UN-GGIM Geospatial Societies


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News

 

2018

After more than 20 years of successfully encouraging implementation of spatial data infrastructure GSDI ‘hand the baton on to others.’ Please read more at:  http://gsdiassociation.org/index.php/news/965-gsdi-association-in-transition.html

2017

Joint Board of GIS changes name to UN-GGIM-Geospatial Societies (UN-GGIM-GS)


2016

JB-GIS had its official meeting during ISPRS meeting in July 2016. Members of JB-GIS also met at UN-GGIM6 meeting. JB-GIS participated in the UN-GGIM Extended Bureau meeting on 1 December 2016, New York, USA


2015

JBGIS Participates at 2015 Meeting of the Committee of Experts of the UN-GGIM

The 5th meeting of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) met at the UN Headquarters in New York from 5-7 August 2015. The meeting document can be downloaded from http://ggim.un.org/ggim_committee.html. The JBGIS made the following remarks to the CoE meeting:

  • Take note of the report in E/C.20/2015/15/Add.1, being the report of the JBGIS to the CoE meeting
  • Encourage participation in the International Map Year
  • Approve the map exhibition focusing on Sustainable Development Goals for the 6th UN-GGIM in August 2016
  • Include JBGIS members on new Working Groups
  • Utilize the expertise of the JBGIS in organising the 4th High Level Forum, scheduled for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mid-April 2016

2014

Supports 3rd High Level Forum of the UN-GGIM

Several representatives of JBGIS made presentations at the 3rd HLF of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), 22-24 October 2014, held in Beijing, China. In particular:

  • Mark Cygan (IMIA), spoke on behalf of the JBGIS during the Opening Ceremony
  • Teo Chee Hai (FIG), moderated the session “Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements”
  • Abbas Rajabifard (GSDI), gave keynote address in the session “Climate Change and Disaster Mitigation”
  •  Mark Cygan (IMIA), member of panel on “Leveraging the Technology Revolution”
  • Chen Jun (ISPRS), gave keynote address in the session “Working Together Across Borders and Regions”
  •  Robert Ward (IHO), member of panel on “Working Together Across Borders and Regions”

Report of HLF 

Beijing Declaration


Participates at 2014 Meeting of the Committee of Experts of the UN-GGIM

The 4th meeting of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) met at the UN Headquarters in New York from 6-8 August 2014. One of the first items on the agenda endorsed by the JBGIS, and the Committee of Experts, was a draft Resolution on the Global Geodetic Reference Frame (GGRF). This was presented to the UN General Assembly on 26 February 2015.

Report of GGRF resolution


Attendees at the meeting of the Committee of Experts of the UN-GGIM listening to a presentation from the GGRF Working Group chair, Mr Gary Johnson (Australia)


2013

The Value of Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management (VALID) Booklet Launch

Click picture for bigger format
O. Altan and R. Backhaus

On 3 September 2013, Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JBGIS), International Council for Science (ICSU) - GeoUnions, and United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) presented a new report in Vienna, Austria, which shows the economic, humanitarian and organisational benefits of applying Geoinformation to disaster management. This report was edited by a team headed Orhan Altan and Robert Backhaus. The publication aims to raise awareness and to help set priorities in research and development. FIG as a member of JBGIS was represented by Gert Steinkellner, the president of the Austrian FIG-member organisation.

The publication can be downloaded freely by the
http://www.un-spider.org/sites/default/files/VALIDPublication.pdf  (9MB) or
without login for the full 30 MB version
https://app.box.com/s/ch80uodlfz29tzn11f9q

Annual Meeting of the Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies
31 August 2013, Potsdam, Germany 

The International Association of Geodesy (IAG) hosted the 2013 meeting of the Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JBGIS) in Potsdam at the DeutschesGeoForschungs-Zentrum GFZ.


