Fax +41 (0) 44 250 48 29, <simone.nuber@zuerich.ch>

Stämpfli Regula, Lindenhofstr. 12, 3048 Worblaufen,
<regula.staempfli@chello.be>

Wagnon Jean-Claude, Directorate General of Customs, Monbijoustrasse 40, 3003 Bern,
Tel. +41 (0) 31 322 6630, Fax +41 (0) 31 323 39 27, <jean-claude.wagnon@ezv.admin.ch>

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Activity Report

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Documents

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Signatories of the Charter

Here is a list of subscribing institutions.

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Links

Links in relation to ethics in statistics:

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