The Central Source of SDMX Structural Metadata

In 2011 the SDMX Sponsoring institutions launched the development of global Data Structure Definitions (DSDs) in order to support the world-wide technical implementation of the sixth edition of the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6) and the System of National Accounts 2008 (SNA2008). The SGR is the technical infrastructure that supports this global initiative and, more generally, the implementation of SDMX, by making its metadata material, DSDs and related artefacts (concept schemes, metadata structure definitions, code lists, etc.), publicly and centrally available. The SGR can therefore be considered as the central reference point and authoritative source for SDMX global data structure definitions (DSDs), cross-domain concepts and code lists. In addition to global SDMX metadata, the SGR contains other SDMX data structure definitions and artefacts that are used and maintained by national and international organisations. The SGR is designed in such a way that it can be developed into a global portal for SDMX structural data and metadata, providing not only information about how statistical information is structured, but also where the related data can be accessed.

The SGR is an invaluable resource for any national or international agency that wants to use SDMX standards for data management or for exchanging data with other organisations using SDMX standard. For example, all SDMX artefacts related to the SDMX DSDs for global use (SNA2008 and BPM6) can be downloaded from the SGR in all versions of the SDMX standard. The SGR can also be a model for the organisation of statistical data exchanges and dissemination. It is possible for an institution to publish its own SDMX artefacts in the SGR as a contribution to the global implementation of SDMX. Any end-user of statistical data can access the data structures posted on the SGR, either global as BPM6 or SNA2008, or those maintained by national or international statistical organisations in order to understand how the corresponding data are structured, and what kind of statistical information (e.g. time series) can be found, for example, in the Balance of Payments BPM6.

All information published in the SGR is publicly available and freely viewable and downloadable. There is no need to log in to view or to download information. Users can view the full content of the Global Registry, and see how the various objects are interlinked by using the Global Registry User Interface. They also have the option of "monitoring" SGR changes by means of the RSS feed that is available in the Global Registry User Interface.