By
Beatrice Labonne
Director DESDNRM/DESA
United Nations, New York

Ladies and gentlemen,

As a matter of fact being French, I may not be the best person to promote GSDI since it should look more like pizza than profiterole! Why pizza? Because this cherished pie enjoys worldwide appeal, and makes new converts everyday. Furthermore, it is eater-friendly and, if you use the basic recipe, notwithstanding its many other possible added ingredients, it will still look like a pizza and it is affordable!

I am twice honoured to be here addressing you at this luncheon. The UN is indeed very honoured to be associated with your efforts in developing global spatial data infrastructure, to contribute to the betterment of people's welfare and to the advancement of the goals of sustainable development. I am personally very grateful to be here on behalf of Mr. Maurice Strong, whose commitment to sustainable development is prominent. Mr. Strong continues to work endlessly to promote the noble message of the Earth Summit. He is also no less committed to the rejuvenation and strengthening of the UN, that will allow this venerable organisation to inspire and lead in the implementation of sustainable development.

I got a crash course in GSDI intricacy last year in Santa Barbara at the occasion of the International Seminar on Global Mapping for the Implementation of Multinational Environmental Agreement which was jointly organised by the University of California at Santa Barbara, Geographic Survey Institute (GSI) of Japan and the United Nations. I am not going to talk about the development of GSDI, not only because you know much more about this activity than I do, but because I feel that there are some other important issues that should be addressed. First, the development of GSDI starts with building national spatial data infrastructures, which, when networked and used together, constitute GSDI. Therefore, the GSDI idea should be advocated and promoted primarily to the governments and institutions which should build their national SDIs and also participate in the establishment of GSDI. Second, the goal of GSDI, as stated by the Atlantic Institute, is "to provide for substantial and sustainable development in both rich and poor countries." This is an admirable goal, however, poor countries will need help to join in and economic growth is critical to their achieving sustainable development. In addition, we should keep in mind that human development is impossible without a sustainable and equitable balance between the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations. To this end GSDI is a tool we cannot do without, particularly since we are all climbing aboard the globalisation train.

Accurate spatial data has been increasingly regarded as an important tool in pursuing national and international development objectives, many of which can only be undertaken effectively on a foundation of reliable spatial information. This tool is equally needed at the global level for co-ordinated environmental monitoring, the implementation of global conventions, and overall achievement of sustainable development objectives, as well as at the national levels, where government agencies and private enterprises are faced with ever-increasing demands for spatial information to support more effective decision making, from project level engineering to countrywide planning and management of natural resources, including land use.

At the global level there is an indispensable need for spatial information in achieving many of the environmental and human development objectives agreed in the Agenda 21 as well as in monitoring the implementation of international conventions related to the protection of the environment. For those of you who may not be familiar with this term, Agenda 21 is a global plan of action to promote sustainable development that was adopted in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro at the Conference on Environment and Development known as the Earth Summit. It is a unique action supported word for word by 178 countries, represented by either their presidents or prime ministers. Agenda 21 addresses today's pressing problems with more than 2,500 recommendations for action. It aims at preparing the people of the world for the challenges of the next century and contains detailed proposals in social and economic areas for combating poverty, changing patterns of production and consumption, demographic dynamics, conserving and managing natural resources, protecting the atmosphere, oceans and biodiversity, preventing deforestation, and promoting sustainable agriculture, among others. It should be noted that the implementation of the Agenda 21 is primarily a national responsibility.

An examination of Agenda 21 reveals the fundamental role of spatial information in achieving many of the environmental and human development objectives agreed at the Earth Summit. A common thread through many of the chapters is the need for reliable natural resource data and also for spatial data, including geographic information systems, as a fundamental requirement for sustainable development. At least 10 chapters out of 40 make mention of the need for spatial data systems of some form. Some are cross-sectoral in nature like chapters dealing with combating poverty, managing fragile ecosystems, land use or protection of the ocean; others are sectoral such as promoting sustainable agriculture.

Although GSDI is a key supporting tool to the implementation of these chapters of Agenda 21, it is particularly relevant to chapter 40, titled Information for Decision-Making, which is concerned with two main issues, namely to "Bridge the Data Gap" and to "Improve the Information Availability."

The response to Agenda 21 has been encouraging with the launching of a multitude of public and private initiatives. In many countries the "global" Agenda 21 has been translated into "local" Agenda 21. An intergovernmental body called the UN Commission on sustainable Development was set up following the Earth Summit to support encourage and monitor actions by Governments. Besides reviewing implementation of the Earth Summit accords, its mandate is to promote dialogues and build partnership between Governments, UN agencies and major groups, including academia, the private sector and NGOs, all of which are key to achieving sustainable development worldwide.

The global concern over the widely perceived need to move towards greater sustainability has been reflected in the formulation and adoption of a number of environmental agreements, many of which call for an increase in systematic monitoring of the Earth to increase our understanding of its processes. Notable among these agreements are:

A statement of Forest Principles was adopted in Rio but was superseded in 1995 by the establishment of an Intergovernmental Panel on Forests. In 1997, the Panel was transformed into the Forum on Forests.

