UN-GGIM: Europe Working Group on core data

Title (Initiative name):  UN-GGIM: Europe Working Group on core data

Owner: UN-GGIM: Europe  

Geographical scope: European.

Abstract:

UN-GGIM (United Nations initiative on Global Geographic Information Management) was launched by the Statistical Division of the United Nations in 2011. This was starting point for several activities at global and regional levels. Among them, UN-GGIM: Europe decided to create a Working Group on core data (WG A).

Core Data has been defined as the geospatial data the most useful to analyse, achieve or monitor the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), either directly or indirectly. Main purpose of the working group on core data is to define priorities for production of new data or enhancement of existing ones.

In a first phase, WG A has selected 14 core themes among the 34 INSPIRE themes. In a second phase, WG A is elaborating “Recommendations for content” for the selected themes.

These recommendations for content are based both on user requirements (with focus on SDG related use cases) and on existing standards, mainly the INSPIRE Data Specifications.  Core data recommendations for content include list of expected feature types and attributes, selection of relevant levels of detail and a few key quality requirements.

In practice, INSPIRE supplies common terminology and a list of candidate feature types and attributes. Core content is generally a selection of the INSPIRE key concepts but some extensions or modifications may also occur, if considered as necessary.

Purpose:

• Define minimum common content on geographic data suitable for SDG related policies
• Promote the availability of this common core content in all European countries, through production of new data or enhancement of existing ones

Benefits:

• Help Member states to define their policy, regarding supply of geospatial information; ensure availability of minimum geographic data suitable for SDG related national policies
• Foster availability of more harmonised data in Europe: core data aim at ensuring minimum common content (whereas INSPIRE ensures common delivery data models and formats)
• Contribute to enable creation of pan-European datasets from Member States data thus facilitating better data management (by avoiding data production duplication between Member States and European Commission).

Intended audience:

Data producers, national governments, European Commission and associated bodies.

Status: On-going.

Themes: Administrative units, Hydrography, Transport networks, Geographical names, Cadastral Parcels, Addresses, Elevation, Orthoimagery, Land cover, Land use, Buildings, Statistical Units, Regulated or Managed Areas, Basic/governmental Services

Resource language: English.

Metadata date:  May 2019.

Linkages:

https://un-ggim-europe.org/working-groups/working-group-core-data/

https://eurogeographics.org/calendar-event/webinar-un-ggim-what-it-is-about-december-2016/