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SECRETARY-GENERAL’S VIDEO MESSAGE ON WORLD STATISTICS DAY

New York, 20 October 2020

I wish everyone around the world a data-rich World Statistics Day!

Statistics are fundamental for evidence-based policymaking. Current, reliable, timely and trusted data help us to understand the changing world in which we live and to drive the transformations that are needed, leaving no one behind.  The coronavirus pandemic has further elevated the importance of data...

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United Nations Statistics Division Celebrates Second World Statistics Day

NEW YORK, 20 October (United Nations Statistics Division) — Today, statistical offices, universities, international organizations, the private sector and statisticians worldwide join the Statistics Division in celebrating the second Word Statistics Day, promoting the invaluable importance of data in the uplifting of lives:  “Better data. Better lives.”

This theme is poignantly reflected in an excerpt from the message by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:  “We need to ensure that everyone is counted, especially the most poor and vulnerable.  No child’s birth shall remain unregistered.  No incidence of disease, no matter how remote the location, shall remain unrecorded.  We need local statistics to ensure that every child has access to education and we need global statistics to monitor the overall effects of climate change.”

Official statistics help decision makers formulate informed policies that impact millions of people.  New and improved data sources, sound statistical methods, new technologies and strengthened statistical systems enable better decisions that result in better lives for all.

World Statistics Day was first celebrated on 20 October 2010, and earlier this year, the General Assembly officially designated 20 October as the World Statistics Day, to be celebrated every five years, starting in 2015.

World Statistics Day 2015 will be celebrated in more than 100 Member States and areas, with a cornucopia of activities, ranging from seminars to panel discussions, special lectures, creative competitions, songs, float parades, poster exhibitions, radio and television talks and advertisements, and receptions, with the Day’s logo, the “smiling statistician” on ATM machine receipts and the preparation of time capsules.

In recognition of the Day, the United Nations Statistics Division has a dedicated website ( worldstatisticsday.org ), which provides information on planned activities and supporting resources, video and logos of the “smiling statistician” in more than 40 languages.  Also, the Division will be releasing the sixth edition of the report World’s Women 2015:  Trends and Statistics .  Prepared every five years, it presents the latest statistics and analysis on the status of women and girls in eight critical areas of policy concern.

Another activity in commemoration of World Statistics Day 2015 is the Data Visualization Challenge.  The challenge was to create an infographic or dynamic visualization which answers a question relevant to development policy and incorporates the latest data from the 2015 Millennium Development Goals Report.  Fifteen entries were received and the winning visualization was announced today on the dedicated website.

Statisticians today are not only celebrating the increasing significance being accorded to the role and relevance of statistics in the lives of the ordinary man, but also the significant statistical milestones achieved in the past five years, which culminated with the mandate to formulate the new global, regional and national indicator architecture for the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  Director of the Statistics Division, Stefan Schweinfest, in his World Statistics Day speech aptly said:  “The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda epitomizes the challenges, but also the opportunities ahead of us; the Agenda itself recognizes the centrality of statistics and data to development.  […] Sustainable development will need to be supported by sustainable statistics.”

The Day creates a universal platform that enhances the visibility of the work and achievements of statisticians, raises awareness of the core values, professionalism and integrity enshrined in the discipline which creates official statistics and also celebrates the fundamental importance of statistical data in creating better lives.

For additional information, please visit worldstatisticsday.org .

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On World Statistics Day, UN flags importance of reliable data to achieve new development agenda

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“On this World Statistics Day , I urge all partners and stakeholders to work together to ensure that the necessary investments are made, adequate technical capacity is built, new data sources are explored and innovative processes are applied to give all countries the comprehensive information systems they need to achieve sustainable development,” Mr. Ban said in a message .

Stefan Schweinfest, Director of the UN Statistics Division in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, elaborated by saying that “it is clear that the significantly broader development agenda with a higher focus on disaggregation will require more resources, new methodological developments, integration of new data sources with traditional ones, the building of partnerships and increased cooperation within and across countries.”

“Sustainable development will need to be supported by sustainable Statistics,” Mr. Schweinfest declared, referring to the newly-adopted UN post-2015 development framework.

Mr. Ban said that as countries and organizations embark on implementing the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , reliable and timely statistics and indicators are more important than ever.

“We need to ensure that everyone is counted, especially the most poor and vulnerable,” he said. “No child’s birth shall remain unregistered. No incidence of disease, no matter how remote the location, shall remain unrecorded.”

