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Workshop on the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) Trinidad and Tobago

Sustainable development and human settlements
21 August 2024|Event
ECLAC - Caribbean

This event is being organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Trinidad and Tobago and the Faculty of Engineering, University of the West Indies.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago through its National Development Strategy (NDS) 2016-2030, Vision 2030 has identified that sound, robust criteria and data, must be aligned to the national sustainable development goals. In support of this mandate, the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries through its Surveys and Mapping Division (Ministry) has the responsibilities under Section 13 of the Land Surveyors Act No. 33 of 1996 as the national mapping agency with the authority for land, aerial and hydrographic surveys, mapping, and land information for government and public use which form the fundamental datasets of any national spatial data infrastructure. In the delivery of these services and to more effectively support public-sector decision-making and policies it is recognized that training and capacity building has to be undertaken in the strengthening of national institutional agreements on the management of geospatial information.

This workshop has the objective of promoting the implementation of the UN-IGIF as a tool for advancing national geospatial information management (GIM) under the themes of Governance, Policies, Funding, Data management, Innovation, Standards, Partnerships, Capacity building and Communication. This workshop will also include components supporting the integration of geospatial information, and statistical and other data sources supporting sustainable development priorities. It will be delivered under two segments: a high-level segment targeting senior decision makers on 21 August 2024 and a technical segment targeting GIM technical managers from 22 to 23 August 2024.

Agenda

Day 1 HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT: Wednesday 21 August 2024

Time
Session detail/description
0800 hrs – 0830 hrs Registration
0830 hrs – 0835 hrs Safety briefing
0835 hrs – 0900 hrs

Chair: Carlene Boodoo, Hydrographic Surveyor, Ministry of Agriculture Land
and Fisheries, Trinidad and Tobago

Professor Bheshem Ramlal, Geospatial Information Engineering and Dean,
Faculty of Engineering University of West Indies, St Augustine campus, Trinidad
and Tobago

Diane Quarless, Director Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean, Subregional headquarters for the Caribbean (ECLAC)

Nela Dwarika-Ali, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and
Fisheries Trinidad and Tobago
0900 hrs – 0915 hrs Overview of the Workshop
Alvaro Mauricio Monett Hernandez, Regional Advisor in Geospatial Information
Management, ECLAC
0915 hrs – 1015 hrs

Panel Discussion 1 - National geospatial information landscape in Trinidad
and Tobago

Chair and overview: Professor Bheshem Ramlal, Geospatial Information
Engineering and Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of West Indies, St.
Augustine campus, Trinidad and Tobago

Anesh Roopnarinesingh, Strategic Project Delivery Manager, Ministry of Digital
Transformation, Trinidad and Tobago

Melanie Harris, Specialist in Geographic Information Technology Systems,
Valuation Division, Ministry of Finance Trinidad and Tobago

Carlene Boodoo, Hydrographic Surveyor, Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and
Fisheries, Trinidad and Tobago

Open discussion
1015 hrs – 1100 hrs

Panel Discussion 2: The Global Agenda of the United Nations for Geospatial
Information Management and the Integrated Geospatial Information
Framework (IGIF)

Chair: Simone Lloyd, Senior GIS Management and Trainer, National Emergency
Response GIS Team (NERGIST) Coordinator, Jamaica

Cecille Blake, Global Geospatial Information Management Environment
Statistics and Geospatial Information Branch Statistics Division, United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Alvaro Mauricio Monett Hernandez, Geospatial Technical Adviser, ECLAC

Sandra Liliana Moreno Mayorga, Research and Development Coordinator,
Geostatistics Directorate, National Administrative Department of Statistics
(DANE) Colombia (virtual)

Open discussions.
1100 hrs – 1110 hrs Coffee break
1100 hrs – 1200 hrs

Panel Discussion 3: Regional development priorities, collaborations and
partnerships to strengthen geospatial information management

Chair : Artie Dubrie, Coordinator Sustainable Development and Disaster Unit,
ECLAC Port of Spain.

