UN-GGIM

On 4 November 2022, an agreement "On the Operationalization of the United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence" between the United Nations and the Federal Republic of Germany was signed. The agreement formalizes the offer from Germany to host the United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence (UN-GGCE) at the UN Campus in Bonn to support the work of enhancing global cooperation and coordination across Member States and relevant geodetic stakeholders, strengthening geodetic infrastructure, as well as supporting Member States in improving their national contributions to the global geodetic infrastructure, as outlined in the Framework Plan of the UN-GGCE annexed to the agreement.

UN-GGCE's overarching goal is to assist Member States and geodetic organizations to coordinate and collaborate to sustain, enhance, access and utilize an accurate, accessible and sustainable GGRF to support science, society and global development. The objective is to support, within available resources, the implementation of General Assembly Resolution 69/266 through strengthening and advancing: global geodetic cooperation and coordination; worldwide geodetic infrastructure; standards and policies; education, training and capacity development; and communication and awareness, while also coordinating measures and overseeing their implementation.

The UN-GGCE will have a Steering Committee, comprising representatives designated by United Nations and the Federal Republic of Germany. The Steering Committee will provide strategic advice on the annual plan of work and overall implementation of the agreed framework plan. The UN-GGCE will also have an International Advisory Committee (IAC) comprising scientific and operational expertise that will provide the required guidance and advice on the development, implementation and review of the annual plan of work. UN-GGCE is convening the inaugural meetings of its Steering Committee and IAC in conjunction with the Opening Ceremony of the Centre at the UN Campus, Bonn.

At its Twelfth Session, in its decision 12/106, the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) noted the Subcommittee on Geodesy desire to convene its Third Plenary Meeting at the UN-GGCE in Bonn once the Centre is established and further urged a greater contribution from relevant technical experts in Member States to the work of the Subcommittee. The last time the Subcommittee met in plenary was in November 2018 on the margins of the inaugural United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress.

Whilst the Opening Ceremony and the inaugural meeting of the UN-GGCE Steering Committee will be held on 29 March 2023, the inaugural meeting of the UN-GGCE International Advisory Committee and the Third Plenary Meeting of the Subcommittee on Geodesy will be held from 29 to 31 March 2023. The agendas for the inaugural meeting of the UN-GGCE International Advisory Committee and the Third Plenary Meeting of the Subcommittee will be jointly developed and coordinated to synergistically benefit from the knowledge, expertise and participation of scientific, operational and geospatial information experts during the three days at the UN Campus in Bonn.