The UN chief said “local statistics” are needed to ensure that every child has access to education while “global statistics” are needed to monitor the effects of climate change.

Also marking the Day, the UN Statistics Division will launch in New York the new World’s Women 2015: Trends and Statistics report, which presents the latest statistics and analyses of the status of women and men in areas of concern identified by the landmark 1995 Beijing Platform for Action . It also reviews progress towards gender equality over the past 20 years.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme ( WFP ) will celebrate World Statistics Day with a talk on why investing in primary and secondary data collection and analysis are fundamental for the design and implementation of food assistance programmes worldwide.

And the Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ) is releasing today its new FAO Statistical Pocketbook 2015 and a special statistics publication focusing on coffee and includes country profiles with key indicators related to coffee for selected years.

• sustainable development

17 statistics for World Statistics Day (and why we need to invest in them)

Tariq khokhar.

There are some big gaps in country-level data - gaps in what we know. We consider this “data deprivation”  an overlooked dimension of poverty.  That’s why we’re working with our partners to identify priority investments to close these gaps.

The areas we’ll initially focus on include: ensuring universal civil registration of births and deaths; improving economic statistics;  expanding the coverage of household surveys in the world’s poorest countries ;  and taking advantage of new technologies and data sources to improve data production and use.  

Statistics are vital. We’re working to make them better, so they can be used better. 

So without further ado, my colleages around the Bank have put together 17 statistics that stand out for them  - some you may know, some you may not, all of them related to the Sustainable Development Goals:

1) The global poverty rate is expected to fall below 10% in 2015 

2) the world needs to produce at least 50% more food by 2050 to feed a projected 9 billion people  ​.

In order to meet SDG2’s ambition of ending hunger, we’ll need agricultural innovations that boost productivity , as well as better land and water management to meet the needs of a growing population.

3) 400 million people worldwide lack access to essential health services  ​

Global Data Editor & Senior Data Scientist

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Statistics: How much is too much for a good speech?

Credibility is a valuable tool to have in your public speaking toolbox.

Especially if you’re aiming to give a persuasive speech, it is useful to have the facts on your side. This is why statistics in public speaking can elevate your speech to the next level. Look at the following two approaches:

Ocean pollution should be something of prime concern for all of us. We are losing precious species that are going extinct every year. We should all look into what approach we can take to reduce it.

Each year, 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans. In fact, 80% of all marine debris is currently plastic. As you can imagine, this has devastating effects on marine life.

As you can see, rather than merely talking about the adverse effects of pollution, statistics help you add a quantitative backing by showing impact.

Table of Contents

Credibility

Better impact, maintain interest, add realism, source check, alignment with your message, some common statistics used in speeches, how to insert statistics into your speech naturally, how to amp up the impact of your statistics, explain your statistics, wrapping up,, why you need to use statistics in your speech.

Are you still on the fence about whether to use statistics in your speech? Maybe you’re wondering if you might risk boring the audience while trying to add some credibility. This is precisely why we have below a handy list of benefits of using statistics in your speech:

First of all, adding statistics displays that you have come prepared. It is that touch of subconscious audience work that ensures they are taking your words much more seriously. Citing reliable resources makes sure that your speech is informative.

Audiences are much more likely to pay attention when they are getting something out of the speech. In this case, it could be knowledge or awareness. Pictures may speak a thousand words, but with facts, you can move an entire room by speaking volumes.

Facts are often associated with being plain cold numbers. However, that isn’t always the case.

Numbers are actually an excellent way to incite an emotional response from your audience. People have become quite numb to people preaching about the need for change. But numbers help people face the reality of the situation and tend to have an overall better impact.

No matter how well you pad your content and add in body gestures as well as transitions, spoken word tends to get repetitive after a point.

In order to make an impactful speech, you need to maintain your audience’s interest for much longer.

You can do so by integrating statistics every now and then to pique interest. It will also give the audience a good reason to keep listening as they might want to know the cause behind an interesting statistic.

Many speakers begin to make public speaking about grandiose gestures while forgetting that it is actually about building a connection with the audience. Using facts in your speech can help your audience connect better to your message. 

How do you know which statistics to include?

Nowadays, information is an abundant resource. It is easy to find statistics on nearly any topic you pick.

As such, you might find yourself confused about which information to include and what to exclude. Don’t worry! We’ve compiled a list of questions to ask yourself when deciding whether or not a statistic should be included in your speech:

As information becomes abundant, it also becomes diluted. There are several websites on both sides of any argument.

