Seminar on the Global Geospatial Statistical Framework – Principle 4

The Global Statistical and Geospatial Framework (GSGF) enables the integration of a variety of data from the statistical and geospatial communities and, through the application of its five Principles and key supporting elements, enables the production of harmonized and standardized geospatially enabled statistical data. The resulting data can be integrated with statistical, geospatial and other information to inform and facilitate data- and evidence-based decision-making to support local, subnational, national, regional and global development priorities and agendas.

Principle 4: Statistical and geospatial interoperability

He Principle 4 defines the preconditions for statistical and geospatial data to function as a data ecosystem, in which those involved interact with each other to exchange, produce and consume data. Interoperability between statistical and geospatial data and metadata standards is necessary to overcome structural, semantic and syntactic barriers between data and metadata from different communities and providers. Additionally, there is a need to improve the efficiency of discovery, access and use of geospatially enabled data. Often, full data interoperability requires first also removing obstacles in laws, policies and organizations at the national level that hinder cooperation between stakeholders and create barriers between producers and end users. Improving interoperability allows both statistical and geospatial communities to continue operating their own overall data models, metadata capabilities, and architectures, while efficiently and transparently accessing, integrating, and linking data sets across different systems and applications. Therefore, the Principle 4 urges the use of internationally adopted standards and good practices from both communities to enable greater interoperability of statistical and geospatial data, standards, processes and organizations.

The implementation of Principle 4 achieves the following objectives:

• Greater efficiency and simplification of the creation, discovery, integration and use of geospatially enabled statistics and geospatial data;
• Ensure that service-based or machine-readable access mechanisms (e.g. via APIs) are implemented to provide greater efficiency of access and use, and to allow for adaptation and evolution of uses over time; and,
• Increase the potential application of a broader range of data and technologies.

Seminar Objectives:

1. Provide guidance to Member States and stakeholders on the implementation of the resulting Global Statistical and Geospatial Framework – (GSGF).
2. Strengthen interrelationships with relevant groups in the statistical and geospatial communities.
3. Provide representatives of the Member States responsible for geostatistical integration with the opportunity to learn about the challenges in the field of statistical and geospatial integration and establish work plans that identify and promote solutions in a participatory and integrative manner.
4. Implement and operationalize in the Member States, the Global Statistical and Geospatial Framework –GSGF, as a tool to obtain geospatially enabled statistical data for the 2030 Agenda, the 2020 Round of Population Censuses and issues related to climate change and resilience to disasters, among others.