UN-GGIM:
Building global data sharing
capacity and policy
GEO Data Sharing Working Group
13 January 2014
Geneva, Switzerland
Greg Scott
Inter-Regional Advisor, GGIM
United Nations Statistics Division
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
ggim.un.org
UN-GGIM: A global initiative
Formal inter-governmental UN Committee of Experts to:
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Discuss, enhance and coordinate Global Geospatial
Information Management activities by involving Member
States at the highest level. Reports to ECOSOC
Make joint decisions and set directions on the use of
geospatial information within national and global policy
frameworks
Work with Governments to improve policy, institutional
arrangements, and legal frameworks
Address global issues and contribute collective knowledge as
a community with shared interests and concerns
Develop effective strategies to build geospatial capacity in
developing countries
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UN-GGIM: Program of activities
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Future Trends and Inventory of Issues
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Develop baselines - policy and legal, institutional
arrangements, governance, methodologies
Sustaining the global geodetic reference frame
Implement and adopt international standards and
interoperability
Establishing a global geospatial information platform for
sustainable development: Post-2015 development agenda
Information integration – land, marine, environment, urban
hazards, statistics
Implement a global-regional architecture for UN-GGIM
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UN-GGIM: Developments in data sharing
Decisions – 3rd Session of the Committee of Experts, July 2013
• Global geodetic reference frame:
– Need to improve global cooperation within geodesy, including to openly share
data to contribute to regional and global reference frames
– Preparing a draft resolution for GA to ensure long-term sustainability
– Urges Member States to implement open geodetic data sharing through
relevant national mechanisms and inter-governmental cooperation and
coordination
• Legal and policy frameworks:
– Significant legal and policy challenges emerging for geospatial information,
including issues related to data licensing, sharing, pricing, privacy, quality,
liability, authority, security and open data
– Reach out to the International Bar Association regarding their current work on
a draft Convention on Geoinformation
– Work with the Centre for Spatial Law and Policy and Member States, building
on the work of regional entities and other relevant fora such as GEO
http://ggim.un.org/docs/meetings/3rd%20UNCE/GGIM_3%20final%20report%209%20Aug_FINAL.pdf
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Proposed Convention on Geoinformation
• Initiated by the International Bar Association: “We need to have proper
account of the military, environmental and humanitarian aspects of the
geoinformation issue”
• Draws on, inter alia, 1986 UN Principles relating to Remote Sensing, GEO,
EARSC, etc
• Intended to apply to all geoinformation, collected from whatever source, for
whatever purpose
• Trying to address in one document a number of complex issues that are critical
to the geospatial community – such as privacy, data quality, intellectual
property rights, and national security
• Could result in a number of new regulations and burdens on industry and
some governments with respect to the collection, use and distribution of
geoinformation
• Could increase potential liability risks for industry (and some government
agencies) and would likely dampen the willingness of individuals to contribute
geoinformation due to liability concerns
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UN-GGIM: Developments in data sharing
Decisions – 3rd Session of the Committee of Experts, July 2013
• Implementation of standards for the global GI community:
– Stressed the importance of implementing and adopting standards within
national legal and policy frameworks for effective data sharing
– Work with the standardization bodies (ISO/TC211, OGC, IHO) to develop and
communicate core essential standards
• Linking geospatial information to statistics and other data:
– Critical to integrate geospatial information with statistics and socio-economic
data and develop a ‘geospatial-statistical framework’, especially in the
context of the on-going debate on the post-2015 development agenda
– Expert Group created and International Conference planned for August 2014.
Address issues such as institutional arrangements and standards that would
facilitate better data integration
http://ggim.un.org/docs/meetings/3rd%20UNCE/GGIM_3%20final%20report%209%20Aug_FINAL.pdf
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UN-GGIM: Developments in data sharing
Decisions – 3rd Session of the Committee of Experts, July 2013
• Global map for sustainable development:
– Requested to provide a clear understanding of the needs and requirements of
the sustainable development user community
– Engage the UN Open Working Group on SDGs. Side event convened during the
Seventh Session of the OWG
• Activities on GI within the United Nations system:
– Urged international organizations and agencies, within and outside the UN
system, which collect geospatial data from countries to make them available
in a transparent and coordinated manner, while respecting the need to keep
the efforts technical in nature, so as to not raise political concerns
– Stressed the need for better coordination and clarification of roles and
responsibilities of geospatial information management activities, both within
and outside the UN system, and requested the Secretariat and UNGIWG to
work together and report back to the Committee
http://ggim.un.org/docs/meetings/3rd%20UNCE/GGIM_3%20final%20report%209%20Aug_FINAL.pdf
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In conclusion…
• GEO Secretariat participated in 3rd Session of UN-GGIM. Strategic
relationship between UN-GGIM and GEO is seen as being valuable
• UN-GGIM and GEO share some important common goals and objectives
in setting the global agenda for the development and use of geospatial
data and information to address key global challenges, including
sustainable development
• In many cases we interact with the same agencies and individuals –
Member States, UN system, international organizations, private sector
• We may operate in different trade spaces, but when they touch each
other we should be coordinated. Member States are wanting this
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Thank You
scott12@un.org
http://ggim.un.org
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
ggim.un.org