International Map Year and Construction of its Homepage Bengt Rystedt, Ferjan Ormeling Domonkos Hillier and Ádám Bérces Commission on Children and Cartography Budapest International Map Year

Background Proposal from the Swedish Cartographic Society to the General Assembly of ICA in Paris 2011 Executive Committee formed a WG Bengt Rystedt, chairperson Ferjan Ormeling, deputy chairperson Aileen Buckley, ESRI, Redlands Ayako Kagawa, UN, New York Serena Coetzee, Pretoria Vit Vozenilek, Olomouc David Fairbairn, Newcastle. Georg Gartner, EC liaison.

Terms of Reference Create a text book The World on Maps on Cartography and Geographic Information for the general public and schools; Elaborate plans for national activities and establish national contacts; Involve the ICA commissions in the work; Find sponsors among the affiliate members; Establish contacts with the UN and the sister organizations (through the ICA Executive Committee and the JBGIS); Produce information that can be used at national Map Days; Follow up and update the working plan at the ICC in Dresden 2013.

Make ICA better known in society ICA has to improve its outreach: - Increase the knowledge of cartography; - We need more national members; - Provide feedback to all ICA members; - Support education in geomatics and - Get more students to our field.

Support from United Nations Resolution from the Regional Cartographic Conference in Bangkok 2012: The conference, Recognizing the enormous benefit of reliable and authoritative geospatial information and maps in decision making for sustainable use of natural resources, economic development and for community well being; Noting the need to promote geospatial information education and training for national governments, decision makers, the geospatial industry and users; Also noting the preparations made by the International Cartographic Association ad-hoc committee for the International Map Year, and the support by the Joint Board of Geospatial Societies (JB-GIS) on this initiative; Recommends the International Cartographic Association (ICA) to organize an International Map Year in Resolution from the UNGGIM meeting in New York 2014: The committee endorses the International Map Year 2015–2016 as proposed by the International Cartographic Association as a valuable means to promote the importance of maps and Geoinformation.

Information to ICA members and others A letter has recently been sent by Lazlo to: ICA national members ICA Commissions ICA Affiliate Members General information to: All GGIM members via the minutes from the GGIM meetings; JBGIS members that also have acknowledged IMY.

National Map Days Each nation should create a national steering committee for IMY, with representation from all national mapping organisations, universities and private organisations which will help to organize National Map Days. A national map day may contain: - National maps and geographic information; - Historical maps; - Special maps e.g. on spatial planning and milieu; -Demonstration on mapping and collecting and use of geographic information; -Information on children activities; - A set of short lectures; - Help on using GPS, geocaching and info on orienteering.

Example of a Map Day Together with the GIS-day in Lund, Sweden The Geography Day is also an opportunity.

Further Information See the Homepage Bengt Rystedt