Sofis Solutions joined an international network that promotes global geospatial initiatives.

Montevideo, November 30, 2023. 

Sofis joined the Private Sector Network of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management

The value and utility of Geospatial Information (GI) in society and the global economy have expanded exponentially in line with its growing maturity, and it is now relevant in almost all human endeavors. 

GI is not only a facilitator of daily activities but also a driver of innovation, development, and excellence in and among countries, creating disruption in business models and generating significant social and economic value.

This value was recognized by the United Nations (UN) in the context of global development and prosperity, particularly for developing and vulnerable countries. In this way, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) established in July 2011 the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) to take concrete measures to strengthen international cooperation in global GI management. 

Since its inception, UN-GGIM has recognized the role of stakeholders from the academic, research, and private sectors in achieving its objectives of promoting the global use of GI for evidence-based decision-making and, more recently, leveraging GI to collaborate in measuring and monitoring the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The private sector has actively participated and contributed to the UN-GGIM process at both global and regional levels over the past years. This led to the recognition that a more coordinated network would provide greater benefits and better connection and communication for both private sector stakeholders and the Committee’s Member States.

In this context, and because the 2030 Agenda requires stronger public-private partnerships to leverage new data sources and technologies, the UN-GGIM Committee, in its sixth session in August 2016, agreed to establish the Academic Network and the Private Sector Network.

The UN-GGIM Private Sector Network (PSN) aims to facilitate direct connection and communication so that the private sector can work with Member States to achieve success in global geospatial initiatives. The PSN is intended to enable ongoing dialogue for collaboration between UN-GGIM members and PSN participants to develop, build, and expand global capacity to benefit from GI, allowing countries to build capacity in geospatial information, technologies, and services.

In line with its principles of working with strong social, environmental, and governance commitment, Sofis Solutions has been strengthening its Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) area by generating products aligned with the SDGs. It is in this pursuit of continuous improvement that it was recently accepted as a member of the UN-GGIM PSN. 

It is worth noting that major companies such as Google and Oracle, along with other globally recognized companies and organizations in the field of Geographic Information Systems such as OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) and ESRI, participate in this network. 

Being a member of this prestigious network will allow Sofis Solutions to participate and stay informed about the latest decisions regarding GI management, work with the frameworks currently used for mapping SDG indicators, and carry out initiatives in this regard from the perspective of a company committed to sustainable development.