UN-GGIM

The United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) at its Twelfth Session from 3 - 5 August 2022, with decision 12/111, noted the intention of the Working Group to convene its Fourth Expert Meeting in Genoa, Italy from 30 January to 3 February 2023. Also at the Twelfth Session, UN-GGIM in welcoming the report of the Working Group, noted progress towards an updated workplan for the period 2023 - 2024 that would continue raising awareness, providing guidance and encouraging the availability and accessibility of marine geospatial information for the benefit of society, the environment and the economy. The Twelfth Session also endorsed Part One of the Operational Framework for Integrated Marine Geospatial Information (UN-IGIF-Hydro), an executive summary of the Operational Framework, and emphasized that the UN-IGIF-Hydro must provide practical guidance that Member States could use to enhance the availability and accessibility of marine geospatial information, including but not restricted to hydrography, oceanography, marine geology, marine biology, human related activities and maritime governance, and that future marine geospatial infrastructures should be integrated with the broader geospatial ecosystem essential for the sustainable development of the world's resources and vital for responding to the impacts of climate change, which is particularly relevant to small island developing States.

This Fourth Expert Meeting of the Working Group allows members of the Working Group together with invited experts to review, discuss and consider its activities and progress to-date; efforts to advance the UN-IGIF and its nine strategic pathways with UN-IGIF-Hydro; and the workplan for the period 2023 - 2024 to enhance the availability and accessibility of marine geospatial information for resilience and sustainable development. The Fourth Expert Meeting will be held in conjunction with the Fourteenth meeting of the Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure Working Group of the International Hydrographic Organization and the Annual meeting of the Marine Domain Working Group of the Open Geospatial Consortium. These meetings will be co-located within a week-long programme, with joint agenda items where appropriate, to deliver the objectives and desired outcomes for each of the three working groups. These joint meetings enhance peer-to-peer engagements, interactions, learning and exchange of knowledge, information and experience, promote coordination, collaboration and avoid duplication of efforts.

UN-GGIM recognized the need to consider the marine environment, namely, inland waters and waterways, shorelines, coastal waters, seas and oceans, as a key component of any national geospatial information management arrangements essential for the effective administration, management and governance of land and marine spaces, and the national geospatial resources of Member States. At its Seventh Session in August 2017, UN-GGIM established the Working Group on Marine Geospatial Information and endorsed its terms of reference. Marine geospatial information encompasses inland water bodies and waterways, coastal zones, seas and oceans contributes to the availability and accessibility of comprehensive location-based information to support Governments in developing policies, priorities and programmes, make decisions, and measure and monitor progress and outcomes. The Working Group aims to play a leading role in marine geospatial information policies at the global level to support the wellbeing of billions of inhabitants reliant on sustainable inland water bodies and waterways, coastal zones, seas and oceans. The Working Group is to provide a forum for dialogue and coordination among Member States, and between Member States and the International Hydrographic Organization, United Nations system and relevant international organizations to enhance global cooperation, advocate and improve the availability and accessibility of marine geospatial information.