Report on Development Needs Taskforce, Beijing Meeting, April 1999

PCGIAP DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TASKFORCE

Report from Beijing Meeting, 19-22 July 1999

Present at Taskforce workshop in Beijing:

Dato' Abdul Majid Mohamed, Malaysia, Chair of Taskforce and SE Asia sub-region
Dr Mohammad Madad, Iran, Chair of Taskforce West Asia sub-region
Mr Drew Clarke, Australia, Chair of Taskforce Oceania (Pacific) sub-region
Mr Hiroshi Une, Japan, Chair of Taskforce North Asia sub-region
Mr Xu Yanying, China
Mr Chan Hak, Hong Kong
Mr Chia Wee Tong , Malaysia
Mr Chan Hun Seok, Malaysia
Mr Munahbaatar Enkhbayar, Mongolia
Mr Damdinkhuu Tsedendorj, Mongolia
Mr Low Oon Song, Singapore
Mr Bob Irwin, PCGIAP Executive Officer, Rapporteur.

Refer: Beijing meeting documents 13, 14 and 15.

Attachments

A. Resolutions from Beijing meeting
B. Taskforce Action list
C. Recommendations from Suva workshop

REPORT

This PCGIAP Taskforce report prepared at the Beijing PCGIAP meeting summarises:

progress against the Taskforce workplan up to the Beijing meeting; and
plans for making further advancement with the workplan.

Taskforce workplan

Prepare an SDI strategy / discussion paper
Determine member's NSDI development needs
Prepare a Communication Plan
Prepare a Glossary of SDI Terms

Progress against Taskforce workplan

1. Prepare an SDI strategy / discussion paper

This work has been completed with the production of Publication No.1 – a definition of the APSDI. This document however remains open for comment.

2. Determine PCGIAP members’ NSDI development needs

The Taskforce produced a questionnaire (including associated documents) that have been circulated to nearly all 55 member countries by the four Taskforce sub-region chairs (Malaysia, Japan, Iran and Australia).

Malaysia: Five from five responses to the initial questionnaire received and the final version of the questionnaire will be circulated to all 10 countries in the SE Asia sub-region seeking their responses, which will be collated.

Japan: Questionnaire sent to all eight countries in the North Asia sub-region and visits were made to Hong Kong, Macau and The Republic of Korea. Seven from eight responses received and the one outstanding response is being sought. Responses will be collated.

Iran: Questionnaire sent to all countries in the West Asia sub-region. Iran plans to hold a workshop in Tehran similar to Pacific Group Suva workshop around late August-early September to assist countries complete the questionnaire and discuss PCGIAP matters. Responses will be collated.

Australia: Questionnaire sent to all 21 countries in Oceania sub-region and a workshop was conducted in Suva in March 1999 in which 15 Pacific Island countries participated. Responses received from 16 of the 21 countries in the Oceania sub-region. Action will be taken to obtain responses from the balance of countries and all will be collated.

With reference to Suva Taskforce workshop Recommendation 3 (refer Attachment C) to:
"Advise the Pacific Group on the status of territorial member countries regarding policy decisions of the PCGIAP",
the Secretariat will write to the countries maintaining territorial rights (USA and France) over four of the Pacific Island countries.

The other three Recommendations from Suva have Resolutions from Beijing meeting - refer Attachment A.

Timing of information gathering and analysis

Regarding collation of information and reporting by the Taskforce, the Taskforce meeting on Tuesday 20 April agreed that:

PCGIAP Taskforce would report to UNRCC-AP and PCGIAP meeting in 2000
Sub-regions would collate responses and provide drafts of their analyses by end September 1999 in preparation for a Taskforce workshop early in October 1999. The workshop is tentatively proposed for Canberra, Australia and would be held prior to the next meeting of PCGIAP Executive Board around October-November 1999.
Results of the workshop analyses would be collated into a draft report for presentation at the meeting of Executive Board. This draft would be assessed by the Board and developed into a report for presentation at UNRCC-AP and PCGIAP meeting in 2000.

3. Prepare a Communication Plan

This work is an ongoing activity of the Taskforce and the PCGIAP and includes publications, promotions, presentations and information about PCGIAP. The following main items refer:

Wide circulation of Publication No.1 including via PCGIAP web site
Production and wide circulation of outcomes from PCGIAP Geodesy and other PCGIAP workshops
Updating and maintenance of PCGIAP web site
Presentations and papers on PCGIAP at various fora and in journals
Preparation of PCGIAP glossy brochure for consideration at Beijing meeting by PCGIAP as its main hardcopy promotion document.
Communication with related bodies or activities such as UNRCCs, GSDI, Global Map, ESCAP, EUROGI and CERCO.
Action for UNRCC-AP and PCGIAP meetings in 2000 will be to list PCGIAP communication activities including an explanation on how the results of Taskforce development needs analyses could be communicated.

4. Prepare a Glossary of SDI Terms

No action had been carried out on this work plan item.

In the Taskforce meeting of 20 April, Malaysia agreed to begin work on this item by:
- investigating and listing currently available related glossaries; and
- proposing terms specific to PCGIAP.

Later work would include developing definitions of terms and gaining agreement on those definitions, including those terms specific to PCGIAP.

Attachment A

TASKFORCE RESOLUTIONS

With respect to the four recommendations from Suva, the following resolutions were developed by the PCGIAP Taskforce workshop on Tuesday 20 April and endorsed by the PCGIAP on Thursday 22 April.

