December 15, 2015 — The mandate to develop this work, which is critical for supporting sustainability, disaster response, land management, and environmental resilience, was given to UN-GGIM: Europe during the 5th Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). It comes as UN-GGIM: Europe adopts its work plan for 2015 to 2018.
“It has been a really exciting and productive first year,” said Bengt Kjellson, Chair of UN-GGIM: Europe Executive Committee.
“UN-GGIM is a catalyst for enhancing geospatial information and, since UN-GGIM: Europe was officially established in October 2014, it has contributed in a number of ways. Highlights include outputs from our regional Working Groups such as recommendations for meeting priority user needs; assessing the data required for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals; and draft work on core data descriptions.”
“Our mandate from UN-GGIM builds on this work at European level, enabling collaboration with UN Member States, other regional committees and observer organisations across the world. By identifying key national and regional datasets that can be harmonised to form common information frameworks, we aim to establish the basis for a minimum set of agreed global fundamental geospatial data themes.”
The 2015 to 2018 work plan also includes:
• Further progress on core data and data integration through UN-GGIM: Europe’s two working groups.
• Developing and sharing regional initiatives and best practice with UN-GGIM’s Global Working Group on a Global Geodetic Reference Frame.
• Contributing practical examples of good practice in land administration and management.
The 2015 to 2018 work plan was adopted at the 2nd Plenary of UN-GGIM: Europe.
UN-GGIM: Europe is a regional committee of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).
Drawing on the national capacities and capabilities of Member States, UN-GGIM was established in 2011. It takes a leading role in setting the agenda for global geospatial information development as well as in promoting its benefits for addressing both national policy and key global challenges.