Prof. Clement Sankat, Principal of the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies,
Mr. Jarmo Ratia, President, Global Spatial Data Infastructure Association,
Mr. Makhtar Diop, World Bank’s Director of Strategy and Operations for Latin America and the Caribbean,
Professor Harlan Onsrud, Interim Executive Director, Global Spatial Data Infastructure Association,
Mr. Santiago Borrero, Secretary General of the Pan American Institute for Geography and History,
Distinguished participants,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to place on record my sincere thanks to the organisers of this, the 10th International Conference for Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI-10), for their kind invitation to address this distinguished gathering.

I want to place on record my appreciation to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the University of the West Indies for hosting this meeting and for the arrangements put in place for a successful meeting.

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will be the host of many important global and hemispheric meetings in the coming year, among which the fifth Summit of the Americas. I am sure that the findings of this 10th GSDI will find their way in some form to the outcome documents of the fifth Summit.
I have observed that the biographical notes made available to Conference participants make mention of the fact that I have an academic background in geography. Let me say that, without giving too much away, that was a very long time ago. Indeed, the astonishing technological advances we have witnessed since that distant time have made the study and application of geospatial data a very different and rather more exciting field than when I was an undergraduate.

Against this background I am more than pleased to share with you some perspectives on challenges facing the small economies, especially in the Western Hemisphere.

The digital revolution has put new analytical tools in the hands of researchers in almost every discipline and the field of geospatial data certainly stands out in this respect. I understand, for example, that by using satellite imaging, scientists and geologists can compare images taken before and after earthquakes to measure the growth of ridges caused by fault-lines. This growth may be a matter of just a few centimetres, but as we all know, the ridges that make up the landscape are the result of repeated earthquakes over thousands or millions of years. Now, by using satellite imaging to create a database of pre-earthquake radar images, scientists can study the patterns of growth to identify potential seismic threats. This information can in turn be used by engineers and planners to ensure that appropriate building codes are in place to mitigate the effects of natural disasters, where urban communities are developed along fault-lines.

Mr. Chairman

Let me explain why I believe it is important for a primarily political entity as the Organization of American States to participate in this conference. I firmly believe that the principal objective of the OAS to contribute to the establishment of peaceful societies and sustainable economies. The availability of spatial data is in many ways critical to achieve these objectives.

There is within the OAS an awareness, that the way geographic data are being produced, organized and analyzed is leading to a better understanding of natural, as well as cultural diversity. This has an impact on decision-making across a whole range of sustainable development areas, not only in the mitigation of disasters, but also in land-use planning and management of eco-systems for example. In this respect, we believe that the development of the infrastructure for spatial data is the gateway to unlimited possibilities for economic growth, social development and ultimately democracy.

In our Hemisphere, it is critical that reliable spatial data are documented and accessible for producers, intermediaries and users of digital data. But our developing countries need help in bridging the “Digital Divide”. For the smaller countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, it is particularly important to pay attention to the production, availability, access and application of fundamental geospatial data, as part of the incorporation of new information and communication technologies into socio-economic development strategies.

Mr. Chairman

I am aware that the previous GSDI Conference held in Chile in 2006, after the Summit of the Americas in Argentina, focused on the relationship between the application of available spatial data and the fight against poverty. In the context of the intertwined, interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of the OAS – democracy, integral development and multidimensional security – we consider geospatial data an important tool in the pursuit of stable and equitable development and the thrust to eradicate poverty. We therefore applaud your efforts and contributions in this regard.

In the Americas, as in most developing regions, the production of thematic spatial data and mapping is commonly carried out in both the public and private sectors, resulting in enormous diversification, often lacking standards, with significant quality problems and incomplete documentation of data. This all suggests the need for a clearer national recognition of the geographic sector, as a strategic area for development.

At the national level, spatial data infrastructure is still at an incipient stage of development. There is also a lack of public policies at different levels in relation to geographic information for development. It is in my view therefore critical to sensitize politicians, parliamentarians and policymakers about the usefulness and applications of spatial data.

Moreover, the deficiencies in digital and structured geographic information transcend national boundaries. There is a general tendency, for example, to invest limited resources more in technological infrastructure than in the production of standardized spatial data. It is no surprise then that, as a consequence, difficulties related to sustainability arise. And these challenges are, of course, more acute for the resource-constrained small island states of the Caribbean.

