News in 2024
|
During the week of 22-26 January, the city of Aguascalientes, Mexico, hosted several expert meetings and consultations of Global Geospatial Information Management (UN GGIM) including the High-Level Group on the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (HLG-IGIF), the Expanded Bureau of UN-GGIM, and workshop on geospatial information for Accelerating the Achievement of the SDGs. The workshop focused on the Americas but with contributions and experiences from mainly Africa.
The host Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI) arranged a well-organised in a friendly and welcoming environment at the head quarter to ensure good discussions.
FIG was noted by several, not least by the newly established UN-GGIM Centres of Excellence on Knowledge and Innovation in China and on Geodesy in Germany as an important partner in supporting the work of the UN-GGIM to ensure reaching the goals and vision. FIG was represented by Mikael Lilje, vice president.
More information about the meetings can be found here: https://ggim.un.org/meetings/2024/Aguascalientes/
The High-Level Group on the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (HLG-IGIF) organized a two-day meeting in which they further discussed the strategic orientations, approaches, materials, and trainings to support Member States in their efforts to accomplish the UN-IGIF at the country-level. It can be noted that the UN Centre of Excellence on Knowledge and Innovation noted the need to reach out to member states and sees opportunities to partner with organizations as FIG and others in doing so and using our extensive network and experience.
The UN-IGIF was demonstrated to serve as a key umbrella framework for many of the activities under the UN-GGIM program of work playing a pivotal role in strengthening nationally integrated geospatial information management and advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in all countries. A global survey concluded that the knowledge of UN-IGIF is growing, and the implementation of the framework is increasing.
The choice of methodology to be used for the implementation is not crucial, the national commitment by involved authorities and partners is. Developing Country Level Action Plans (CAP) is happening in many member states but the next step, implementing the CAP, is still a challenge since that also is depending on sustainability, financing, and commitment. To further support the use of UN IGIF it was noted that the framework is being translated into several languages as English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
The Bureau of the Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management also organized a meeting with members of its expanded bureau and High-level Group of the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework. The meting discussed strategic priorities focusing on the importance of accelerating the implementation of ECOSOC resolution 2022/24. The resolution is calling for strengthening of national geospatial information management arrangements, toward the achievement of the SDGs, and the establishment of the Secretariat for the Committee of Experts as soon as possible. The key word throughout the meeting, as well as for the week, was implementation. Implementation, implementation, implementation!
It was noted that there is now a strong expectation that the UN-GGIM secretariat in New York soon will be strengthened with several permanent and financed staff members to support the member states in achieving the mission of the UN-GGIM. It was also discussed about the upcoming fourteenth session in New York in August as well as the upcoming Seventh High-level Forum in October in Mexico and the expected progress and deliveries regarding e.g. UN-IGIF, the Future of the Geospatial Information Ecosystem and on geospatial information for climate and resilience.
More information about UN-GGIM can be found on https://ggim.un.org/.
During the last two days of the meeting, the SDG Data Alliance organized a workshop entitled “Accelerating the Achievement of the SDGs” focusing on key capacity development and knowledge transfer to enable countries to strengthen nationally integrated geospatial information using the UN-IGIF. Member states from Africa and the Americas shared experiences and insights on implementing the UN-IGIF and developing of their Country Level Action Plans. Sharing experience between member states, and with the support of SDG Alliance, is important to ensure the implementation of UN-IGIF. The UN Centre of Knowledge and Innovation in China as well as the upcoming UN Centre of Excellence in Saudi Arabia will be crucial in the way forward.
Mikael Lilje, FIG Vice President
January 2024
