The Netherlands Coordination Office of UNSDI
The NCO (Netherlands Coordination Office) is the national link between the United Nations and Netherlands parties involved in the United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure (UNSDI) programme. The NCO cooperates closely with the UN and in the Netherlands with relevant ministries, research and development institutes, universities, NGOs, SMEs and (multi-national) enterprises.
The purpose of the NCO is to disclose high-quality geo-information, knowledge and capabilities from Netherlands parties to the international UNSDI community in order to contribute to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, Humanitarian Response, Economic Development, Environmental Protection, Peace and Safety and to combat the impact of climate change. The NCO manages the national UNSDI-GeoNetwork portal, making information available from all linked UN bodies and national UNSDI geo-information suppliers.
The geo-information includes unique thematic information, among others derived from satellite images, to support policy development and sustainable management. The methods used, knowledge of the various application areas and the available education and training infrastructure all contribute to sustainable capacity development in developing countries.
We support the realization of MDGs 1, 7 and 8 by making geo-information available and assist in capacity building or institutional strengthening activities.
UNSDI serves, in addition to creating more coherence and better cooperation for geospatial activities within the UN system, as a vehicle for capacity building in Member States that request assistance from the United Nations in managing and applying geo-information to support their national development agenda's through the development of their National Spatial Data Infrastructures (NSDIs). UNSDI-NCO stimulates and coordinates Netherlands' contributions to UNSDI.
Geo-information is underlying all decisions to be taken when dealing with the issues in Member States and is also indispensable for combating climate change, timely response to emergy situations and as a key input to sustainable development programmes at national and regional level.
The United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure - UNSDI
UNSDI is an institutional and technical mechanism for establishing system coherence for the exchange and applications of geospatial data and information for UN activities and supporting SDI development activities in Member Countries.
The UN Spatial Data Infrastructure (UNSDI) initiative aims to contribute to the mission of the United Nations to maintain peace and security, to address humanitarian emergencies and to contribute to the realization of the UN Millennium Development Goals. By facilitating efficient global and local access, exchange and utilization of geospatial information, UNSDI will make the United Nations system more effective and support its “Delivering as One” policies.
Spatial data infrastructures provide the institutional and technical foundation of policies, interoperable standards and procedures that enable organizations and technologies to interact in a way that facilitates spatial data discovery, evaluation and applications. Given that UN agencies vary in their ability to utilise and manage geospatial information it is foreseen that a UNSDI could reduce development and operational costs by working together to achieve economies of scale through generic standards, guidelines and implementation tools. Thus, the development of a UNSDI is considered essential for increasing system coherence in the use and exchange of geospatial data and information for UN activities.
In the short term, UNSDI is an investment into the capacities of the United Nations System to manage its existing geo-spatial assets more effectively. In the longer term, UNSDI could serve as a model and vehicle for capacity building in Member States that request assistance from the United Nations in managing and applying geospatial data to support their national development agenda.
UNGIWG documentation on UNSDI can be found at the UNGIWG website.