International Statistical Institute (ISI)
Website: http://isi.cbs.nl/
Category: Education
Year of Foundation: 1885
Location of Foundation: London, UK
Location of Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands
Brief Description: The International Statistical Institute describes itself as 'an autonomous society, which seeks to develop and improve statistical methods and their application through the promotion of international activity and co-operation.' (Source: isi.cbs.nl; accessed 14 April 2010).
Founding Rationales:
The roots of the International Statistical Institute lie in the 1853 Brussels General Statistical Congress which aimed 'to see states adopting uniform bases for statistical work, in order to render comparable the results obtained from different places.'
The International Statistical Institute was created in 1885 with the objective of 'promoting the progress of administrative and scientific statistics: 1. by introducing, as far as possible, the uniformity of methods ... in order to render comparable the results obtained in different countries. 2. by lobbying governments to consider the problems to be resolved on statistical observation ... and to gather information on matters currently insufficiently handled by statistics. 3. to produce international publications that will permanently bring together statisticians from all countries. 4. ... to propagate knowledge of statistics ... '
Sources: 'Compte Rendu des Travaux du Congrès Générale de Statistique réuni à Bruxelles les 19, 20, 21 et 22 Septembre 1853', (Bruxelles: M. Hayez, 1853), p. 6; 'Statuts de l'Institut International de Statistique' in 'Bulletin de l'Institut International de Statistique. Tome I.' (Rome: Imprimerie Héritiers Botta, 1886), p. 17.
Evolution of Membership:
Source: AVI; HIO; YIO; EAIO