The Eleventh Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) will consist of three two-hour meetings on 23, 24 and 27 August 2021.
As UN-GGIM partner, the World Geospatial Industry Council will be attending these meetings. As was the case for the tenth session, the eleventh session is expected to again be held in a scaled down virtual format. This planning was of course necessitated because of the continuing impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. While the organizers are awaiting a formal response and acceptance from ECOSOC, expected following its upcoming meeting in early June, it is anticipated that the proposed change of dates will be approved by the Council.
Emerging and critical issues
The tenth session of the Committee of Experts, held in a scaled down virtual format in 2020, addressed several emerging and critical issues related to geospatial information management globally. Numerous substantive activities have since been undertaken and, as follow-up, they will be reported back and deliberated upon at this eleventh session. These include: the strengthening of the institutional arrangements of the Committee; strengthening geospatial information management; the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework; how geospatial information supports and informs the Sustainable Development Goals; the sustainability and quality of the global geodetic reference frame; the
implementation of the Global Statistical Geospatial Framework, the Framework for Effective Land Administration and the Strategic Framework on Geospatial Information and Services for Disasters; and progress and activities of the Committee’s regional committees, subcommittee, high-level experts and working groups; and thematic networks, among others.
Side Events
Several important side events related to the issues before the Committee of Experts will be convened virtually in the weeks before the eleventh session, between 9 – 12 August and 16 – 19 August 2021. A draft overview of the virtual side events for the eleventh session will be available and progressively updated on the Committee’s session website. WGIC has made a request for two workshops, one on PPPs and one on common interests with UN-GGIM: Private Sector Network. Additionally, the provisional agenda, organization of work, logistical and technological arrangements, as well as other information on the eleventh session, will be gradually posted on the Committee’s website. The substantive reports to be discussed during the eleventh session will also be loaded as soon as they become available, no later than 16 July 2021. WGIC members, once again, will be invited to a WGIC response to these reports.