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SECOND HIGH LEVEL FORUM ON GLOBAL GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Qatar National Convention Centre, Doha, Qatar, 4-6 February 2013

We are pleased to record that the Second High Level Forum on Global Geospatial Information Management (GGIM) was held in Doha, Qatar from 4-6 February, 2013 at the Qatar National Convention Centre.

The Secretariat of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), in collaboration with the Government of Qatar, successfully convened the Second High Level Forum.

The Forum bought together 350 participants from 60 Member States, international organizations, the private sector, and UN entities who affirmed the importance of UN-GGIM providing global leadership on geospatial information management, and committed to support the ensuing projects and programmes through the Doha Declaration. The participation of Qatar’s Prime Minister and the delivery of eight Ministerial Statements also highlighted the importance accorded to UN-GGIM aims and activities.

The activities began on Sunday, 3 February, 2013 with An ‘Exchange Forum with the Geospatial Industry’. The High Level Forum began on Monday, 4 February, 2012 with an Opening Ceremony and Ministerial Segment, followed by five technical sessions over the next three days. Each session had a keynote presentation, panel presentations and discussion with the audience.

The discussions were centered on building national geospatial information systems, sharing some of their strategies and successes, an examination of the technological trends impacting the future of geospatial information management and how these technologies can be best leveraged, the challenges experienced and the solutions used to develop geospatial reference data sets, the overwhelming need to use geospatial information to address sustainable development issues, and also emphasized the requirement for UN-GGIM to provide leadership to ensure sustainable geodetic frameworks that are operable nationally, regionally and globally.

The High Level Forum provided the opportunity for Member States of the ESCWA region to meet to discuss UN-GGIM. All 11 Member States present agreed in principle that more regional cooperation on GGIM was needed. UN-ESCWA and the UN-GGIM Secretariat, with the help of other regional GGIM groups, will provide the guidance and support to help the region to establish their own regional GGIM mechanism.

For additional information on the Second High Level Forum on GGIM, visit the Government of Qatar's website.

Photo gallery

List of documents
 
Outcome of Second High Level Forum on Global Geospatial Information Management (GGIM)
Opening AdDresses
Ministerial segment
Presentation Materials
  • Session 1: Building a National Geospatial Information System: Driving Forces, Success Stories
  • Keynote: Mr. Li Pengde, Deputy Director General, NASG, China, Abstract | Presentation
  • Panel Discussion:
    • Ms. Vanessa Lawrence, Director General and Chief Executive, Ordnance Survey, United Kingdom, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Krishna Raj, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Land Reform and Management, Nepal, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Enrique De Alba Guerra, Vice-President, INEGI, Mexico, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Peter Nwilo, Surveyor General, Nigeria, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Abdul Kadir bin Taib, Director General, Department of Survey & Mapping, Malaysia, Abstract | Presentation
  • Session 2: Future Trends in Geospatial Information: Growing the Information Base, Promoting Greater Use
  • Keynote: Ms. Vanessa Lawrence, Director General and Chief Executive, Ordnance Survey, United Kingdom, Abstract | Presentation
  • Panel Discussion:
    • Mr. Im, JooBin, President, National Geographic Information Institute, Republic of Korea, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Sultan Mohammed, Director General, Ethiopian Mapping Agency, Ethiopia, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Timothy Trainor, Chief, Geography Division, US Census Bureau, USA, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Vincent Hoong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Land Authority, Singapore, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. William Cartwright, President, JB-GIS, Abstract | Presentation
  • Session 3: Developing an Effective Global Geodetic Reference Framework and Supporting Location-Based Services
  • Keynote: Mr. Hansjorg Kutterer, President, Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy, Germany, Abstract | Presentation
  • Panel Discussion:
  • Session 4: Geospatial Information and Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
  • Keynote: Mr. Yoshikazu Fukushima, Director General of Geocartographic Department, Geospatial Information Authority, Japan, Abstract | Presentation
  • Panel Discussion:
    • Mr. Claude Obin Tapsoba, Director General, Geographic Institute, Burkina Faso, Abstract | Presentation
    • Ms. Ingrid Vanden Berghe, Administrator-General, National Geographic Institute, Belgium, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Olaf Magnus Østensen, Norwegian Mapping Authority and Chair of ISO/TC 211, Norway, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Asep Karsidi, Director General, Geospatial Information Agency, Indonesia, Abstract | Presentation
    • Ms. Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director, European Environment Agency, Abstract | Presentation
  • Session 5: Challenges in Developing Core Global Reference Datasets
  • Keynote: Mr. Derek Clarke, Chief Directorate, Surveys and Mapping, South Africa, Abstract | Presentation
  • Panel Discussion:
    • Ms. Sue Gordon, General Manager, LINZ, New Zealand, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Bengt Kjellson, Director General, Lantmäteriet, Sweden, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Javid Abdullayev, State Committee of Land and Cartography, Republic of Azerbaijan, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Khalid Al-Haidan, Director, GIS Directorate, Central Informatics Organization, Bahrain, Abstract | Presentation
    • Mr. Gottfried Konecny, University of Hannover, ISPRS, Abstract | Presentation
    Other documents
    • Note:

      * Please be informed that the technical reports submitted by regional entities and member states are not reviewed or edited by the secretariat. These reports facilitate the technical discussion of the subject matters on the agenda and help clarify technical issues. The contents of the reports does not reflect the position of the United Nations Secretariat.

      The designations employed and the presentation of material does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, city or area, or of its authorities, concerning the appellation of places, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.