This is where reliable sources come in. Besides, what data are you more likely to believe? Something off of a blog or a proper source from the organizations associated with your topic? Make sure you cite your sources so that your facts can make the impact you desire.

Using statistics can be a double-edged sword. They can make you gain but also lose credibility.

If you’re not certain about the accuracy of a fact, you are better off not using it. It is not a good idea to get the audience questioning your research as it might hamper your main message as well.

When it comes to statistics, the main thing you aim for is impact. Think about what this number does for your audience. Is it meant to surprise them or aware of them? Is it meant to pique interest or a powerful note to end on? Deciding the purpose of the statistic can help you decide whether or not including it is beneficial to your speech. 

At the end of the day, adding statistics to your speech should help your main message. There is no amount of credibility or accuracy that will sway the audience if this alignment is not well thought of.

Even if the statistic is surprising or impactful, make sure you do not include it just for the sake of it. It should have a meaning, and only then will it be able to support your speech.

There are many forms in which statistics can be utilized. Some of the common uses of statistics in a speech format are as follows:

• Findings from a survey or discussions of such research that include data value.
• Comparison data that present disparity or similarity between benchmarking results.
• Research papers and findings with meaningful charts and figures that outline significant variables.

Public speaking is an art form. There are all these invisible ropes that go into it. Sure, you can simply bark a number at the audience, but we’re here to learn how to make sure it makes the most impact. The important thing to remember is that the statistic needs to be backed up by context.

For instance: the fact that Instagram has over 500 million daily users, you might assume that this is a big number.

However, without context, there is no way to know. But what if I complimented it with the data that Snapchat, on the other hand, has about 238 million daily users. This information makes the statistic a lot more meaningful.

So, how can you insert a statistic more meaningfully into a speech?

• First and foremost, tie your statistic with a relatable comparison.
• Use your story-telling skills to turn cold hard facts into a story that touches hearts. If you are giving a statistic of events or diseases that affect human life, saying one in every 1000 people can numb people out. But if you take one close example and humanize that statistic, people are likely to care much more.
• Check your statistics regularly to make sure it is up to date. Similarly, you can show growth or decline through comparison with an earlier statistic. This can help your audience visualize the impact of a change.
• Follow up your statistics with explanations on exactly what it means. Don’t feel like your audience will feel patronized. They are there to listen, so make full utilization of their time and attention.

We’ve learned how to insert statistics into your speech, but the more important lesson is, how to make sure it lands? A mere fact does not add anything to your speech if it isn’t able to amaze your audience.

• Create a build-up. Don’t just let them have the statistic as it will lose it’s shock value. Make sure to spin some intrigue. You can go with, “Get ready because I’m about to tell you a shocking fact that will change your mind about the soft drinks companies…”
• Use pauses to your advantage and lets the audience teeter at the edge of their seats.
• When giving out data, speak slowly and articulately so that your audience can follow along easily. Changing your pace will also signify the importance of your statistic.
• Give your audience time to absorb your information by letting them simmer in it with a brief pause.
• Use body gestures to your advantage. Utiliza your arms wide open to signify magnitude or your facial expressions to convey sadness or surprise. You can lead your audience in any direction based on your delivery.
• No matter how tempting to go for complex and multi-color coded charts, stick to simple. Your statistic is only as strong as how much your audience is able to grasp it.
• Cite your sources. Whether the data is from a reputable peer-reviewed journal or a random blog about your topic will make a big difference to your credibility. So make sure to uphold it with good sources, and then, remember to flaunt them.
• Plain data does not wow the general audience. So try to make your statistics as visually pleasing and easy to follow as possible.
• When using charts and graphs, the key points might be clear to you, but your audience might not understand exactly where to look. So double-check your labels and highlight any significant sections of your graphs.

Credibility is a large portion of what makes our content stand out. People will remember an impactful speech more than a factually correct one.

As such, no matter how important your statistic is, how you package it is arguably one step more important. Make sure you give your illustrations and correlations just as much practice time as your research.

Remember that humans will remember how you made them feel much more than a number they will forget on their way home. So you need to weave a statistic just about the same way you’d weave a story.

