The February issue of the WGIC Policy Watch highlights a number of advances, which in just the second month of 2021, are already taking hold. Contained herein are initiatives being undertaken in Australia, the European Union, India, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
In Australia, a collaborative effort for protecting personal privacy information, has resulted in a data privacy tool that identifies risks associated with sensitive and personal information embedded in selected datasets, being reidentified and matched to individuals.
Advances in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) cover a range of topics and geographies. In the European Union, GNSS software has been designed to strengthen linkages with the rapidly growing small satellite market. In the United States, a policy directive highlighting the importance of the Global Positioning System (GPS) was recently issued, and also in the U.S., NASA is developing a navigation architecture that will include GNSS signals for selected space missions. In the Indian State of West Bengal, GPS systems are being installed on refrigerated vans carrying COVID-19 vaccines to optimize vaccination regimes.
In the Netherlands, a partnership with Ukraine has been forged to aid the development and operation of a National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in Ukraine. In Pakistan, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has instituted a program that allows e-bidding on contracts, e-billing with contractors, and GIS mapping – all in hopes of reducing corruption in the sector.
Interestingly, in the UAE, a Space Court is being developed to settle commercial disputes. As Space tourism and mining grow, entities in both the UAE and abroad may seek arbitration in this venue. Lastly, the U.K., in partnership with the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), has committed resources to identify examples of the sustainable use of outer Space, and to promote the Long-term Sustainability (LTS) guidelines and their implantation.
Please join us in reading the February 2021 issue of Policy Watch.
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