27 July 2026 - Every development challenge happens somewhere. Whether governments are responding to floods, expanding public services, securing land rights or reducing inequality, action depends on understanding where people, assets, opportunities and risks are located.
Global geospatial experts are coming to New York the week of 3 to 7 August 2026 for the sixteenth session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).
With three and a half years remaining to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, progress remains uneven and the world continues to confront interlocking challenges: climate change, conflict, widening inequality, economic uncertainty, rapid urbanization and increasing pressure on natural resources. At the heart of each of these issues is geospatial information – the digital data that links geography and place to people, environment, and the economy.
With geospatially integrated data serving as the foundation for decision-making for modern governments, UN-GGIM’s work over the past year examines how integrating geospatial information with statistics, Earth observations and administrative data, countries can identify local disparities, target investment, anticipate risks and assess whether policies are reaching the people and places they are intended to serve. Across climate resilience, land administration, cities, oceans and public services, geospatial information connects otherwise fragmented information and empowers artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
However, countries do not benefit equally. The geospatial digital divide is not simply a gap in technology. It also reflects differences in data availability, institutional coordination, technical capacity, financing and political awareness. Bridging that divide is fundamental to inclusive digital transformation.
Anchored by the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework “UN-IGIF”, UN-GGIM promotes a country-owned and country-led approach to strengthening national geospatial information management. The objective is not merely to produce better maps, but to establish trusted and interoperable information systems that support national priorities and global commitments.
Geospatial information is a nation's 'digital currency' for evidence-based decision-making and putting it at the heart of policymaking enables governments to see inequalities more clearly, act earlier and use limited resources more effectively.
Learn more, and follow along live here: http://ggim.un.org