Above: SDG Data Alliance Workshop. INEGI Headquarters, Aguascalientes, México.
On January 25th to 26th, the SDG Data Alliance Workshop Series convened in Aguascalientes, Mexico at the headquarters of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico (INEGI). The Data Alliance is an international multi-stakeholder partnership aimed at using geospatial data and information to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reducing inequalities. Representatives from 20 countries joined the workshops which focused on Data Alliance countries of the Americas and accelerated their progress in creating and implementing UN-IGIF Country-level Action Plans and SDG Data Hubs. The workshop also welcomed a number of Data Alliance countries from Africa, providing the opportunity for peer-to-peer engagement and interaction to share knowledge and understanding between Latin America and African countries.
Stephen Keppel, PVBLIC Foundation President, Greg Scott, Executive Director of the SDG Data Alliance, Alix Cantave Senior Program Officer at W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Charles Brigham from Esri each presented at the workshop, sharing background, providing updates and highlighting the work of the SDG Data Alliance. The series reviewed and enhanced the inclusive, integrated, self-paced, country-owned, and country-led approaches to strengthening and improving national geospatial information management arrangements, resources, and capacities toward accelerating the implementation of the Committee's adopted norms, frameworks, principles, and guides for the achievement of the SDGs.
The workshops took place just after the formal meeting of the Expanded Bureau of UN-GGIM, the third plenary meeting of the HLG-IGIF on January 22-23. The formal meetings primarily addressed the strategic directions and priorities of the Committee of Experts to ensure a lasting impact to support Member States in enhancing geospatial information management arrangements for accelerating the implementation of the SDGs.
Topics included considerations of the work programs of the Committee of Experts and its Secretariat, the work and achievements of the HLG-IGIF, the contributions of the Centers of Excellence, the implementation of the UN-IGIF at the country-level through the SDG Data Alliance, the Seventh High-level Forum on Global Geospatial Information Management, the future geospatial information ecosystem, and the new agenda item on climate and resilience.
Image: Mr. Eliud Gutierrez, Chile, presenting their current national geospatial situation, gaps, and desired future state.
The workshop also focused on crucial capacity development and knowledge transfer learnings to enable countries in the Latin America region to successfully accelerate the creation and implementation of national UN-IGIF Country-level Action Plans and the deployment of sustainable SDG data hubs.
Some of the discussions highlighted Latin American countries' journey through enhancing geospatial data in the pursuit of the achievement of the SDGs. Data and mapping experts from Chile, Panama, and Honduras presented their progress. Chile discussed their experiences understanding geospatial information management gaps and briefed vital gaps. Panama touched on their experience in understanding national strategic priorities and linking them to Country-level Action Plans. Honduras addressed its experience in understanding the intended strategic "future state" and relating Country-level Action Plan gap analysis to this. The insightful panels drew out common critical gaps, national priorities in the Americas, and perspectives on the importance of integrated geospatial information management. Several Data Alliance countries from Africa also participated, including Burkina Faso, providing the opportunity for peer-to-peer engagement and interaction, the sharing of knowledge and understanding between Latin America and African countries.
The workshop series featured panels focusing on the approach, implementation, and support from the SDG Data Alliance to the countries to achieve their goals. The SDG Data Alliance is committed to supporting countries in the Americas in the pursuit of the SDGs. For additional information about the SDG Data Alliance Workshop Series, read here.
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