UN-GGIM

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 2022/24, adopted on 22 July 2022, reiterated the importance of strengthening and enhancing the effectiveness of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management particularly for the achievement of its operations focused on the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework, to strengthen and ensure its continued effectiveness and benefits to all Member States. The thirteenth session of the Committee of Experts focused on the urgent needs to enhance national geospatial information management to support accelerated achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals, leveraging the Committee's adopted norms, frameworks, principles and guides as strategies and mechanisms to develop, integrate, strengthen and maximize geospatial information management and related resources and leadership in all countries.

The Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Li Junhua, in his opening remarks, underscored the importance of geospatial information for guiding policy decisions at all levels, especially for advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. At the commencement of the thirteenth session, the Committee of Experts elected by acclamation: Ms. Ingrid Vanden Berghe (Belgium), Mr. Fernand Eanes Bale (Côte d'Ivoire) and Ms. Paloma Merodio Gómez (Mexico) as Co-Chairs and Mr. Kamal Outghouliast (Morocco) as Rapporteur. The Committee adopted fourteen decisions related to its substantive agenda, decided that the fourteenth session of the Committee of Experts shall be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 7 to 9 August 2024 together with a provisional agenda. The Committee is requesting ECOSOC to take note of its report on its thirteenth session (E/2024/46) and to approve the dates and provisional agenda for its fourteenth session.

The session was attended by 282 participants from 80 Member States. Also present were the representatives of 83 organizations of the United Nations system and observers for intergovernmental, non-governmental and other organizations. A number of side events and meetings were also convened by regional committees, functional groups and thematic networks of the Committee of Experts on the margins of the thirteenth session that brought together valuable views and perspectives and sharing of knowledge and experiences. More information on the thirteenth session including reports, background documents and the draft report of the Committee of Experts on its thirteenth session can be found on this website.