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Why the speech by Kansas City Chiefs kicker was embraced at Benedictine College’s commencement

The Benedictine College sign is seen Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Atchison, Kan., days after Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gave a commencement speech that has been gaining attention. Butker’s speech has raised some eyebrows with his proclamations of conservative politics and Catholicism, but he received a standing ovation from graduates and other attendees of the commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11. (AP Photo/Nick Ingram)

Students leave after attending a Catholic Mass at Benedictine College Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Atchison, Kan. Students told The Associated Press in interviews they embrace the college’s emphasis on Catholic teaching and practice. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

FILE - Catholics pray during Mass at Benedictine College Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Atchison, Kan. Enrollment, now about 2,200, has doubled in 20 years. Some 85% of its students are Catholic, according to the Cardinal Newman Society. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

The campus at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., was quiet on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, days after Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gave a commencement speech that was getting attention. Butker’s speech has raised some eyebrows with his proclamations of conservative politics and Catholicism during his weekend speech, but he received a standing ovation from graduates and other attendees of the commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11. (AP Photo/Nick Ingram)

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Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker may have stirred controversy in some quarters for his proclamations of conservative politics and Catholicism on Saturday, but he received a standing ovation from graduates and other attendees of the May 11 commencement ceremony at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

The fast-growing college is part of a constellation of conservative Catholic colleges that tout their adherence to church teachings and practice — part of a larger conservative movement in parts of the U.S. Catholic Church.

Butker’s 20-minute speech hit several cultural flashpoints.

Butker, a conservative Catholic himself, dismissed Pride month as consisting of the “deadly sin sort of pride” while denouncing abortion and President Joe Biden’s handling of the pandemic. He said women are told “diabolical lies” about career ambition when “one of the most important titles of all” is that of homemaker. He said this is not time for “the church of nice” and in particular blasted Catholics who support abortion rights and “dangerous gender ideologies.”

WHAT IS BENEDICTINE COLLEGE?

Benedictine College is a Catholic college in Atchison, Kansas, that traces its roots to 1858. It is located about 60 miles north of Kansas City., and has an enrollment of about 2,200.

LOTS OF COLLEGES ARE CATHOLIC. WHAT MAKES IT DISTINCTIVE?

In some ways, Benedictine College sounds like a typical Catholic college. Its “mission as a Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, residential college is the education of men and women within a community of faith and scholarship,” according to its website.

But its home to more traditional expressions of Catholicism, such as the Latin Mass, all-night prayer vigils and a strict code of conduct. Its mission statement further cites its commitment to “those specific matters of faith of the Roman Catholic tradition, as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and handed down in the teachings of the Church.”

The school gets a high ranking from the Cardinal Newman Society, a group that touts nearly two-dozen conservative colleges that exhibit what it calls “faithful Catholic education.” That includes upholding church teachings and Catholic identity while providing ample Masses and other devotional activities in shaping their students.

The society seeks to differentiate schools that “refuse to compromise their Catholic mission” from those that have become “battlegrounds for today’s culture wars.” Others praised by the society include Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., Ave Maria University in Florida and Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.

The society’s ranking says Benedictine benefits from having monks in residence, multiple Masses and prayer groups, spiritually focused organizations and theology programs with professors with a “mandatum” of approval from the local bishop.

HOW HAS THAT RESONATED WITH STUDENTS?

Benedictine’s enrollment has doubled in the past 20 years. Some 85% of its students are Catholic, according to the Cardinal Newman Society.

Students told The Associated Press in interviews they embrace the college’s emphasis on Catholic teaching and practice.

“It’s a renewal of, like, some really, really good things that we might have lost,” one student told the AP in its recent article on the revival of conservative Catholicism.

OTHER FACTS

Annual tuition for full-time undergraduates is $35,350, but Benedictine says 100% of its students receive some form of financial aid.

Benedictine’s sports teams, called the Ravens, compete in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Its athletics department says it is committed to ”setting the highest standards for academic success, athletic competition, ethical behavior, fiscal responsibility, and spiritual development.”

HOW DID GRADUATES REACT TO BUTKER’S SPEECH?

Video of the commencement shows virtually all the graduates and spectators rising to a standing ovation, but student interviews showed a more mixed reaction.

ValerieAnne Volpe, 20, who graduated with an art degree, lauded Butker for saying things that “people are scared to say.”

“I was thinking about my dad, who was also here, and how he’s probably clapping and so happy to see what he would say is a real man (reflecting) family values, good religious upbringing and representation of Christ to people,” she said. “You can just hear that he loves his wife. You can hear that he loves his family.”

Kassidy Neuner, 22, said the speech felt “a little degrading” and gave the impression that only women can be a homemaker.

