UNSDI

The United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure (UNSDI) is an institutional and technical mechanism for establishing system coherence for the exchange and applications of geospatial data and information for UN activities and supporting SDI (Spatial Data Infrastructure) development activities in Member Countries.

UNSDI is an initiative of the United Nations Geographic Information Working Group (UNGIWG), a voluntary network of UN professionals working in the fields of cartography and geographic information science.

UNSDI aims to contribute to the mission of the United Nations, from to peacekeeping to humanitarian relief, from climate change to disaster reduction, response and recovery, from environmental protection to poverty reduction, food security, water management and economic development and to contribute to the realization of the UN Millennium Development Goals. By facilitating efficient global and local access, exchange and utilization of geospatial information, UNSDI will make the United Nations system more effective and support its “Delivering as One” policies.

Spatial data infrastructures provide the institutional and technical foundation of policies, standards and procedures that enable organizations and information systems to interact in a way that facilitates spatial data discovery, evaluation and applications.

Given that UN agencies vary in their ability to utilise and manage geospatial information it is foreseen that UNSDI will reduce development and operational costs by working together to achieve economies of scale through generic standards, guidelines and implementation tools. Thus, the development of UNSDI is considered essential for increasing system coherence in the use and exchange of geospatial data and information for UN activities.

In the short term, UNSDI is an investment into the capacities of the United Nations System to manage its existing geo-spatial assets more effectively. Additionally UNSDI may serve as a model and vehicle for capacity building in some Member States that request assistance from the United Nations in managing and applying geospatial data to support their national development agenda.

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