Statistical Terms Glossary

Animals and plants that live at the surface of the sea bed or lake floor.

From the surface (MSL - mean sea level) down to around 200m (656 ft). The illuminated surface zone where there is enough light for photosynthesis. Due to this, plants and animals are largely concentrated in this zone. Here one will typically encounter fish such as tuna and numerous amounts of sharks, as well as dolphinfish and jellyfish.

Sometimes also known as supplier exchange) is the business-to-business or business-to-consumer or Business-to-government purchase and sale of supplies, Work and services through the Internet as well as other information and networking systems, such as Electronic Data Interchange and Enterprise Resource Planning. Typically, e-procurement Web sites allow qualified and registered users to look for buyers or sellers of goods and services. Depending on the approach, buyers or sellers may specify costs or invite bids. Transactions can be initiated and completed. Ongoing purchases may qualify customers for volume discounts or special offers. E-procurement software may make it possible to automate some buying and selling. Companies participating expect to be able to control parts inventories more effectively, reduce purchasing agent overhead, and improve manufacturing cycles. E-procurement is expected to be integrated into the wider Purchase-to-pay (P2P) value chain with the trend toward computerized supply chain management

Right of individuals and groups to obtain a quick, effective and fair response to protect their rights, prevent or solve disputes and control the abuse of power through a transparent and efficient process, in which mechanisms are available, affordable and accountable, and conducted on the basis of equality.

Concept implying that both women and men have equal access to, use of and benefit from all specific resources (material, financial, human, social, political, etc.).

It refers to the distribution of the sample across strata equality.

Equal opportunity means equal access to all economic, political and social participation and facing no barriers on the grounds of sex. Equal opportunity in the world of work means having an equal chance to apply for a particular job, to be employed, to own or run an enterprise, to attend educational or training courses, to be eligible to attain certain qualifications, and to be considered as a worker or for a promotion in all occupations or positions, including those dominated by one sex or the other. Equal treatment in the world of work refers to equal entitlements such as in pay, working conditions, employment security and social security.

Equal pay for work to which equal value is attributed without discrimination on grounds of sex or marital status with regard to all aspects of pay and conditions of remuneration.

Loan repayment scheme whereby principal repayment remains the same over the period of the loan regardless of interest payments. This means loan repayments are highest in the earlier years of the loan (when interest payments are higher). This scheme has been used by the Bank since 1975.

The same remuneration for work which is ascribed the same value without any discrimination, including any discrimination on grounds of sex, applicable for all aspects of remuneration and payment conditions.

The goal of gender balance/equal representation of women and men applies throughout the United Nations system, and in every department, office or regional commission, overall and at each level. It applies not only to posts subject to geographical distribution but to all categories of posts, without regard to the type or duration of the appointment, or the series of Staff Rules under which the appointment is made, or the source of funding. Equal representation of women and men in the United Nations system is a longstanding mandate. Articles 8 and 10 of the UN Charter, for example, stipulate that there shall be no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights also states that there can be no distinction or discrimination on the basis of gender. Acting on these principles, the General Assembly has repeatedly called for gender balance. Most recently, on 4 February 2009, the General Assembly asked the Secretary-General to “review and redouble his efforts to make progress towards achieving the goal of 50/50 gender balance at all levels in the Secretariat and throughout the United Nations system.”

Women and men equally sharing care tasks in the family as well as tasks relating to all aspects of household work.

A state of no direct or indirect discrimination based on sex and gender, including less favourable treatment of women for reasons of pregnancy and maternity.

Bodies mandated to promote, analyse, monitor and support equal treatment in the national context.

Aspect of any issue which relates to equality, such as sex, gender, age, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Achievement of equality in the broader, more results-oriented, redistributive sense, based on the insight that equality of opportunity and equal treatment may not be enough to redress the historical oppression and disadvantage of women.

See cross-over discount rate.

The equilibrium exchange rate is the long-term exchange rate that equals the purchasing power parity (PPP) of a currency in a world where all goods are traded and where markets are fully efficient. Such convergence, proposed by the “PPP theory of exchange rates” would imply that the same price levels should be observed across countries.

Items of considerable value and durability, other than real estate or software, that are used to provide a service or to make, market, keep or transport products.

The property whereby the composition of the item list for a basic heading is such that each country is able to price that number of representative items which is commensurate with the heterogeneity of products and price levels covered by the basic heading and its expenditure on the basic heading.

Equities refer to ownership interests of stockholders in a firm, usually in the form of stock (not bonds)

The absence of avoidable or remediable differences among populations or groups defined socially, economically, demographically, or geographically.

Annual yield on a short-term, non-interest-bearing security calculated so as to be comparable to yields quoted on coupon securities.