2021-06-09 Working Group GNDM Meeting

Chair

Evaluate and assess exchange standards for geographical names information and for web services (gazetteer, feature and mapping) for the provision of geographical names information

(comprising the review of Part II of the UNGEGN Technical Reference Manual)

Task Team of WG members:

Roman Stani-Fertl, Peder Gammeltoft Teemu Leskinen, Peeter Päll

Present geographical names data management topics at national and international conferences organized in the fields of geospatial information management

Chair and other WG members

Promote, agree and disseminate romanization systems for national and global use

Catherine Cheetham

Promote and support the establishment of an authoritative international database/gazetteer of geographical names to be disseminated to the public through UNGEGN

Task Team of WG members:
Chair, Susan Birtles, Victoria Reeh, Jasper Hogerwerf, Kristina Kwiatkowski

Examine processes and recommend good practice

1. on how single and multi-jurisdictional Member States record, store, disseminate and manage their geographical names
2. for the reuse and validation of volunteered geographic Information, crowd sourced data and Linked Open Data (LOD) as part of national geographical names standardization work
3. for the use of standardized geographical names as fundamental data theme in national spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) within the monitoring of the SDG indicator framework in order to analyze and monitor the changes in a country

Task Team(s) of WG members:

Re 1)

Jasper Hogerwerf, Ingvil Nordland,
Teemu Leskinen, Aju Pudra, Kristina Kwiatkowski, Young-Hoon Kim

Re 2)

Susan Birtles, Jasper Hogerwerf, Ingvil Nordland, Peder Gammeltoft, Aji Pudra, Young-Hoon Kim

Re 3)

Chair, Teemu Leskinnen, Kristina Kwiatkowski,

Promote the use of the online discussion forum (Wiki) e.g.

1. on the relationship UNGEGN – UN-GGIM or SDG indicator monitoring
2. on data modelling and database design
3. on general issues in the context of data maintenance (like feature classifications)
4. on geographical names data production and distribution in the context of national, regional or global Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs)

Wiki moderators:

Catherine Cheetham, Vita Strautniece, Teemu Leskinnen, Susan Birtles, Chair

Monitor the availability of free and easily-accessible authorized digital geographical names data as it is seen as a key driver in encouraging the use of nationally-standardized geographical names

Marija Brnot, Victoria Reeh

1. Compilation of the existing data sources
2. Check whether the data is free and easily-accessible authorized
3. Review every year

Organize workshops and on innovative, research and/or technical issues/topics like e.g. volunteered geographic information, crowd sourced data, Linked Open Data or speech technology

Chair, Susan Birtles and others (Eveline Wandl-Vogt)

Evaluate and assess innovative methods to be used for Romanization, e.g. machine transliteration

Catherine Cheetham

Interaction with UN-GGIM to be continuously reviewed and evaluated for upgrading the activity level in relation to over-arching activities, such as addressing the SDGs 

Chair, Catherine Cheetham

Work with UNECA to establish stronger and more permanent ties aimed to:

1. Increase national geographical names standardization in Africa
2. Re-activate the Gaborone Action Plan (GAP) initiated with UNECA
3.  Re-activate Africa GeoNyms project to provide free database/gazetteer software to countries in Africa 

Chair

Continue to communicate and liaise with existing groups and explore further effective ways of cooperation with: ICA, ICOS, IGU, IHO, ISO, OGC, PAIGH, SCAR (SCAGI), Unicode Consortium

Chair (for ISO, OGC), Catherine Cheetham (for UNICODE) (Evelyn Wandl-Vogt) and others to contribute)

Review the current versions of UNGEGN publications, establish a plan to revise or add to them, and implement it