Resolution 1 - Pacific Group.

Recognising the unique needs and common interests of Pacific Island countries, the PCGIAP resolves to:

recognise the Pacific Group as a body representing the 19 Pacific Island countries in the PCGIAP

and

ask the PCGIAP Executive Board to assess any resulting need to amend the PCGIAP Statutes and seek endorsement of any proposed amendments at the meeting of PCGIAP in 2000.

__________________________________________

Recognising that the Pacific Group's priority 2 project (PCGIAP regional geodesy) from the Suva workshop is already well underway with PCGIAP Working Group 1, Beijing Taskforce Resolution 2 and Resolution 3 regarding the Pacific Group$BCT(B priority 1 project and its priority 3 project, were endorsed as follows.

Resolution 2 - Institutional Strengthening.

Noting that:

The Pacific Group has agreed that its priority 1 project is institutional strengthening

and

the PCGIAP Taskforce work associated with its questionnaire and related activities is an important initiative in gathering information and identifying development needs projects regarding member countries’ surveying, mapping and GIS activities,

and

the above Taskforce activity is however not sufficiently comprehensive as a major institutional strengthening exercise as identified by the Pacific Group,

PCGIAP resolves to reply to the Pacific Group as follows:

At its meeting in 2000, the PCGIAP will consider whether the Pacific Group$BCT(B priority 1 project (institutional strengthening) could be adopted as either:

- a whole of PCGIAP project
or
- a PCGIAP endorsed project of the Pacific Group.

Resolution 3 - Remote sensing data library for the Pacific.

Recognising that the Pacific Group is in a unique position regarding remote sensing data availability for the followiing reasons:

There is no permanent ground station in the area
Cloud cover is a major hindrance to obtaining scenes suitable for mapping and related uses
Cloud free aerial photography is difficult to capture

PCGIAP resolves that:

the Pacific Group's priority 3 project to develop a remote sensing data library for the Pacific be an endorsed PCGIAP project that will be undertaken within the resources and capacity of the Pacific Group.

Attachment B

TASKFORCE ACTION LIST

1. Prepare an SDI strategy / discussion paper

Monitor comments on Publication No.1 and report to Executive Board
Action: Secretariat
Prepare a Power Point presentation on Publication No.1 that can be used for presentations on the PCGIAP
Action: Secretariat

2. Determine PCGIAP members’ NSDI development needs

SE Asia

Circulated final version of the questionnaire to all 10 countries in the SE Asia sub-region seeking their responses, and collate responses.
Action: Malaysia.

North Asia

Seek responses from the one outstanding country and collate responses.
Action: Japan

West Asia

Conduct a West Asia Taskforce workshop in Tehran around late August-early September to assist countries complete the questionnaire and to discuss PCGIAP matters. Collate responses.
Action: Iran

Pacific

Obtain responses from the balance of five of countries in subregion and collate all responses.
Action: Australia

Taskforce

Arrange and participate in workshop to be held prior to the next meeting of PCGIAP Executive Board. The workshop would analyse the results of the responses to the four sub-regions.
Action: Taskforce, Secretariat, and host country for workshop.
Collate analyses and outcomes of Taskforce workshop into a draft report for presentation at next meeting of Executive Board.
Action: All four sub-regions and Secretariat
Assess draft report of Taskforce workshop.
Action: PCGIAP Executive Board.
Using comments from Executive Board, develop draft report of Taskforce workshop into a report for presentation at UNRCC-AP and PCGIAP meeting in 2000. The report should include proposed PCGIAP development needs projects.
Action: Taskforce and Secretariat.

Write to the countries (USA and France) maintaining territorial rights over four of the Pacific Island countries (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Guam, and American Samoa) regarding Suva Taskforce workshop Recommendation 3 (refer Attachment C) to:
"Advise the Pacific Group on the status of territorial member countries regarding policy decisions of the PCGIAP"
Action: Secretariat.

3. Prepare a Communication Plan

Continue action that promotes PCGIAP (such as web site updates, presentations and liaison)
Action: Executive Board, PCGIAP Members, Working Groups and Secretariat
Based on agreement from PCGIAP in Beijing, complete publication of PCGIAP glossy brochure and distribute widely
Action: PCGIAP (in Beijing) and Secretariat
List PCGIAP communication activities including an explanation on how the results of Taskforce development needs analyses could be communicated, for UNRCC-AP and PCGIAP meeting in 2000.
Action: Secretariat

4. Prepare a Glossary of SDI Terms

Investigate and list currently available related glossaries, and propose terms specific to PCGIAP
Action: Malaysia
Develop definitions of terms and gain agreement on those definitions, including terms specific to PCGIAP
Action: To be accepted.

Attachment C

Recommendations of Pacific Group at PCGIAP Taskforce workshop Suva, 22-25 March 1999

Background

The following recommendations were developed by the Pacific Group at the PCGIAP Taskforce Suva workshop in March 1999, for presentation to the PCGIAP Meeting in Beijing, April 1999.

Recommendations

The PCGIAP Taskforce Suva Workshop recommended that the PCGIAP:

Recognise the new Pacific Group as representing the interests of the 19 Pacific Island members of the PCGIAP.
Include Pacific Group priorities, as identified by the Suva Workshop, in future PCGIAP work plans.
Advise the Pacific Group on the status of territorial member countries regarding policy decisions of the PCGIAP.
Hold a PCGIAP meeting in the Pacific in 2001 or as soon as possible thereafter.

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