During the 56th session of the UN Statistical Commission, WIEGO took part in the side event Partnership for Impact: NSOs and the Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data. The discussion highlighted the importance of citizen-generated data in producing official statistics.
Federico Parra, WIEGO’s Specialist in the Social and Solidarity Economy, stressed that “statistics in the hands of workers is power,” echoing the famous words of Ela Bhatt, co-founder of India’s Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and a key source of inspiration for the organization. “At WIEGO, we collaborate with local, national, and international actors to understand informal employment better, ensuring above all that data empower worker organizations to inform their arguments, strengthen their demands, and engage in negotiations,” he explained.
Statistics in the Hands of Workers
Building on this principle, WIEGO has spent decades generating and utilizing data on informal employment by working with statistical agencies, civil society organizations, and communities.
A notable example shared by Dr. Parra during the event is the case of waste pickers in Colombia. From 2008 to 2023, WIEGO supported their legal recognition process, which was spearheaded by the country’s National Waste Picker Association. This advocacy effort culminated in seven landmark rulings from Colombia’s Constitutional Court, which mandated the recognition and compensation of waste pickers as public service providers in the recycling sector—a groundbreaking measure worldwide.
Waste Pickers’ Census and Participation
Implementing a national census of waste pickers was a significant milestone during this process. In Bogotá, data collection took place for the first time in 2012 and 2013, using a methodology based on direct field scouting. Starting in 2016, it became mandatory for all municipalities across Colombia to conduct a census of waste pickers and actively involve their organizations in the design, data collection, and analysis phases.
Despite this progress, challenges persist. Parra noted that approximately 40 percent of municipalities have failed to meet their obligation to conduct the census. Moreover, the liberalization of recycling services has resulted in an exponential increase in service providers, complicating the task of identifying which entities are truly managed by waste pickers.
A Call for Coordination with the DANE
In November 2024, the Colombian government issued Decree 1381, which granted waste pickers exclusive rights to provide public recycling services. This measure reaffirmed the key role played by the census in identifying eligible policy beneficiaries.
Against this backdrop, Parra urged Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) to take a more proactive role in supporting the collection and analysis of data related to waste pickers.
“I would urge the DANE to coordinate with the Ministry of Housing, Urban and Territorial Development to review and enhance the census methodology, and to join the government team in promoting the census and advising municipal authorities, in coordination with waste pickers’ organizations,” Parra concluded.
The session at the UN highlighted the need to include citizen-generated data in the work of national statistical agencies to promote a more inclusive and transparent governance. The experience of waste pickers in Colombia provides a tangible example of how statistics can serve as a powerful tool for advancing social justice.