United Nations Geographic Information Working Group

United Nations Geographic Information Working Group
Name	United Nations Geographic Information Working Group
Abbreviation	UNGIWG
Formation	1999
Type	Inter-agency coordination group
Headquarters	United Nations Office at Geneva
Region served	International
Parent organization	United Nations System

Contents

United Nations Geographic Information Working Group The United Nations Geographic Information Working Group is an inter-agency coordination forum established to promote the use of geographic information within the United Nations system, support humanitarian operations, and enhance situational awareness for agencies such as United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations Development Programme, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. It provides guidance on spatial data standards, supports technical capacity across bodies including World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and United Nations Environment Programme, and liaises with external partners such as International Organization for Standardization, Open Geospatial Consortium, and World Bank.

History

The working group was created in response to increasing demand for coordinated geospatial support in the late 1990s following complex operations led by United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia, and humanitarian crises like the Kosovo War, with inputs from agencies such as United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and United Nations Office for Project Services. Early milestones include adoption of shared practices influenced by events including Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, collaborations with donors like European Commission and United States Agency for International Development, and engagement with standard-setting bodies such as International Hydrographic Organization and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Over time the group has evolved alongside initiatives led by Global Spatial Data Infrastructure proponents and multinational programs like Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.

Membership spans specialized agencies, funds and programmes including International Monetary Fund, International Labour Organization, International Atomic Energy Agency, and United Nations Children's Fund, alongside regional commissions such as Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Working group governance typically involves representatives from headquarters offices like United Nations Office at Geneva and field operations such as United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, coordinated through working groups and technical committees with liaison to bodies including International Telecommunication Union and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Observer relationships include intergovernmental organizations such as European Space Agency, multilateral banks like Asian Development Bank, and non-governmental organizations including Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Médecins Sans Frontières.

The mandate emphasizes interoperability across systems used by United Nations Population Fund, support for emergency response by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and facilitation of spatial data sharing for programmes like United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Environment Programme. Objectives include promoting adoption of standards advocated by Open Geospatial Consortium, ensuring data stewardship aligned with principles of United Nations Charter, supporting evidence-based policy for agencies such as World Food Programme and World Health Organization, and strengthening in-country capacities through partnerships with institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Oxford.

Typical activities cover developing shared geospatial repositories used during missions like United Nations Mission in South Sudan, producing guidance for thematic mapping applied in Haitian earthquake (2010), and coordinating emergency mapping in response to hazards like Cyclone Idai and Typhoon Haiyan. Projects include training and capacity-building workshops run with partners such as European Commission's Joint Research Centre, pilot implementations of spatial data infrastructures in collaboration with World Bank and regional bodies like African Union, and support for thematic efforts led by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

The group promotes standards compatible with International Organization for Standardization technical specifications, encourages use of open standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium, and aligns metadata practices with initiatives such as ISO 19115 and spatial data infrastructures advocated by Global Earth Observation System of Systems. Best practices address interoperability with platforms used by Esri, open source toolchains from QGIS Project and PostGIS, and data management principles endorsed by United Nations Data Strategy and donors like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Collaborations include technical coordination with OpenStreetMap Foundation, research partnerships with universities such as University of Cambridge and Stanford University, and joint programmes with multilateral organizations like World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Strategic partnerships extend to private sector actors including Planet Labs and Maxar Technologies, humanitarian networks such as United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs clusters, and standards bodies like International Hydrographic Organization and International Telecommunication Union for satellite data integration.

Case studies demonstrate the group's role in mapping displacement during crises such as Syrian civil war and South Sudanese Civil War, supporting vaccination campaigns run by World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and aiding recovery planning following disasters like the 2015 Nepal earthquake and 2010 Haiti earthquake. Impacts include improved coordination for missions such as United Nations Mission in Liberia, enhanced donor reporting to agencies like United States Agency for International Development, and accelerated situational awareness for peacekeeping operations including United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali.