Twelfth Session of UN-GGIM: Americas
Work area(s)
Topic(s)
Teaser
The meeting allowed for the presentation of the progress made during the 2021–2025 management period, the approval of the new Regional Strategic Plan 2025–2029, and the renewal of the Board of Directors, consolidating a space for exchange and regional cooperation around good practices and statistical initiatives.
Event information
The twelfth session of UN-GGIM: Americas took place from November 5 to 7, 2025, in Santiago, at the headquarters of ECLAC. The meeting was organized jointly by the Board of Directors of UN-GGIM: Americas and ECLAC.
UN-GGIM: Americas is the regional committee of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management, focused on coordinating policies, fostering the development of geospatial data infrastructures, and promoting cooperation among countries in the Americas to maximize the socioeconomic and environmental benefits of geospatial information, addressing global challenges such as climate change and disaster management.
At this twelfth session, the main achievements of the 2021–2025 Board of Directors were presented, the 2025–2029 Regional Strategic Plan was approved, and the new Board of Directors for the next term was ratified. The meeting also provided an excellent forum for exchanging experiences, disseminating best practices, and exploring new cooperation initiatives at the national and regional levels. In addition, several parallel events were held, organized by regional initiatives, thematic networks, and working groups.
Side events
- Side Event: Working Group on Land Administration (5 Nov 2025)
- Side Event: CARIGEO (6 Nov 2025)
- Side Event: COPERNICUS LAC - Chile (6 Nov 2025)
- Side Event - GeoAI Community of Practice (7 Nov 2025)
- Side Event: International Seminar for the Exchange of Best Practices in Land Administration (7 Nov 2025)
- Side Event: Private Sector and Academic Network of the Americas (7 Nov 2025)
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Schedule
5 nov 2025
09:30 - 10:30
Welcome and opening remarks
- Rolando Ocampo, Director of the Statistics Division of ECLAC
- Deirdre Dalpiaz Bishop, Co-chair of UN-GGIM
- Guillaume Le Sourd, UN-GGIM Secretariat
- Francisco Figueroa, Minister of National Assets, Chile
Session 1: UN-GGIM Global Report on the Fifteenth Session and Regional Report (2022–2025)
10:30 - 11:00
Guillaume Le Sourd, UN-GGIM Secretariat
Main decisions of the Fifteenth Session of UN-GGIM
Sofía Nilo Crisóstomo, President UN-GGIM: Americas
UN-GGIM Management Report: Americas (2022-2025)
Session 2: Report on Subregional Activities
11:00 - 11:50
Isabel Islas Arredondo, National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico
North American Vocal
Isis Tejada, Tommy Guardia National Geographic Institute of Panama
Central America Vocal
Simone Lloyd, Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change
Caribbean Vocal
Marcelo Emery, National Geographic Institute of Argentina
South American Vocal
Session 3: Working Group Reports
11:50 - 13:00
Isis Tejada,Tommy Guardia National Geographic Institute of Panama and Marisol Carrasco,Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile
Working Group on the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF) for the Americas
Elkin Ramírez, National Administrative Department of Statistics of Colombia (DANE)
Working Group on Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information (IIEG)
Martha Villagómez, Military Geographic Institute of Ecuador and Therence Paoliello de Sarti, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE)
Working Group on the Strategic Framework for Geospatial Information and Services for Disasters (video)
Gustavo Caubarrère, Military Geographic Institute, President SIRGAS, Uruguay and Sandra Bolaños, Vice President of SIRGAS, Canada
Working Group on the Geodetic Reference Frame for the Americas (GRFA)
Horacio Padilla, Property Institute, Honduras and María Silvia Céspedes, Ministry of National Assets, Chile
Working Group on Land Administration
Side Event: Working Group on Land Administration (Medina Room)
13:00 - 14:30
🔗 View details of this side event
Session 4: Regional and Interregional Cooperation
14:30 - 15:15
Antonio Campuzano, Secretary General, Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH)
Regional Cooperation in the Americas – IPGH
Leonardo Scharth Loureiro Silva, Vice President UN-GGIM: Americas
Interregional Work Plan UN-GGIM Regional Committees
Mohammed Yahya Al Sayel, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
UN-GGIM: Arab States (video)
Session 5: Reports on Centers of Excellence and the Hub for Effective Land Management
15:30 - 16:10
Nicholas Brown, Head of Office, United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence
United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence in Germany (UN- GGCE)
Li Pengde, Head of Centre United Nations Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation
United Nations Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre (UN-GGKIC)
Li Pengde, Head of UN-GGKIC (video)
Paula Dijkstra, Co-Chair of the United Nations Group of Experts on Land Administration and Management
Hybrid Hub for Effective Land Management
Session 6: Thematic Networks Report
16:10 - 17:10
Rosario Casanova, President of the Academic Network of the Americas
Academic Network of the Americas (ANA)
Valrie Grant, President of the Private Sector Network of the Americas
Private Sector Network of the Americas (PSN)
Julia Martinuzzi,Kan Territory & IT
SDI Americas Node
6 nov 2025
Side Event: CARIGEO (Medina Room)
08:30 - 09:45
🔗 View details of this side event
Session 7: Use of earth observation technologies and innovative methods for the production of geospatial and statistical data
10:05 - 11:10
Thibaud Henin, Canadian Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation
GeoAI Community of Practice
Florencio Utreras, Director of the Copernicus Centre LAC-Chile
Copernicus LAC – Chile
Daniel Taccari, Head of the Innovation and Statistical Dissemination Unit and Horacio Castellaro, Specialist in Geospatial Technologies
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
Session 8: UN-GGIM Americas Strategic Plan (2025-2029)
11:30 - 12:30
Leonardo Scharth Loureiro Silva, Vice President UN-GGIM: Americas
Update and approval of new UN-GGIM Statutes: Americas
Technical Secretariat of UN-GGIM: Americas (ECLAC)
Presentation of the Strategic Plan Proposal 2025-2029
Side Event: COPERNICUS LAC - Chile (Celso Furtado Conference Room)
13:00 – 14:30
🔗 View details of this side event
Session 9: Ratification of the new Board of Directors
14:30 - 15:00
Pamela Castillo, Executive Secretary UN-GGIM: Americas
Presentation and ratification of the Board of Directors
Session 10: Closing remarks and Resolutions
15:30 - 17:00
Sofía Nilo Crisóstomo, President UN-GGIM: Americas
Reading of the resolutions
- Comments
- Closing
7 nov 2025
Side Event: GeoAI Community of Practice (Medina Room)
09:00 - 10:30
🔗 View details of this side event
Side Event: International Seminar for the Exchange of Best Practices in Land Administration (Celso Furtado Conference Room)
10:00 – 13:00
🔗 View details of this side event
Side Event: Private Sector and Academic Network of the Americas (Medina Room)
10:30 - 12:30
🔗 View details of this side event