“I think that men have that option as well,” said Neuner, who will be spending a gap year teaching before going to law school. “And to point this out specifically that that’s what we’re looking forward to in life seems like our four years of hard work wasn’t really important.”

Elle Wilbers, 22, who is heading to medical school in the fall, said the Catholic faith focuses on mothers, so that portion of the speech wasn’t surprising. She was more shocked by his criticism of priests and bishops “misleading their flocks” and a quip comparing LGBTQ+ Pride month to one of the seven deadly sins.

“We should have compassion for the people who have been told all their life that the person they love is like, it’s not okay to love that person,” Wilbers said. “It was sort of just a shock. I was like, ‘Is he really saying this right now?’”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Nasdaq Hits Record Close After Powell Reassures Investors, CPI in Focus

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 8, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

By Sinéad Carew and Bansari Mayur Kamdar

(Reuters) - The Nasdaq scored a record closing high on Tuesday and the S&P 500 and the Dow also advanced as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reassured investors while they digested Tuesday's data and waited for Wednesday's crucial consumer inflation report.

U.S. producer prices increased more than expected in April as the cost of services and goods rose sharply, leading traders to pare back bets of a first rate cut in September.

But Powell on Tuesday described the producer price index report as more mixed than hot given that prior-period data was revised lower.

Investors were also encouraged by Powell's comment that he did not expect the central bank's next interest rate move to be a hike, despite a recent run of higher-than-expected inflation.

"The market is getting more comfortable with higher-for-longer rates. The real question has been lately if a hike is a possibility and Powell's reiterating that it's not on the table right now," said Lindsey Bell, chief strategist, 248 ventures, Charlotte, North Carolina. She also noted that stocks appeared to gain ground during the session as Treasury yields declined.

"It seems that the bond market is digesting all this and the stock market is reacting to the bond market," Bell said.

Still, investors cautiously awaited Wednesday's Consumer Price Index figures to assess whether upside surprises in the first quarter extended into April.

Sticky inflation and persistent labor market strength have prompted financial markets and most economists to push bets for an initial Fed rate cut back to September from March previously.

Still, stocks have rallied so far this year, thanks to better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter and expectations that the Fed would cut rates.

While the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite easily cleared its April 11 record close, the S&P 500 ended the day around 0.1% below its March 28 record close. The Dow ended less than 1% below its record close, also reached on March 28.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 126.60 points, or 0.32%, to 39,558.11. The S&P 500 gained 25.26 points, or 0.48%, at 5,246.68 and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 122.94 points, or 0.75%, to 16,511.18.

Among the S&P's 11 major industry sectors, consumer staples was the biggest decliner, down 0.2%, while technology was the biggest gainer, adding 0.9%.

Shares of Alphabet closed up 0.7% after the Google parent showed how it is using artificial intelligence across its businesses, including a beefed-up Gemini chatbot and improvements to its search engine.

Shares in Home Depot closed down 0.1% after falling more than 2% earlier in the day following the retailer's quarterly report, which showed that same-store sales fell more than expected as Americans focused on small-scale home projects, spending less on big-ticket items.

U.S.-listed shares of Alibaba ended down 6% after it reported an 86% drop in fourth-quarter profit.

On Holding rallied 18.3% as the footwear maker raised its annual sales forecast after beating quarterly sales expectations, citing strong demand for its running shoes.

U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled a bundle of steep tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports including electric vehicles, computer chips and medical products.

U.S.-listed shares of Chinese EV maker Li Auto fell more than 2% while Tesla gained more than 3%.

GameStop shares extended their recent rally to close up 60% at $48.75 after flag bearer Roaring Kitty posted on X.com for the first time in three years.

Other 2021 meme rally participants and highly shorted stocks also advanced with AMC Entertainment rising almost 32% to $6.85 and Koss Corp ending up 40.7% at $6.15.

The most heavily traded NYSE shares were AMC and GameStop. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.43-to-1 ratio on the NYSE where there were 358 new highs and 31 new lows.

On the Nasdaq, advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.87-to-1 ratio and it recorded 171 new highs and 74 new lows. The S&P 500 posted 31 new 52-week highs and no new lows.

On U.S. exchanges 13.66 billion shares changed hands compared with the 10.91 billion moving average for the last 20 sessions.

