1. 5th Plenary Meeting of the Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for the Arab States
Muscat, Oman, 19 – 21 February, 2018
The 8th session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management, is scheduled to be held from 1 – 3 August 2018 at UNHQ New York
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges

2. Strengthening National Geospatial Information Management, Systems and capacities, and the Global Data Ecosystem
Efforts and activities that contribute to the unique local-to-global value of UN-GGIM for Member States; strengthening national geospatial information management, systems and capacities; norm-setting, frameworks, principles, guides, standards and methodological development
helping Member States implement their national development priorities, make decisions, and measure and monitor outcomes
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges

3. UN-GGIM: Strengthening the Global Data Ecosystem
Strengthening global geospatial information management
Contribution of regional committees, thematic groups and networks
Legal and policy frameworks and issues related to authoritative data
Trends in national institutional arrangements
Adoption of standards and technical specifications
Strengthening collaboration with UNGEGN
United Nations activities in geospatial information management
Secretariat programme management
Frameworks, guides,
norms, standards and
methodological
development
Global geodetic reference frame
Global fundamental geospatial data themes
Integration of geospatial, statistical and other information
Geospatial information and services for disasters
Land administration and management
Geospatial information for sustainable development
National geospatial data and information systems
Marine geospatial information
Normative strengthening,
capacity building and
implementation of GGIM
in support of the 2030 Agenda
UN-GGIM:
Strengthening
the Global Data
Ecosystem
Within UN-GGIM – we are leveraging our convening and coordination power to bridge the divide through technical integration, knowledge transfer and capacity building to overcome many systemic organizational impediments and institutional challenges. None of this is revolutionary, it’s more about evolution and engaging what we call ‘human interoperability’ and technical integration rather than profound changes.
Walk through how we see UN-GGIM contributing to the development process with the national geospatial agencies.
UN-GGIM: – Coordination, coherence and implementation
Facilitate the strengthening and normative capacity building of global geospatial information management in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Efforts include promoting the use of geospatial information systems and services for modern mapping; methodological development; national and regional capacity-building; standards-setting; data collection, dissemination and sharing; and better integration of geospatial and statistical information systems for Member States.
Regional Commissions provide relevant support, upon request and as appropriate, to the work of the regional committees of UN-GGIM, and that the outcomes and benefits of the activities be equally disseminated to all Member States in each region.
The activities and efforts
that contribute to the
unique local-to-global
value of UN-GGIM
for Member States

4. Participants – representatives from:
5th Plenary Meeting of the Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for the Arab States (UN-GGIM: Arab States)
Muscat, Oman, 19 – 21 February, 2018
Participants – representatives from:
Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and United Arab Emirates (13 Member States)
UN/DESA/SD/Secretariat of UN-GGIM
UN-ESCWA
World Bank
GCC-Stat
Four invited subject matter experts
Considerations:
Annual Report of the Regional Committee.
Updates and contributions towards strengthening of regional geospatial information agenda from Secretariat of UN-GGIM, UN-ESCWA and World Bank.
Updates and progress in strengthening national geospatial information management nationally (country presentations).
Progress report and activities by the 4 Working Groups –
Institutional arrangements, legal and policy issues, awareness and capacity building
Fundamental data and geo-standards
Geodetic reference frame
Integration of geospatial and statistical information
(four invited experts supported and contributed to each of the four work areas)
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges

5. Prioritising a set of 11 fundamental data themes for the region.
5th Plenary Meeting of the Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for the Arab States (UN-GGIM: Arab States)
Muscat, Oman, 19 – 21 February, 2018
Key outcomes:
Prioritising a set of 11 fundamental data themes for the region.
Agreed to progress work on coordinating and implementing the ArabREF initiative, a regional geodetic reference frame that is a part of the Global Geodetic Reference Frame.
Pursuing the implementation of the five principles of the Global Statistical Geospatial Framework.
Welcomed the development of an overarching integrated geospatial information framework that Member States can reference and be guided by when strengthening and modernizing their national geospatial information management and systems.
Support the UN World Data Forum, Dubai (Oct 2018), and the UN World Geospatial Information Congress, Deqing, China (Nov 2018).
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges

6. WORLD GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION CONGRESS
UNITED NATIONS
WORLD GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION CONGRESS
19 – 21 November 2018
Deqing, Zhejiang Province
China
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges