September 2022
10 – 14 October
The United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), residing under the Statistics Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), organizes the United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress (UNWGIC) once every four years, bringing together member states of the UN-GGIM, experts in the field of geospatial technologies and its various application domains, commercial geospatial sector, academia and researchers, and practitioners from across the globe. The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India is the proud host of the second UNWGIC in Hyderabad from 10-14 October 2022. The event will bring together the stakeholders at the highest level from around the world to address and ensure that geospatial information has its widest and fullest utility in the service of social, economic, and environmental development.
Geospatial information has emerged as one of the important Global Common Goods for human welfare. In order to concretize its role for human development and global welfare, United Nations Committee of Expert on Global Geo-Spatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) organizes the United Nations World Geo-Spatial Information Congress (UNWGIC) in every four years with the objectives of enhancing international collaboration among the member States and relevant Stakeholders in GeoSpatial information Management, innovation and related technologies. The first UNWGIC Conference was held on 19 – 21 November, 2018 in China. India has been entrusted the responsibility by UN-GGIM to organize the Second UNWGIC. The Second UNWGIC is being organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and is being championed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India from 10 – 14 October at Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad. A project Management Unit (PMU) at LIS, IIITH has been established to coordinate and organizing the event. The theme of the Congress is “Geo-enabling the Global Village – No One should be left Behind”.
The theme has been in line with the vision of the Hon’ble PM “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas” that forms the main focus of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN. The Second UNWGIC is expected to bring together the stakeholders at the highest level to enhance international collaboration among the participants from the Member States and other relevant partners in Geospatial Science and Technology; reflect the importance of Geospatial Information against the three pillars of Sustainable Development (Governance, Technology; and People) for a shared future and a better world. In this framework, all are proposed to be involved within an inclusive global society. This is an event of opportunity for India to showcase its Geo-Spatial Initiatives and achievements in recent years.