Blog from October, 2023

Workshop context

The workshop was developed by UNECE in collaboration with Eurostat and UN-GGIM: Europe as part of our EU-funded project which aims to develop greater capacity in the integration of statistical and geospatial data across the UNECE region by fostering stronger links between the two communities, supporting greater collaboration, and encouraging greater data integration through the promotion of stronger institutional partnerships and the use of common standards. You can find out more about the project in an earlier post here:  UNECE Survey - Part 1: Background and Context. The workshop took place over two days on the 4th and 5th of October 2023 and was expertly hosted by the Republic Geodetic Authority of the Republic of Serbia in the House of the National Assembly in Belgrade, a beautiful and iconic building that is the seat of the National Assembly of Serbia. You can learn more about the building and its history here.

A number of side meetings also preceded the workshop, taking place on the 3rd of October in the Old Serbian Parliament Building, another important building in Belgrade used by the national assembly for its administrative functions. These side meetings consisted of a Meeting of the Task Force on Standards Issues which has recently been established by UNECE to explore standards issues relating to the integration of geospatial and statistical data (more on this in a later post) and the 9th Joint UN-GGIM: Europe - ESS - UNECE Meeting on the Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information where leading organisations in the field of data integration shared their current and future planned activities as a means of coordinating activities and forging greater cooperation.

Workshop overview

The workshop was designed to focus on the sharing of innovative and best practices, as well as lessons learned, on the integration of statistical and geospatial data at both national and international levels. The workshop sessions focused on specific areas that were identified through the UNECE Survey and were clustered around three main themes: Effective Governance, Data and Technology, and People and Partnerships. (You may notice that these session themes very much align with the strategic pathways of the UN Integrated Geospatial Information Framework!)

The workshop was formally opened by the director of the Republic Geodetic Authority, Mr Borko Drašković, and the director of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, Dr Miladin Kovačević, who both highlighted the benefits of integrating statistical and geospatial information and emphasised the strong cooperation in place between the two agencies, particularly noting the success of the population census which took place last year and the ongoing agricultural census. Leading representatives from the joint organising bodies, UNECE, Eurostat and UN-GGIM: Europe, also addressed the participants, sharing their perspectives on the importance of data integration activities across the region and their hopes for the future.

Session 1: Effective Governance

This session was chaired by Mr James Norris, International Policy Lead at Ordnance Survey (UK) and chair of the UN-GGIM: Europe Working Group on the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework. The session focused on the roles, remits and key activities of the main international and regional bodies and their cooperation in the field of data integration and highlighted important policy frameworks, including new developments within national contexts. Presentations were made by UNECE, Eurostat, UN-GGIM: Europe, the European Forum for Geography and Statistics, the National Land Survey of Finland, and Statistics Finland. You can access the presentation abstracts, slides and associated papers here.

Session 2: Data and Technology

This session focused on best practices and innovations within the data integration lifecycle and due to the popularity of this theme, the session was divided into two sub-sessions. Session 2.1 was dedicated to the design, production and analysis stages of the data lifecycle and was chaired by Ms Carol Agius, Head of Representation and Stakeholder Engagement at EuroGeographics and UN-GGIM: Europe Secretariat. In this session, presenters from the World Bank Group, the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, the Central Statistics Office in Ireland, Statistics Portugal, TurkStat and the Republic Geodetic Authority shared great examples of use cases and best practice on topics such as stratified sampling designs, census data pathways, territorial typologies, linked data, geographies of demand and access, and digital transformation through data integration.

Session 2.2 focused on visualisation, dissemination and web technologies and was chaired by Mr Taeke Gjaltema, Regional Advisor for Statistics at UNECE. Presenters from the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OECD, Esri, Statistics Sweden, and Statistics Portugal shared their expertise on effective visualisation techniques for thematic mapping, showcased useful tools for data-driven decision-making at the municipal level, highlighted the value of enterprise-level geospatial platforms across the data lifecycle including new innovations for SDMX integration, discussed the benefits of fundamental data domains to promote the harmonisation and interoperability of data, and the value of web technologies to enhance research capabilities for public policy-makers. Great examples of National Spatial Data Infrastructures were also presented by the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre and the State Authority for Geospatial Information in Albania who showcased their value for data integration activities to promote synergies and collaboration at national levels.

Session 3: People and Partnerships

This session was chaired by Ms Márta Nagy-Rothengass, Deputy Director of Sectoral and Regional Statistics and Head of the Regional Statistics and Geographical Information Unit at Eurostat. This session focused on capacity development initiatives and presenters from the Federal Statistical Office in Switzerland, UN-GGIM: Europe’s Working Group on Data Integration and the Agency of Land Relations of the Republic of Moldova showcased examples of successful partnerships to advance the integration of geospatial and statistical information.

Interactive Activities

Over the course of the workshop, there were lots of opportunities for networking and discussion during the breaks and through a series of interactive activities which were designed to help stimulate engagement and collaboration amongst participants to generate ideas and new ways of thinking on specific topics relating to the workshop sessions. Through small group discussions, some great outcomes were generated by the groups on how to optimise current governance and policy frameworks, identify the skills needed to progress data integration activities, determine the best ways to communicate and engage with key stakeholders in the field, and identify the key building blocks needed to form successful and sustainable partnerships both now and into the future.

Some final thoughts

We hope that the first Joint UNECE / Eurostat / UN-GGIM: Europe Workshop on Integrating Statistical and Geospatial Information has helped to foster stronger links between the statistical and geospatial communities across the region, facilitate greater collaboration, and encourage the greater integration of geospatial and statistical data. We are very grateful to the participants for sharing inspiring examples of use cases and best practice in the field of data integration, to the session chairs for providing expert insights and perspectives to their relevant sessions, and to Mr Darko Vucetic and his team at the Republic Geodetic Authority for hosting the workshop to the highest standard in a venue of such national significance.

The stage has been set for organisations across the UNECE region to work together to overcome common challenges, lay the building blocks to greater data integration, and together harness the true benefits that integrated and harmonised data can bring to society. Now, we must act and maintain momentum to reach a brighter, data-driven future.