(Reporting by Sinéad Carew in New York, Bansari Mayur Kamdar and Shristi Achar A in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Devika Syamnath and Richard Chang)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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UN Statistics Home | UN Home

" On this first World Statistics Day I encourage the international community to work with the United Nations to enable all countries to meet their statistical needs. "

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BAN KI-MOON

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Message on World Statistics Day, 20-10-2010

" For the first time the UN General Assembly has invited all member states and international partners to celebrate a "World Statistics Day".. "

SHA ZUKANG Under-Secretary-General for DESA

Message on World Statistics Day, Sept 2010

" Together, anchored in our shared values of Service, Integrity and Professionalism, we will make our profession and our statistical offices, a vital and valued institution of the world. "

PAUL CHEUNG Director | UN Statistics Division

Statement on World Statistics Day

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THANK YOU FOR A SUCCESSFUL WORLD STATISTICS DAY!

The first World Statistics Day (20-10-2010) was celebrated in over 130 countries and areas.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank sincerely all the statistical offices and associations, international organizations, universities, civil society organizations and individuals that initiated, organized or took part in activities to celebrate this important Day. I am also grateful to the many countries and organizations which have sent congratulatory messages to UNSD.

With your help and support, this unprecedented event has achieved fully its objective of building support and better understanding for official statistics among the general public and the policy-makers worldwide.

This website will remain active as a repository of photos, videos, reports and press clippings on the observance of World Statistics Day 2010 worldwide. I invite you to send me photos, videos, press clippings for us to post on the site.

-- Paul Cheung, Director, United Nations Statistics Division

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Biden Condemns a ‘Ferocious Surge’ of Antisemitism in the United States

President Biden’s speech at a Holocaust remembrance ceremony came during weeks of protests on U.S. college campuses against Israel’s war in Gaza.

By Erica L. Green and Michael D. Shear

Erica L. Green reported from Capitol Hill, and Michael D. Shear from Washington.

• May 7, 2024

President Biden on Tuesday condemned a “ ferocious surge of antisemitism” in the United States following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack against Israel and said people were already forgetting the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

Speaking at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Days of Remembrance, Mr. Biden tied the anti-Jewish sentiment that led to the Nazi effort to exterminate Jews directly to Oct. 7.

“This ancient hatred of Jews didn’t begin with the Holocaust,” he said. “It didn’t end with the Holocaust, either.”

For Mr. Biden, a self-described Zionist, the speech was a clear assertion of his support for Jewish Americans as he struggles to balance his support for Israel with increasingly forceful calls for the protection of civilians in Gaza.

Mr. Biden’s address also comes as protests against Israel’s war in Gaza roil college campuses, with students demanding that the Biden administration stop sending weapons to Israel. In some cases, the demonstrations have included antisemitic rhetoric and harassment targeting Jewish students.

“I understand people have strong beliefs and deep convictions about the world,” the president said. But, he added, “there is no place on any campus in America, any place in America, for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind.”

Mr. Biden also denounced attempts to minimize the Hamas attacks, which killed 1,200 people in Israel and sparked a war that has killed an estimated 34,000 people in Gaza.

“Now here we are, not 75 years later, but just seven and half months later, and people are already forgetting,” Mr. Biden said. “They are already forgetting. That Hamas unleashed this terror. It was Hamas that brutalized Israelis. It was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages.

“I have not forgotten, nor have you,” he told the crowd of more than 100, including Holocaust survivors. “And we will not forget.”

Since the outset of the war, Mr. Biden has faced criticism from Arab Americans and Palestinians who have said they don’t hear Mr. Biden talk about the plight of their people with the same empathy and emotion that he uses to describe Israel and the Jewish people.

The leader of the World Food Program has said that parts of Gaza are experiencing a “ full-blown famine ,” in part because of Israel blocking humanitarian aid.

Jewish groups have been pressuring the administration to take firmer policy steps to combat antisemitism on college campuses, in particular. On Tuesday, the Biden administration fulfilled some of those requests.

The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights released new guidance to every school and college outlining examples of antisemitic discrimination, as well as other forms of hate, that could lead to investigations for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

The law prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin, and the department has interpreted it as extending to Jewish students. Since the Oct. 7 attack, the department has opened more than 100 investigations into complaints about antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. The administration also announced that the Department of Homeland Security would also offer new resources, including an online campus safety resource guide.

Nathan Diament, executive director for public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, one of the groups that has been lobbying the administration for more measures for weeks, said that the Jewish community “need them implemented rapidly and aggressively.”

