UN-GGIM twelfth session
Great appreciation of global geodesy
After two years of virtual sessions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the twelfth session of the Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) took place during the first week of August at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. It was an exciting session, with 33 side events, 256 participants from 73 countries and 111 observers.
The Committee of Experts welcomed the report of the Subcommittee on Geodesy. Furthermore, the Committee expressed its great appreciation of the work and efforts of the Subcommittee on following up the work on sustaining the Global Geodetic Reference Frame (GGRF) to fulfill the UN General Assembly resolution “A Global Geodetic Reference Frame for Sustainable Development” (A/RES/69/266).
“It is so decided” concluded UN-GGIM co-chair Ingrid Vanden Berghe (Belgium); the 12th session had agreed on the decision on the Global geodetic reference frame, 5th August. Photo: Anne Jørgensen
“Our agenda item on the GGRF (link to agenda item #8-report) received an incredible 32 interventions from 27 Member States and 5 organisations. “The Committee of Experts strongly appreciates the work of the Subcommittee on Geodesy and it is clear that the Member States increasingly recognize the importance of the GGRF for the work we do relating to statistics, spatial data and science”, says co-Chair Nicholas Brown (Australia) of the Subcommittee on Geodesy.
Co-chair Nicholas Brown, Subcommittee on Geodesy, introduces agenda item #8, Global geodetic reference frame at UN-GGIM 12th session. Photo: Anne Jørgensen
The Committee of Experts also welcomed the establishment of the Global Geodetic Center of Excellence (GGCE) at the United Nations campus in Bonn, Germany.
Member States, regional committees and organizations expressed their desire in being part of the GGCE, in some form, which further strengthens the importance of global geodesy and of a global geodetic reference frame for sustainable development.
During the twelfth session, the Subcommittee on Geodesy convened its first in-person meeting since 2019 and held a side event titled “Forum on the Global Geodetic Reference Frame for Sustainable Development - Fundamental for Earth Science Missions and Climate Adaptation”.
The side event “Forum on the Global Geodetic Reference Frame for Sustainable Development - Fundamental for Earth Science Missions and Climate Adaptation” 2 August: Panelists from left; Nicholas Brown (Australia), Benjamin Phillips and Stephen Merkowitz (NASA), Matthew Simpson (Norway), Meizyanne Hicks (Fiji), Johannes Bouman (Germany). Photo: Anne Jørgensen
Co-chair Nicholas Brown (from right) appreciated the in person meetings at the session, here with Johannes Bouman (Germany), Anne Jørgensen (Norway), Basara Miyahara (Japan) and Harald Schuh (IUGG). Photo: Nicholas Brown
“It has been wonderful to meet some of the members of our Subcommittee in person for the first time. It reiterates what we know, and that is, we need to meet in person to better understand what drives and motivates us, and to work out how we can better work together.” says co-Chair Nicholas Brown.
The Subcommittee is hoping to organize an in-person plenary meeting in connection with the opening of the GGCE in Bonn, Germany.
