UN Spatial Data Infrastructure UNSDI Time for Partnerships

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UN Spatial Data Infrastructure (UNSDI)Time for
Partnerships
UNGIWG Co-Chairs 2007-2008 Alta Haggarty
haggarty_at_un.orgKarl Steinacker
steinack_at_unhcr.org

• Suha Ulgen, Coordinator, UNGIWG
  Secretariatulgen_at_un.org
• Luc St-Pierre, Senior GIS Officer, UNHCR
• stpierre_at_unhcr.org

www.ungiwg.org
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Who Promotes UNSDI?

• The United Nations Geographic Information
  Working Group (UNGIWG) owns and promotes UNSDI
• Provide a forum to discuss emerging technologies,
  experience with applications, and coordinate
  actions
• Facilitate collaboration at the technical level
• Formulate policies concerning geographic
  information in the UN System and with member
  states
• Address common geospatial issues - maps,
  boundaries, data access and exchange, adherence
  to international standards, naming conventions
  and locations

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UNGIWG Essentials

• 2 Rotating Co-chairs Secretariat
• Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
  Affairs (OCHA which is part of the UN
  Secretariat) and
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  (UNHCR)
• UNGIWG Secretariat since April 2007, currently
  in Geneva?

32 Members FAO, WFP, DPKO, OCHA, UNAIDS, UNDP,
UNEP, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, WHO, UN Cartographic
Section (in Department of Field Support,
previously DPKO) and others
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UNGIWG-7, 2006 Santiago de Chile
UNGIWG-8, 2007 Bangkok
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UNSDI Vision
The UNSDI Vision is for a comprehensive,
decentralized geospatial information framework
that facilitates decision-making at various
levels by enabling access, retrieval and
dissemination of geospatial data in a rapid and
secure way.
As adopted in 2006 at UNGIWG-7 in Santiago de
Chile
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Internal Challenges

• UNGIWG is a forum of GI specialists not of
  decision makers
• The mandates (business model) and
  organizational culture in the various agencies is
  very different
• Only few UN agencies have implemented a SDI
• What is the role of the newly appointed CITO and
  how will UNSDI feature in the ICT Master Plan
  being developed for the UN?
• How does UNSDI relate to UN reform?

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External Challenges

• What is the relationship of UNSDI to other global
  SDI entities?
• Why should the UN set technical standards?
• Do UN Member States play a role in UNSDI?
• Does UNSDI require political endorsement from one
  of the main bodies of the UN?
• What is the role of the so-called National
  Coordination Office for UNSDI?

What is the scope of UNSDI?
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Approach to UNSDI

• Concrete outcomes rather than a Grand Design
• UNSDI is going to be a set of deliverables as
  determined by users and sponsors
• UNSDI will be open to partners at the level of
  each deliverable
• Project approach
• UNGIWG and UNSDI will remain separate

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UNSDI Deliverables

• Provision of spatial data and information
• Cartographic data, imagery, GIS services
• Thematic data to support sustainability
• Global and regional environmental observation and
  assessment
• Emergency response and disaster preparedness
• Develop common data services
• Promote reuse
• Adopt/develop data standards and infrastructure
• Build capacity
• Internal and with member states
• Promote partnerships and cooperation

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UNSDI Institutional Structure
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UNSDI Partnership

• UNSDI requires a framework for partners to be
  involved
• The entry point for partners are the planning and
  implementation of UNSDI deliverables
• Partners will be accredited by the UNSDI Board
• Partners will have their Group to engage with
  the UNSDI Board on policy and strategic issues

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Implementation Strategy

• Anchor UNSDI in overall UN Reform
• A time-bound project approach with concrete
  deliverables that contributes to the overall
  objectives of UN Reform (Delivering as One)
  with the endorsement of the Chief Executive
  Board
• Anchor UNSDI in the new ICT Master Plan of the UN
• The draft IT Master Plan mentions UNSDI (as a
  subset of Knowledge and Information Management)
• Solicit long-term political endorsement by UN
  Member States
• A wider institutional and political recognition
  will be sought by UN main bodies (GA, ECOSOC,
  etc.)

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Major Milestones (2008)

• 1st Semester
• Interim UNSDI Deliverables List and 1st draft of
  the UNSDI Project Document are finalized
• UNOPS MoU Document is finalized
• Interim UNSDI Board and the Interim Technical
  Advisory Body (TAG) are established
• 2nd Semester
• UNSDI Project is established with UNOPS and UNSDI
  Project Team is formed
• At UNGIWG-9 (Vienna) UNSDI Board and TAG are
  formed and the UNSDI Project Team is recognized
• UNSDI Project and the Deliverables List are
  adopted by the UNSDI Board

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Summary of Next Steps

• Finalize Deliverables, work plans, budgets, issue
  Appeal document
• Set-up UNSDI structures institutional and
  technical
• Dialogue with major external stakeholders (UN
  reform bodies, governments, etc.)
• Mobilize resources
• Sustain UNGIWG Secretariat, set-up UNSDI Project
  Team