Exchange Forum : Future Proofing the Provision of Geoinformation : Emerging Technologies, with the international geospatial industry, Doha, Qatar, 3 February 2013

An Exchange Forum with the Geospatial Industry was developed and facilitated as a collaborative effort, developed and moderated by members of the organisations that comprise JBGIS and facilitated by the UN Cartographic Section, Strategic Support Service, Department of Field Support, with support from the UN Statistics Division. Colleagues from the international industry, government, research and education geospatial community also generously supported the Exchange.

It was held at the Qatar National Convention Centre, Doha, Qatar on the day immediately before the Second High Level Forum on GGIM, on Sunday February 3, 2013. The Exchange was entitled: Future Proofing the Provision of Geoinformation: Emerging Technologies. This pre-conference exchange facilitated the continued involvement of the geospatial industry at the most senior levels in the discussions surrounding UN-GGIM. It serves as a means for the industry to ‘tie’ into the GGIM agenda, while demonstrating some of the trends and directions in which the industry is heading.

Four focus issues were addressed during the Exchange: Determining place, Monitoring place, Connecting place and Delivering [geoinformation about] place. Below are summaries of the focus of each session and the outcomes. 

  • Determining place
    The session addressed the methods and technologies used to determine place. Advances in geodetic reference frames and techniques, surveying methods and technologies and the overarching concepts of geographic information collection and classification were the themes of this focus session. The session covered how new technologies can be used to facilitate the efficient location of geographic information – from global to local applications.
    Summary of the outcomes of this session:
    IAG has developed an accurate International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS) on which all GNSS positioning services are based. The sustainability of ITRS implementation and associated infrastructures require intergovernmental support and commitment through a UN mandate.
     

  • Monitoring place
    Advances in remote sensing and imaging, and related technologies continue to make data collection, monitoring and surveillance more efficient. This is happening from local to global applications. This session provided discourse on technologies; strategies and methodologies that facilitate essential information capture to support global geospatial initiatives.
    Summary of the outcomes of this session:
    Noting the advances in number, types and capacities of platform and sensors, imageries is the main source of data and the basis for monitoring place. There remain the needs for open standards and strategies to demonstrate the underlying economic benefit of geospatial information as well as consideration to address privacy issues that are context driven. These are important considerations for the future technological development.
     

  • Connecting place
    Facilitating the accessibility and usefulness of geolocated data and collected information relies upon having systems and agreements in place that enable the efficient use of these resources. At a global level, just having information available is not enough – efficient and usable methods for management, access and dissemination are needed. This session covered the advances in research and development and current initiatives being applied to ensure that decision-makers are able to better access and use geospatial data and information.
    Summary of the outcomes of this session:
    Collaborating and communicating across disciplines using the value of place to facilitate informed decision making to improve societies. This could be achieved by integrating authoritative and crowd-sourced information and place-based analysis using the Cloud platform.
     

  • Delivering [geoinformation about] place
    Once geospatial data and information is collected, analysed and represented there exists the need to have systems and standards in place to ensure efficient delivery of that data and information. Rapid advances are being made in this area, as electronic production and publishing methods are combined with contemporary communications systems for output and delivery. This session provided information regarding current and developing technologies for production and delivery of authoritative data and information for decision-makers.  
    Summary of the outcomes of this session:
    Contemporary GIS offers flexible platforms for managing and integrating data under the context of location. Electronic production and publishing methods are combined with contemporary communications systems for output and delivery. There remain the needs for effective communication of geospatial information through context-dependent contemporary cartographic presentation techniques to ensure efficient


2012

Annual Meeting of the Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies
26 August 2012, Melbourne, Australia

The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) hosted the 2012 edition of the meeting of the Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JBGIS) at its XXII Congress in Melbourne, Australia on 26 August 2012.

Report from the meeting


2010

JB-GIS Best Practices Booklet on Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management, Examples and Best Practices

2 July 2010, a press conference and book launch by the Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JB GIS) and the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) at the UNOOSA office in Vienna, Austria, released the booklet they jointly produced titled Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management, Examples and Best Practices.

To download a copy of this booklet go to: http://www.fig.net/jbgis/publications/jbgis_booklet_2010.pdf 

24 July 2010


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This page is maintained by the FIG Office. Last revised on 18-06-05.