Meeting of Experts Will Seek Improved Coordination, Access to Global

 

Geospatial Information for Solving Development Challenges

 

Representatives from 90 United Nations Member States as well as more than 50 international and civil society organizations and private sector entities will gather in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 23 to 27 October for a series of high‑profile meetings aimed at improving the global management and coordination of geospatial information and the application of geospatial technology in solving global socio‑economic challenges.

The use of geospatial information (location‑based information) goes beyond national frontiers, and with many disasters and pandemic diseases having cross‑border impacts, tackling them calls for the global location and display of relevant information.  There is therefore a need for common frameworks and standards for national data to be used regionally and internationally and to harmonize definitions and methods that will enhance the global use, accessibility and application of geospatial information.

“Over the last decade, new technologies have deeply transformed the availability and accessibility of geospatial information and its potential uses,” said Sha Zukang, Under‑Secretary‑General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary‑General of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (“ Rio+20”).  “After recent earthquakes in several countries, there was great demand for quick and comprehensive geospatial information, from all sources.”  Noting that there was still much fragmentation in national institutional arrangements, as geospatial information entities were often scattered across ministries, he added:  “The same could also be said for the UN.  Thus there is a great need for a thorough discussion on the geospatial policies and institutional arrangements.”

The power of pooling high‑resolution satellite imagery, geospatial information, and particularly census and statistical information for decision‑making and policy formulation has now been fully recognized, while accessibility to such information is seen as an important development tool.  Traditional maps have long been the primary tool for users to view and access geospatial information.  In past decades, rapid advances in geospatial information technology are enabling better access and integration of location‑based information and transforming the traditional role of maps to include new tools for analysis and management.

Some 350 participants in Seoul will aim to bring countries together in sharing their experiences of organizing geospatial information infrastructure and policy priorities, and of dealing with crowd‑sourced information as opposed to that produced by national authorities.

On 23 October, the Korean National Geographic Information Institute and the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs will host a policy and technology dialogue between industry leaders and Government officials on geospatial technology and global challenges.  The dialogue will lead into the High‑level Forum on Global Geospatial Information Management, from 24 to 26 October, organized by the Department’s Statistics Division, the Cartographic Section of the United Nations Department of Field Support and the Republic of Korea’s National Geographic Information Institute.  On 26 October, the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management — the Organization’s relevant official consultative mechanism — will convene its first meeting to discuss, among other procedural matters, its contribution to Rio+20.  On the final day, Statistics Korea, the United States Census Bureau, Eurostat and the United Nations Statistics Division will organize a seminar on the integration of statistical and geospatial information.

The United Nations Programme on Global Geospatial Information Management plays a leading role in setting the agenda for the development of global geospatial information and the promotion of its use to address key global challenges.

Global Geospatial Information Management provides a forum for liaising with and coordinating among Member States, and between them and international organizations while serving as the apexentity of the global geospatial information community.  In 2011, the United Nations established the Committee of Experts to improve the global management and coordination of geospatial information.  It brought together decision‑makers and specialists from all Member States as well as international professional organizations to propose work plans and guidelines with a view to promoting common principles, policies, methods, mechanisms and standards for the interoperability and interchangeability of geospatial data and services.

For more information, please contact Paul Cheung, Director, United Nations Statistics Division, tel: + 1 212 963 2563, e-mail:  paul.cheung@un.org.  Further information on the Seoul meetings is available at http://ggim.un.org/.

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For information media • not an official record