Nat'l Stakeholder Workshop on UN IGIF, Country Action Plan Underway

Addis Ababa November 4/2021 /ENA/ A three-day national stakeholder workshop on UN's Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) and the country action plan that could facilitate the socio-economic transformation of the country is underway here in Addis Ababa.
It is to be recalled that the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management adopted IGIF implementation guide to strengthen national geospatial information management of member countries and support Sustainable Development Goals, especially in developing countries.

Geospatial Information Institute Director-General, Tulu Besha said on the occasion that his institute will effectively implement the framework and adopt the geospatial information in priority areas to accelerate the socio-economic transformation of the country.

Governance and institutions, policy and legal, financial, data, innovation, standards, partnerships, capacity and education, and communication and engagement are the overarching nine pathways to implement the framework, he added.

The policy and legal framework requires approval of government body while the rest eight can be implemented with consultation and agreements with stakeholders, Tulu pointed out.

According to him, the Geospatial Information Institute, Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Environment Climate Change Commission, Wolayta and Wondogenet universities have implemented geospatial information pilot projects that proved important.

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa representative, Andre Nonguierma said ECA will continue to support the institute in implementing the framework and the country action plan.

He stated that the organization wants to draw lessons from the implementation of the framework and action plan in Ethiopia and be exemplary for other countries in Africa.

“We want to take advantage of Ethiopia and to share it to other countries in Africa,” Nonguierma added.

The institute is getting technical and financial support from regional and international partner organizations, including the UN, it was learned.