Cherisse Braithwaite-Joseph, Adviser Directorate for Disaster Risk Reduction,
Environment and the Caribbean Sea, Association of the Caribbean States (ACS)

Simone Lloyd, Senior GIS Management and Trainer, National Emergency
Response GIS Team (NERGIST) Coordinator, Jamaica and Vocal of United
Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UN GGIM): Americas for
the Caribbean

Valrie Grant, Geospatial Expert, UNGGIM: Americas Private Sector

Open discussion
1200 hrs – 1300 hrs

Panel Discussion 4: Integration of statistical and geospatial information
supporting decision making: current situation and perspectives

Keynote presentation: Paul Riley, Geographer, Geography Division, U.S. Census
Bureau (virtual)

Faustina Wiggins, Environmental Statistician, Caribbean Community
(CARICOM)

Albert Renton Jones, Instrument Officer, Caribbean Community Climate Change
Centre (CCCCC)

Oronde Lambert, Information and Communication Technology Manager,
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) (virtual)
Open discussions
1300 hrs – 1315 hrs

Closure of Day 1: High Level segment

Charting the way forward

Carlene Boodoo, Hydrographic Surveyor, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and
Fisheries, Trinidad and Tobago
ECLAC subregional headquarters for the Caribbean
University of West Indies, St Augustine campus, Trinidad and Tobago

 

Day 2 TECHNICAL WORKSHOP: Thursday 22 August 2024

Time
Session detail/description
0755 hrs – 0800 hrs Safety briefing
0800 hrs – 0810 hrs

Introduction of resource persons, participants, and overview of agenda for
Day 2

Artie Dubrie, Coordinator Sustainable Development and Disaster Unit, ECLAC
subregional headquarters for the Caribbean
0810 hrs – 0840 hrs

National advances on geospatial information management

Tricia Melville, GIS Manager and Jamie St. George, GIS Officer
GIS Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Trinidad and Tobago (tbc)
0840 hrs – 0950 hrs

Case examples of the use of geospatial information supporting decision
making at public sector

Simone Lloyd Senior GIS Management and Trainer- National Emergency
Response GIS Team (NERGIST) Coordinator, Jamaica.

Natasha George-Jogie, GIS Technician, Ministry of Planning and Development,
Town and Country Planning (tbc)

Rayana Sookdeo, Geospatial Technician, Institute of Marine Affairs Trinidad and
Tobago

Adrian Maharaj, GIS Analyst, National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago
Open discussion
0950 hrs – 1020 hrs Coffee Break
1020 hrs – 1050 hrs

United Nations (UN) IGIF and its nine Strategic Pathways

Alvaro Mauricio Monett Hernandez, Geospatial Technical Adviser, ECLAC
1050 hrs – 1120 hrs

The United Nations approach for the implementation of the UN-IGIF at the
national level

Cecille Blake, Global Geospatial Information Management Environment
Statistics and Geospatial Information Branch Statistics Division, United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
1120 hrs – 1140 hrs

The role of private sector in strengthening the adoption of the UN-IGIF

Valrie Grant, Geospatial Expert UNGGIM: Americas Private Sector Network
1140 hrs – 1200 hrs

Building human resources capacities in geospatial information management

Professor Bheshem Ramlal, Geospatial Information Engineering and Dean,
Faculty of Engineering, University of West Indies, St. Augustine campus, Trinidad
and Tobago
1200 hrs – 1300 hrs LUNCH
1300 hrs – 1445 hrs

Breakout session: Assessing current situation and proposing actions/strategies
to advance to a desired future – UN IGIF Strategic pathways 1 to 3

Alvaro Mauricio Monett Hernandez, Geospatial Technical Adviser, ECLAC
1445 hrs – 1500 hrs

Day 2: Wrap up and closure

Artie Dubrie, Coordinator Sustainable Development and Disaster Unit, ECLAC
subregional Headquarters