I am pleased to note that the GSDI Association and this Conference in particular are making a notable and relevant contribution to the development of national spatial data infrastructure to build efficiently, share and apply geographic data within countries and across regions. However, this aim goes beyond the many efforts and policies currently being implemented to narrow the related knowledge gap in many of our societies. Therefore, there is also need for all of us in developing country governments, professional associations and intergovernmental organizations like the OAS, to work together to build capacity and to strengthen the institutions required to address information problems in developing nations.

Mr. Chairman

At the OAS, we are also conscious of the direct relationship existing between having fundamental spatial data available and the possibilities for sustainable development and effective attention to the many pressing social and economic needs facing our Member States. Consequently, we are very interested in the implementation of the announced Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) 10-Year Implementation Plan, in the context of its vision “to realize a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed via coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and information”.

We would like to observe more closely this initiative and to collaborate, as far as practically possible, in the knowledge that it gives relevant attention to the needs of developing country users. GEOSS, we expect, should be relevant for early warning and many applications benefiting multiple areas in society. This information, we hope, should be treated as a public good.

The possibility to combine data and information from multiple sources of Earth Observation mechanisms is of great importance to developing nations. It will however be necessary to allow such information to be accessed at a minimum cost and in a timely manner. Therefore, even as we encourage our Member States to participate in GEOSS, we will have to explore appropriate partnerships to facilitate their participation and ability to benefit from such mechanisms.

I am pleased to share with you that the OAS has initiated in Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Barbados, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Chile, Venezuela and Paraguay GIS cadastre and registration projects, which have contributed to transparency, improved property tax collection and more effective urban planning.

Mr. Chairman,

The oldest of the specialized agencies in the Inter-American System is the Pan American Institute for Geography and History (PAIGH), which this year celebrates 80 years of existence. The Institute, based in Mexico City, is an active member of the spatial data community, especially through its General Secretariat and Cartographic Commission. PAIGH publishes a monthly newsletter on SDI and has been one of the main advocates and a well-recognized facilitator of the development and sustainability of the Spatial Data Infrastructure initiative in the Americas.

Its Secretary General, Mr. Santiago Borrero, will no doubt tell you more about specific activities of the Institute. But permit me to highlight that, in the framework of the OAS Inter-American Committee for Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR) and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), PAIGH has been implementing a most relevant hemispheric initiative named “Geographic Spatial Information for Integral Development in the Americas”, with the primary objective of promoting and consolidating the role of geographic information systems for the integral development of the Hemisphere, via projects to develop geographic information services and generate affordable and applicable geographical spatial data, as a basis for planning and decision-making in our countries.

This initiative is consistent with OAS e-government and e-governance activities and is promoting the development of new, on-line geographic services and engaging Member States in the production of modern national digital maps, following international standards, so that a common map and data will be available in the near future, without cost and access restrictions to Member State users. Member States, decision-makers and citizens will thus benefit from enhanced geographic information services.

At the most recent OAS General Assembly held in Panama last June, a resolution commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the PAIGH was unanimously approved, which, inter alia, called for the establishment of a specific fund to finance PAIGH projects related to:

• spatial data production, access, and use to improve disaster response;

• consolidation of territorial databases in each country as part of the infrastructure needed for adequate environmental, social, and economic development. Much work remains to be done in this respect, especially in the area of resource mobilization.

And the Institute has also to widen its membership base in the Americas, particularly with regard to reaching out to the island states of the Caribbean. Currently, only the Dominican Republic and Haiti are members, with Jamaica as an observer. I call on the member states from the OAS which have not joined the PAIGH to do so as soon as possible.

Mr. Chairman

14 CARICOM nations, 6 Central American Republics and the Dominican Republic are members of the OAS and considered vulnerable economies. They represent almost two-thirds of the membership of the Organization and all are small states, with the majority, small island states. These countries and their shared interests ensure that development is a priority on the OAS agenda.

I myself have been calling for a new paradigm for development in the Americas, which combines governance, economic, cultural, social and environmental issues. I believe that if we are to build a sustainable future, we need a more holistic, comprehensive and results-oriented development paradigm that focuses on providing opportunity, equality, equity and education to all in our societies, especially the youth. And all this must be underpinned by the transfer of appropriate technology.

In closing, Mr. Chairman, your deliberations this week, the many presentations and exchanges, the exploration of innovative ways to address the myriad technical, legal, economic and institutional challenges in implementing spatial data infrastructure, and the application of SDI to the development needs of small countries, will all be critical to the further elaboration of a new approach to development in our Hemisphere.

I therefore once again thank you for the scientific contribution you all make to building peaceful and sustainable societies.

I thank you.