The João Batista Auditorium, in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Pará (ALEPA), was the stage, on the afternoon of this Wednesday (20), for a Special Session in honor of the 90 years of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and the public recognition of the trajectory and historical contribution of the IBGE to the State of Pará and to Brazil.

The session was requested by state representative Maria do Carmo (PT), who also presided over the work. When opening the session, the parliamentarian highlighted the historical importance of the institution: “It is the one that best portrays our history and, over these 90 years, has closely followed the destiny of our country.”

The event also marks a symbolic moment for the Institute, since the IBGE State Superintendency in Pará is the first state unit in Brazil to hold a Special Session in honor of the institution's 90th anniversary.

Representing the Amazon Research Foundation (Fapespa), Atyliana do Socorro Leão Dias, director of Statistics, Technology and Information Management, highlighted the legacy of the IBGE. “We must recognize its trajectory in producing fundamental information for knowledge, planning, scientific development and the elaboration of public policies aimed at improving the lives of the population,” highlighted her.

Doriedson do Socorro Rodrigues, on behalf of the Federal University of Pará, highlighted the relationship between the two institutions. “The IBGE is fundamental for the Brazilian public universities, as its work provides a set of elements that support academic research and make it possible to think about new processes,” stated him.

The superintendent of the IBGE in the state, Rony Helder Nogueira Cordeiro, thanked the honor. “It is an honor to be here. Celebrating 90 years represents recognition of all the organization's commitment, credibility, effort and dedication to Brazilian society, in various aspects — from economic and social transformations to changes in the territory. We can say that the IBGE is the federal office with the greatest reach and presence in the Brazilian territory,” stated him.

Paulo Roberto Galvão da Rocha, superintendent of the Superintendency for the Development of the Amazon (Sudam), highlighted the role of institutions such as the IBGE in consolidating democracy in Brazil. “The IBGE also plays this role of defending the human and economic development of Brazil,” highlighted him.

“The production of geoscientific and statistical data guarantees the necessary conditions to govern the future,” stated the President of the IBGE, Marcio Pochmann, when beginning his speech. He then contextualized the creation of the Institute: “This is what led President Getúlio Vargas to rethink the Brazilian statistical system, based on a diagnosis, in 1934, about the need for a new institution that responded to the desires of a society in transformation.”

Pochmann also highlighted the challenges faced in consolidating the office. “It was a battle to build the Brazilian statistical system because, given its scientific and technical commitment, it reveals the reality,” stated him.

When addressing the current scenario, the president highlighted the changes in society and the new institutional challenges. “This is the issue we face today: we are a services society, not only traditional, but also hyperconnected, with on-line and immediate information. This poses the challenge for the IBGE of, in the coming years, updating its way of working and producing. Within the Institute, we are in a process towards the digital age and in defense of national sovereignty,” told him.

Finally, he emphasized the need to project the future of the institution. “Celebrating 90 years is recognizing that the IBGE was born from the transformation of the statistical system and continues to reflect this movement. The challenge remains, and officials are committed to providing information in an increasingly faster and more agile way,” concluded him.

In addition to the Special Session at ALEPA, the state of Pará will also host other commemorative activities for the IBGE's 90th anniversary throughout 2026, integrating the institution's national celebration program.

Check out the complete program for the IBGE's 90th anniversary on the commemorative portal: IBGE 90 years

Cooperation agreement

Soon afterwards, a technical cooperation agreement was signed between the Superintendent for the Development of the Amazon and the IBGE, with the purpose of promoting joint activities for the construction and dissemination of information, contributing to the development of the IBGE and Sudam's survey areas.

Tribute to officials

Retired Survey and Planning Manager, Antonio Naia said that he lived the IBGE from the 1970s onwards. “I lived in this House for 40 years, where I met countless people and had many experiences. We have witnessed the transformation of data collection from paper to digital.”

Pedro Edson Leal, Environment and Geography Manager at SES, spoke about geosciences. “They involve many sciences, which indicate, for example, the division of state, municipal, neighborhood and district boundaries.”
Technical Advisor Norma Maria Bentes de Souza ended the moment highlighting the joy of participating in the celebration. “When I got into economic statistics in 2012, I realized that it is broad, standardized and methodologically structured, in order to guarantee an updated portrait of reality.”

 The complete program for the IBGE's 90th anniversary can be seen on the commemorative portal: https://www.ibge.gov.br/90anos/index.php.