Between the Poles: UN GGIM meeting expected to result in UN proposal for global geodetic framework

Geoff Zeiss

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July 25, 2013

UN GGIM meeting expected to result in UN proposal for global geodetic framework

At the Geospatial World Forum (GWF) in Amsterdam last year, Paul Cheung of the United Nations Initiative on Global Geospatial Information Management (GGIM) voiced the concern about their role that many national mapping agencies and other government organizations with responsibility for geospatial information have had since the advent of Google Map/Earth, private data companies like Digital Globe, Geoeye, TeleAtlas and Navteq, crowd-sourced geospatial data like OpenStreetMap, and open data policies adopted by many governments around the world.

The Second High Level Forum on Global Geospatial Information Management (GGIM) occurred in Doha, Qatar in February, 2013. The final declaration of the Forum, the Doha Declaration Advancing Global Geospatial Information Management listed important focus areas for GGIM activities.

a sustained operational global geodetic reference frame and infrastructure to support the increasing demand for positioning and monitoring applications
the greater use of geospatial information in sustainable development by supporting the the Global Map for Sustainable Development (GM4SD) with an initial focus on managing risks of natural disasters to urban populations
an agreed set of authoritative core global reference datasets to support global sustainable development activities
a stable, credible, and reliable national geospatial information infrastructure in each country built on internationally recognized standards
more training programs related to geospatial information management at all levels
regional collaboration in the promotion and development of geospatial information management

The United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management is holding a special joint session with the Cambridge Conference July 24 to 26 in Cambridge, England.

More than 280 geospatial information leaders from over 75 Member States and 40 international organizations are paartcipating in the UN GGIM third session. An expected outcome is a proposal to table a draft text during the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly that would urge Governments to support a global geodetic frame and related infrastructure.

Posted at 10:37 AM in Geomatics, Geospatial IT, Geospatial Standards | Permalink

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Between the Poles

Geoff Zeiss

March 2023

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July 25, 2013

UN GGIM meeting expected to result in UN proposal for global geodetic framework

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