Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
Greg Scott
Global Geospatial Information Management
United Nations Statistics Division
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
United Nations, New York
4th Plenary of UN-GGIM: Europe
UN-GGIM: Strengthening the Global
Data Ecosystem
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
REQUIRES COURAGE TO COMMIT
STRENGTH IS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
ECOSOC Resolution 2016/27
• Acknowledged the considerable achievements and progress made by the Committee of
Experts in the area of global geospatial information management, its contribution to the
strengthening of geospatial information management capacities and utilization in
developing countries, and recognized the relevance of geospatial information for the
various United Nations policy agendas.
• Stressed the need to strengthen the coordination and coherence of global geospatial
information management, in capacity-building, norm-setting, data collection, dissemination
and sharing, among others, through appropriate coordination mechanisms, including in the
broader United Nations system, building on the work of the Committee.
• Item on the Council’s agenda changed from ‘Cartography’ to ‘Geospatial information, and
invited the Committee to report on all matters relating to geography, geospatial
information and related topics; and to report back to the Council within five years on
the implementation of the present resolution.
Strengthening the Global Data Ecosystem
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
Digital
Rich
Implementing Nationally
Integrated
Information Systems
Digital
Poor
Global
Data
Ecosystem
Digital
Earth Digital
Transformation
Digital
Divide
Digital
Evolution
Digital
Maturity
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
Global development policy framework
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
Technology and society are driving digital transformation, but
are we yet leveraging this new ‘data ecosystem’ effectively?
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
Do we really understand the scale of the problems,
where they are, whom they impact, what are the causes,
and how they can be remedied?
Do we have the data for development??
Can we make it ‘production ready’ information for all?
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY FRAMEWORK
How do we bridge
the Digital Divide?
How does Digital Transformation to achieve Sustainable Development?enable the ‘data ecosystem’
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
2030 Agenda: Goals, targets, indicators
17
SDGs
169 Targets
232 global indicators
to follow-up and review
progress
Implementation via national
planning processes, policies,
strategies and frameworks
Measuring and monitoring: Statistics,
geospatial information, Earth
observations and other Big Data
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
Addressing the data needs for the 2030 Agenda
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
• The scope of the 2030 Agenda requires high-quality and disaggregated data that
are timely, open, accessible, understandable and easy to use for a large range of
users, including for decision making at all levels.
• There is a need for a reporting system on the SDGs that would have benefit from
the sub-national (local) to the national level; and allow for global reporting that
builds directly on the data shared by countries.
• Important to create an opportunity for countries to directly contribute to the
global reporting. While the challenges are immense, the digital technology that
is available today allows the necessary transformation.
• An aspiration is to strengthen countries’ national geospatial and statistical
information systems to facilitate and enable a ‘data ecosystem’ that leverages
an accessible, integrative and interoperable local to global system-of-systems.
Addressing the data needs for the 2030 Agenda
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
UN-GGIM: 2011-2016 – Develop the global understanding of geospatial information
UN-GGIM: 2017-2021 – 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 capacitybuilding;
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.
Strengthening the Global Data Ecosystem
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
UN-GGIM: 2017-2021 – Coordination, coherence and implementation
1. Maturity: Moving from “GGIM 1.0 to GGIM 2.0” – determining our value proposition to ECOSOC
in the next 2-3 year horizon.
2. Strategy and roadmap on the ECOSOC resolution and how we implement the new and
strengthened mandate.
3. A new Strategic Plan for UN-GGIM that considers 2020 and beyond in 5 year time steps.
4. Raising more awareness, including political, of UN-GGIM and connecting the political technical
levels within Member States.
5. Connecting more to the activities of the regional committees, Regional Commissions, and
relevant statistical bodies.
6. Ensuring effective coordination and linkages across global/regional Expert & Working Groups.
7. Seek extra-budgetary and funding options, including ways of implementation.
8. More capacity development for countries in next 5 years – developing guides, standards,
methods and norms.
Strengthening the Global Data Ecosystem
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
Strengthening the Global Data Ecosystem
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
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
The activities and efforts
that contribute to the
unique local-to-global
value of UN-GGIM
for Member States
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
• Strategic Framework is presented as a starting point for discussion towards a strategic
plan and road map that will enable the Committee to be better supported by the
regional committee architecture and the Regional Commissions.
• Continue to work on global policies for geospatial information management in tandem
with producing tangible outputs such as norms, handbooks, methodologies, standards
and guidelines.
• Need for closer synergies with the activities of the regional committees and working
groups, Regional Commissions, and relevant statistical bodies.
• Substantively improve and strengthen the national geospatial information management
capacities of developing countries towards implementing the 2030 Agenda and other
global policies.
Strengthening the Global Data Ecosystem
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
• Effort by UNSD and the World Bank to explore and develop possible mechanisms for
geospatial data, infrastructure and policies to be embedded more holistically within
concessional financing, technical assistance and knowledge–sharing services and their
subsequent implementation in developing countries.
• Recognizes the need for collaboration in developing an overarching geospatial
framework that countries could reference when using geospatial information to
develop national systems tailored to their own situations.
• The framework would include an action plan and road map on means for
implementation, as well as elements such as the economic impact and value of
geospatial information systems, investment needs and associated principles, tools,
guides and good practices.
Strengthening the Global Data Ecosystem
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges
169
Targets
232
Global Indicators
17
Goals
Global
Outputs and
Reporting
SDG metrics for measuring and monitoring progress.
Data compiled and disaggregated by income, gender, age, race,
ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location, etc.
Official Aggregation and Integration into
Indicator Framework by National Statistical Offices.
Captures data integrity and validation.
National
Sustainable
Development
Indicators
National
Information
Systems
Data
Inputs
National Statistics,
Accounts, Administrative
Registers, Demographics
National
Spatial Data
Infrastructure
Other Sources
of Data,
incl. Big Data
Earth
Observations
and Monitoring
Geodetic positioning
Elevation
Topography
Land use & cover
Transport/Infrastruct.
Cadastre/Parcels
Water & Oceans
Cities & Settlements
Administrative Bdys.
Imagery
Water/Ocean
Land use/cover
Observations
In situ monitoring
Air/Pollution
Ecosystems
Forest/Agriculture
Climate
Population
Demographics
Poverty
Trade/Business
Environment
Labour/Economics
Agriculture
Disability/Gender
Civil Registration & Vital Stats.
Mobile phone
Social media
Sensors
Automated devices
Satellite imagery
VGI
Crowd sourcing
??
Fundamental
baseline data
and new
data sources
Local to national social, economic and environmental conditions and circumstances
An integrative
data
ecosystem
Positioning geospatial information to address global challenges