The objective of the meeting is to highlight the importance of location intelligence in propelling growth, while delving into solutions that leverage location intelligence and geospatial technologies that can benefit small island developing states (SIDS) in accelerating national development and the achievement of sustainable development goals across various sectors. This meeting features a three-part discussion:
UN ECLAC leads the 1st session on the importance of location intelligence in propelling growth, highlighting geospatial data challenges, including availability, access, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The 2nd session features experts from the United States Census Bureau, Academic Network Americas/International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and the Private Sector Network Americas, delving into solutions that leverage location intelligence and geospatial technologies (e.g., 3D mapping, GeoAI, mobile GIS) and discusses data platforms available in the Americas (e.g., CARIGEO, UN ECLAC, UN-GGIM: Americas), the institutional arrangements and strategies for effective use. The UN’s Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF) is then discussed, juxtaposed with other supporting geospatial frameworks (land, disasters, etc.) related initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Data Alliance and the rollout of the Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre in China, all aimed at ameliorating SIDS social, economic, and environmental challenges.
The 3rd session presents real-life applications from Barbados, Jamaica, and other SIDS, on how location intelligence accelerates development across various sectors.