“President Biden’s speech today was an important statement of moral clarity at a time when too many people seem to be morally confused,” Mr. Diament said. “Just as important as the president’s words today is the announcement that his administration is taking more steps to counter the surge of antisemitism in the U.S.”

The president promised that his commitment to the security of Israel “and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. Even when we disagree,” a reference to the arguments his administration has had with Israel’s right-wing government about the toll the war is taking in Gaza. The speech came against the backdrop of Israel’s plans to move forward with a ground operation in Rafah, which Mr. Biden opposes. More than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah.

Mr. Biden made a tacit acknowledgment during his speech that the pro-Palestinian cause has resonated with other minority groups with histories of violence and oppression.

“We must give hate no safe harbor against anyone — anyone,” Mr. Biden said in his speech, adding that Jewish people helped lead civil rights causes throughout history.

“From that experience,” he added, “we know scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to every minority and the very foundation of our democracy.”

But Mr. Biden largely focused on the issue at hand. After his address, he stayed to watch three Holocaust survivors, who carried photos and mementos as they recounted their memories of loved ones. They invited the audience to stand and raise black-and-white photos of Holocaust victims that were placed on audience chairs in the air.

Mr. Biden held a photo of four children to his chest.

Erica L. Green is a White House correspondent, covering President Biden and his administration. More about Erica L. Green

Michael D. Shear is a White House correspondent for The New York Times, covering President Biden and his administration. He has reported on politics for more than 30 years. More about Michael D. Shear

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• PUBLICATIONS

Celebration of the First Ever World Statistics Day

World Statistics Day, celebrated for the first time on 20 October worldwide, paid tribute to statisticians’ outstanding work in producing and disseminating data needed for responding to everyday challenges and for measuring progress in people’s lives.

Statistics are a daily part of national and international life and policymaking, but this is the first time the international community has formally paid tribute to official statistics by dedicating an international day to them. Over 100 countries and areas and some 40 international agencies marked the Day with special events and activities.

The General Assembly designated 20 October as World Statistics Day to recognize the vital role that the production of reliable, timely statistics and indicators plays in society. These facts and figures provide an important tool for assessing different situations and needs. Statistics data allow issues to become visible, thus making the identification of needs and the implementation of solutions possible.

Statistics allow for informed policy decisions and the monitoring of their implementation, for example, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. These are data produced and disseminated by national statistics offices, other government departments’ statistical units and by many United Nations, international and regional statistical units.

“Statistics are a vital tool for economic and social development… For development to succeed, we need data collection and statistical analysis of poverty levels, access to education and the incidence of disease,” stated Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message on World Statistics Day.

Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang stressed that there is much to celebrate after more than 60 years of work on official statistics at the United Nations. “Official statistics from countries around the globe are produced in a reliable, accurate, scientific and comparable manner is a great collective accomplishment. It is the result of the service, professionalism and integrity demonstrated on a daily basis by dedicated experts in the national statistical systems across the world,” he said.

“The notion of a global professional statistical family, that transcends political, economic and cultural differences among countries, is perhaps the biggest achievement of all,” said Paul Cheung, Director of the Statistics Division, in his own message for the Day. “We, at the UN, are committed to assisting countries so that every citizen in the world can rely on a well-functioning system that regularly produces, analyses, and disseminates relevant and quality statistics — statistics that respond to users’ needs and concerns, statistics that can help us respond to new challenges and bring about policy changes,” he adds.

Some key activities were scheduled to mark World Statistics Day. These included public events such as conferences, seminars, round tables, lectures, press briefings, messages by senior officials (including Heads of State), television quizzes, information in schools on upcoming census, commemorative stamps, exhibits, etc., were organized in over 100 countries and areas by national statistical offices, international organizations, civil society organizations or universities.

In addition the publication “The World’s Women 2010: Trends and Statistics” was launched at United Nations Headquarters in New York and at the World EXPO in Shanghai (at a joint United Nations-China ceremony). This report illustrates the direct contribution of official statistics to social progress. The World’s Women 2010 presents both progress and shortcomings in the path towards gender equality, from health and education to decision-making and gender-based violence.

Many international entities and United Nations agencies organized joint conferences or round tables to mark World Statistics Day, notably in Geneva, Santiago, Vienna and Washington. In Barbados, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) explained its statistical work to schoolchildren. In Brussels, Eurostat briefed the media on how the European statistical community supports statistical institutions in developing countries.

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