Policy experts from European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities (NMCAs) are contributing to a new United Nation’s paper on authoritative geospatial data for disaster risk reduction and crisis management.

EuroGeographics’ Policy Network (POLKEN) is providing the UN-GGIM Working Group on Policy and Legal Frameworks for Geospatial Information Management with case studies to demonstrate the value of trusted information from official national sources.

The first discussions took place at joint workshop between the POLKEN, which is part of the extensive knowledge exchange programme organised by the membership association for European NMCAs, and the UN-GGIM Working Group. The event was jointly hosted by the European Region of the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM: Europe), National Geographic Institute, Belgium, and EuroGeographics.

Marjana Zelic, Senior Research and Policy Officer, EuroGeographics said: “We are delighted to share our network, which links different players within the wider data ecosystem, as well as our insights into EU policy, with our colleagues in the UN-GGIM Working Group. The collaboration is part of our on-going commitment to extending our knowledge exchange activities with the broader UN-GGIM community, and working in partnership with those who share our goal of using geospatial data for the public good.”

“By holding a joint workshop in Belgium, we have been able to maximise the participation and input from EuroGeographics members, relevant stakeholders and policy makers. This included discussions on the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act with Kai Zenner, Head of Office and Digital Policy Adviser for Axel Voss MEP, who was involved in the political negotiations and provided deep insight on possible approaches to AI, and Katerina Yordanova, Senior Legal Expert at KU Leuven, who provided an overview of the latest developments.”

“We look forward to continuing our contributions to the paper being developed by the UN-GGIM Working Group.”

EuroGeographics has a letter of collaboration with the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) – the Secretariat of the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management’s (UN-GGIM). As a result, the two organisations are working together to address key global challenges, specifically capacity development for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The collaboration focuses on knowledge exchange as a key to unlocking the power of geospatial data for the benefit of people and planet.

EuroGeographics is an international not-for-profit organisation (AISBL/ IVZW under Belgian Law. BCE registration: 833 607 112) and the membership association for the European National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registry Authorities.