Global Geospatial Information Management
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| Global Geospatial Information Management | |
|---|---|
| Name | Global Geospatial Information Management |
| Abbreviation | GGIM |
| Formation | 2011 |
| Type | Intergovernmental mechanism |
| Headquarters | New York |
| Parent organization | United Nations |
| Region served | International |
Global Geospatial Information Management is an intergovernmental mechanism established to coordinate international efforts on spatial data, spatial information, cartography, and geodesy. It brings together representatives from United Nations bodies, national mapping agencies, statistical offices, and multilateral institutions to align policies and standards for geospatial data sharing, capacity building, and application in sustainable development, disaster risk reduction, and urban planning.
Overview and Definitions
Global Geospatial Information Management operates at the intersection of the United Nations system, national mapping authorities such as the Ordnance Survey and United States Geological Survey, and international bodies like the International Cartographic Association and International Hydrographic Organization, seeking harmonization of geospatial terminology across entities like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, European Commission, African Union, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Definitions used within the mechanism reference established frameworks from the International Organization for Standardization, the Open Geospatial Consortium, the International Telecommunication Union, the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, and regional agencies such as European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and China National Space Administration.
History and Evolution
The mechanism's origins trace to initiatives by the United Nations Economic and Social Council and consultations involving multilateral organizations including the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Early precursors include collaboration platforms such as the Global Earth Observation System of Systems and conferences like the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and Rio+20. Subsequent milestone events include resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly, ministerial meetings with delegations from United Kingdom, United States, China, India, Brazil, and regional commissions such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and Economic Commission for Africa.
Institutional Frameworks and Governance
Governance is structured through plenary sessions and expert groups drawing participants from institutions like the International Federation of Surveyors, the United Nations Statistical Commission, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and regional bodies such as the Pacific Community and Caribbean Community. Collaborative partnerships extend to development banks including the Asian Development Bank and African Development Bank and United Nations agencies like UNICEF and UN Women. Advisory and technical committees liaise with standards organizations including the International Hydrographic Organization and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to integrate geospatial policy into instruments such as the Sustainable Development Goals agenda and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Standards, Data Sources, and Technologies
Standards frameworks referenced include specifications from the International Organization for Standardization and protocols from the Open Geospatial Consortium, supplemented by geodetic references maintained by the International Association of Geodesy and the International GNSS Service. Core data sources span satellite missions and programs like Landsat, Copernicus Programme, MODIS, Sentinel, and radar systems by agencies such as JAXA and Roscosmos, alongside national cadastral datasets held by the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (Spain), the National Mapping Agency of Japan, and the Geological Survey of Canada. Technologies emphasized include Global Positioning System, Galileo (satellite navigation), Inertial navigation system, remote sensing platforms, geographic information systems developed by firms such as Esri and open-source projects inspired by OpenStreetMap, and cloud infrastructures from providers like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure used for big geospatial analytics.
Applications and Use Cases
Practical applications span areas championed by organizations like the United Nations Development Programme and the World Health Organization including urban resilience for cities such as New York City and Tokyo, coastal management for regions like the Gulf of Mexico and the South China Sea, agricultural monitoring in the Sahel and Mekong Delta, and disaster response coordinated with agencies like International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Use cases include cadastral reform projects in countries partnering with the World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organization, transportation planning incorporating inputs from the International Civil Aviation Organization and International Maritime Organization, and public health mapping applied during outbreaks managed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Key challenges noted by participants including representatives from Transparency International and the International Bar Association involve data sovereignty debates among states like Russia and India, privacy and surveillance concerns raised by civil society groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, interoperability gaps highlighted by the Open Geospatial Consortium versus proprietary vendors, and capacity disparities between developed members such as Germany and France and least-developed countries coordinated through United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and United Nations Capital Development Fund. Ethical considerations intersect with legal instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and policy frameworks like the Paris Agreement where geospatial data informs climate action, while governance dialogues reference case law from supranational courts and national legislation in jurisdictions such as European Court of Human Rights and the Supreme Court of the United States.