UN-GGIM

At its fifteenth session, in decision 15/112, the Committee of Experts welcomed the report and background documents of the Working Group on Policy and Legal frameworks for Geospatial Information Management. Given the increasing global challenges related to reliable data, the rapidly evolving digital landscape and the rise of Artificial Intelligence, the Committee of Experts expressed its appreciation for the progress of the Working Group on Policy and Legal frameworks for Geospatial Information Management in addressing relevant and complex policy and legal issues related to authoritative data and emerging technologies.

During the fifteenth session, the Committee of Experts noted the updated paper "Data for public good in the digital world” , which aligns with the objectives of the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, and provides considerations for formulating geospatial policies for the public good grounded in an era of digital transformation with the aim to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ahead of the establishment of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance (A/RES/79/325) of 26 August 2025, the Committee endorsed on 8 August 2025 its “Rallying Statement to the Geospatial Sector of the Developing Legal and Regulatory Framework on AI,” the “International Regulations on AI in Geospatial Applications”, further noted the concept paper “Addressing the Implications of the Developing Legal and Regulatory Framework on AI for the Geospatial Sector,” and emphasized the importance to engage with regulators and stakeholders to ensure policies are targeted, effective, and proportionate for AI governance for the geospatial domain.

The Committee of Experts further welcomed the upcoming in-person meeting of the Working Group to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 7–9 October 2025, and encouraged active participation. The Third in-person expert meeting of the Working Group on Policy and Legal Frameworks on Geospatial Information Management, hosted by the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information of Saudi Arabia, provides a forum for members of the Working Group together with invited participants to explore policy and legal issues for geospatial information management including related to the current focus of the Workplan Policy and Legal 2025-2027. The current focus of the Work Plan includes: addressing policy and legal considerations for global geospatial information management that respond to evolving societal progress and technological developments, notably, related to AI; providing relevant expertise and support to the Committee of Experts in the development of norms, principles and guidelines, sustaining and developing legal-policy capacity to respond to the needs of Member States; and communicating the value of sound, robust policy and legal frameworks for geospatial information management, among and with relevant stakeholders and partners.