Overview of UN Initiative onGlobal Geospatial Information

Management (GGIM)

•What, How and Why?•Critical Issues•Past Activities•Present Status•Future Plan

18 October 2010

What?UN’s initiative to enhance and coordinate global geospatial information management (GGIM).

How?By setting up a formal mechanism under the UN auspices to discuss and coordinate GGIM activities and by involving Member States as the key players.

Why Necessary?No initiative/organization exists in the current global geospatial information community?One more conference, travel, endless talk and headache?•There are actually many international organizations that have been working on outstanding issues on geospatial information and related subjects.

•Yet from UN perspective there is need of official mechanism that links the outcomes of these organizations to specific policy decisions and actions of the Member States.

•A mechanism needs to be established so that Member States be involved in the discussions and subsequent actions.

Opportunity rather than Competition

Why Global?

•There are growing number of global issues including many cross-border problems like climate change and natural disasters that no single nation or region can self-sufficiently deal with.

•Global coordination among Member States and international organizations is indispensable.

•Yet no global mechanism currently exists that leads to specific decisions and actions on GGIM by the Member States.

•Existing national and regional activities would be better coordinated with a new global mechanism.

Existing national and regional activities not enough?

Why UN?

•Contribution to global issues requires high level policy makers’ support.

•Member States should act as the primary player to involve policy makers in GGIM.

•UN provides Member States with the best forum for global policy development with much attention from policy makers.

•A global mechanism under the UN auspices will link all regional cartographic conferences together and serves as the apex entity of the global geospatial information community.

UN is the only entity for Member States to get together?

Why Now?

•Growing concerns on global problems including climate change and natural disasters.

•Technologies are available and more people are getting familiar with geospatial information.

•Ready to apply them for real world problems.

•Yet little coordination among Member States and international organizations, and lack of knowledge/interest among policy makers.

•Strong interest and support from the UN Secretariat.

Any urgency?

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A letter from UN to NMOs

Establishment of ISCGM

Letter from UNSD

Critical Issues (1/2)• Management of global geospatial information to address

and rapidly respond to key global challenges including climate change, disaster management, peace and security, and environmental quality

• Changing roles of governments in the emergence of growing capability of the private sector in geospatial information development and location-based services

• Coordination among Member States, and between Member States and international organizations on geospatial information management

Critical Issues (2/2)• Principles, policies, methods and mechanisms for

standardization for rapidly evolving technologies, and interoperability and sharing of geospatial data and services by overcoming legal and institutional barriers

• Compilation and dissemination on best practices of geospatial information management

• Development of effective strategies on capacity building for the management of geospatial information, especially in developing countries.

An intergovernmental process is required

Past Activities (1/2)An Informal Consultation

AndTwo Preparatory Meetings on GGIM

Convened in 2009 and 2010 by UNSD in collaboration with UNCS

Need of global mechanism on geospatial information management supported.

Preparation of a report on GGIM for ECOSOC initiated.

Past Activities (2/2)

Resolutions(at 18th UNRCC-AP and 41st UN Statistical Commission)

A report should be prepared for ECOSOC on GGIM and on the possible creation of a high level global forum

Decision(at ECOSOC in July 2010)

Secretary-General should submit a report on GGIM by 2011 session of ECOSOC.

Present Status

Mission Statement/ToR Prepared by UN Secretariat (Mission Statement/Terms of Reference of UN Committee of Experts on GGIM)

Reviewed by volunteers and revisedAvailable on the GGIM website

Informal Consultation on 17 October 2010Participants strongly supported the establishment of UN mechanism on GGIM

Future Plan

Third Preparatory Meeting planned in March 2011(Final draft report for ECOSOC will be discussed)

ECOSOC Session in July 2011(Secretary-General’s report will be discussed)

First High Level Forum on GGIM in October 2011(Seoul, Korea)

For further information, please visit the GGIM web site:

http://ggim.un.org/

GGIM Web Site

First High Level Forum on GGIM