When we examine the specific goals and objectives behind the establishment of Agenda 21 and these agreements, we encounter a real need at the most fundamental level to measure, monitor and model baseline data in order to study global changes and impacts. As we all know, everything in the world is linked. Global changes have local impacts while others start locally but may have impact at the regional or global levels. We must find ways to detect, identify and monitor these critical linkages that will tell us what is happening globally, regionally, nationally and locally to the environment and try to reverse the negative trends like climate change due to global warming. This will be impossible to accomplish without GSDI.

But, where do we stand in regard to the implementation of Agenda 21 and the other actions initiated at the Earth Summit?

During a week in June 1997, New York became the capital of the world or close to it, some 55 world leaders came to the United Nations General Assembly with their concern and support to confirm the commitment to further action on goals and objectives set out by the Earth Summit. The nineteenth special session of the United Nations General Assembly, called Earth Summit +5, reviewed progress achieved over the five years that had passed since Rio. It was not a time to rejoice. The session concluded, inter alia, that "a number of positive results have been achieved, but that the overall trends with respect to sustainable development are worse today than they were in 1992." It was further emphasised that the implementation of Agenda 21 in a comprehensive manner remains vitally important and is more urgent now than ever. The participants pledged to continue to work together, in good faith and in the spirit of partnership, to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 21 concluding: "We invite everyone throughout the world to join us in our common cause." This spirit of partnership will be very much needed in Kyoto next December when government representatives will assemble to try to negotiate a treaty controlling emissions of carbon dioxide. Just read the news media to assess what is at stake!

So, our decision makers invite us to take the challenge and GSDI should help not only as a tool for measuring the implementation, but more important as a foundation upon which progress in general can be built. The role and importance of information systems was strongly emphasised again at the mini Earth Summit, which concluded that "A supportive environment needs to be established to enhance national capacities and capabilities for information collection, processing and dissemination, especially in developing countries, to facilitate public access to information on global environmental issues ..." It specifically referred to the need for high-tech information and a communication infrastructure related to the global environment, "using such tools as geographic information systems and video transmission technology, including global mapping. In this regard, international co-operation is essential".

Keeping in mind that the next comprehensive review of progress achieved in the implementation of Agenda 21 by the UN General Assembly will take place in the year 2002 we should explore ways and means on how to make best use of GSDI in the implementation of Agenda 21 and global environmental agreements and report the achievements to the next review. This should be done through national channels and in consultation with the relevant UN bodies and would work both ways; it will support the sustainable human development and at the same time promote the GSDI concept internationally and nationally. To this end, we should not wait until 2002. There will be a number of sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development between 1998 and 2002 and we should not miss the opportunity to promote GSDI. Regarding GSDI, of particular importance will be the session in 2001 addressing the cross-sectoral theme "Information for decision-making and participation; international co-operation for enabling environment."

There is an obvious need for promotion primarily at the national levels, because GSDI should be built on NSDIs. In this regard, national and international actions are closely interrelated and should be seen as mutually reinforcing components of the overall goal of achieving development of GSDI. The UN can play a major role in advocating the concept and facilitating networking, experience sharing and information dissemination.

Regarding the promotion, the aim should be to assist in making the SDI tool known and available to the world community and to tailor the GSDI concept to its needs. This is a process which should: (i) further both co-operation and networking in GSDI and (ii) promote the concept upstream as well as downstream.

Allow me to explain what I mean by upstream and downstream promotion of SDI. Regarding the upstream promotionm your decision makers at all levels must be aware and convinced of the SDI value. Conversely they must also be convinced that public investment is required to facilitate SDI development and use. Downstream promotion refers to reaching out to research organisations and institutes, to facilitate the interface between the research and decision making process and the interdisciplinary transfer. Their research efforts in socioeconomic, and environmental fields contribute to the pool of sound and multi disciplinary data needed for decision making and strategy development. Finally, downstream promotion also encompasses other "customers" such as the civil society as a whole which is increasingly called upon to actively participate in the development effort.

The problem is how to transfer the huge potential of SDI into a major catalyst of human development. During the last few decades, there have been major changes and advances in spatial data systems and technologies. A range of powerful technologies has been developed, including satellite imagery, other forms of remote sensing, electronic distance measurement, global positioning systems and computer-based geographic information systems. This has been linked to the boom in computerised information. These advances have great potential to assist in furthering environmental and human development objectives, but full realisation of their benefits requires large investments and high levels of skills and experience. Unfortunately, the ability to understand and use these technologies effectively, particularly in developing countries, has not advanced as rapidly as the technologies themselves. As a result, the full potential of these technologies as a tool for resource management and human development is not being realised, and resources are sometimes being wasted. Therefore, realistic initiatives should be proposed to reach out to developing countries, to stimulate cross fertilisation between the data providers and users, and to lure the financial muscle and technological dynamism of the private sector. The role of the private sector, both as a provider and as a disseminator of technology to the above actors, is of crucial importance. The information technology leap is dependent on the growth of the technology market, and the lowering of technology cost as well as its portability.

To conclude, this conference should, among other things, focus on how to achieve promotion of the GSDI concept and how to make best use of this concept in pursuing economic growth, sustainable development and protection of the environment. In such a task, the UN stands ready to assist with its global outreach and networking capacity. I look forward to a very productive and successful outcome of the conference.

The challenge before you, distinguished participants, is to show how a great idea could be transformed into decisive actions.