The Cambridge Conference 1999 resolutions

Resolution 1:

Cambridge Conference participants understand the significance of the vision of the United Nations to reduce the world's poverty by half before the year 2015. We also recognise that the availability of fundamental geospatial data is vital for the development of options to address the challenge of sustainable development at local, national, transnational (regional) and global levels. Geospatial data are also critical as we seek to improve the social and economic well being of all citizens. As such, Cambridge Conference participants resolve to work to encourage the funding of and to promote relevant geospatial education, training, capacity building and appropriate technology transfer activities. We will continue the collection, preparation, distribution of geospatial data at local, national, regional and global levels. We will also continue to work to improve the quality of geospatial data products and to advance their exploitation for the benefit of all peoples.

Submitted by Peter Holland, Chair GSDI Steering Committee.

Resolution 2:

Whereas:

Accessible computerised geographical and up-to-date information is essential for prudent land management for the sustainable development of a country, and recognising the unique aspects of our Caribbean nations, we pledge to form a collaboration to address the important social, environmental and economic issues related to our geography. We furthermore recognise the value and importance of regional and global spatial data infrastructure activities to our nations, and extend our commitment to support the Spatial Data Infrastructure Permanent Committee of the Americas and the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure initiative.

The group of Caribbean delegates at the 1999 Cambridge Conference, who represent their respective national land surveying and mapping organisations, held a meeting after the afternoon session on 22 July 1999. Maps, survey diagrams, and registration documentation that are outputs of the Cayman Islands, computerised land registration and cadastral survey system were examined and discussed. The group very much enjoyed this opportunity to see the computerisation of geographic information achieved by a country in their region. The group proposes to contact heads of the other national land surveying and mapping organisations in the Caribbean with a view to regularly exchange information and meet more frequently. One objective is to promote these organisations as a principal source of spatial geographic information at local, national, regional and global levels. It is also an objective to establish an appropriate spatial data infrastructure (SDI) for the Caribbean in the context of the SDI for the Americas. Inevitably, finance will be a problem and the group proposes to seek, through their respective ministers and permanent secretaries, CARICOM (Caribbean Community) assistance. The Chairman of the Global SDI supports this initiative.

Be it resolved that:

The Cambridge Conference agrees to support the Caribbean group, to ensure this initiative has a positive outcome.

Anguilla	Gifford I Connor
Cayman Islands	Alister Ayres
Dominica	Augustus Livingston Cassell
Jamaica	Lee Roy Bulgin
St Lucia	Francis Charles
Trinidad and Tobago	Tyrone Leong
Turks and Caicos	James Fritz

Resolution 3:

The Cambridge Conference in noting:

that the systematic collection and preparation of fundamental geospatial data for development purpose does not easily attract funding from the various donor agencies;
and that the focus of donor agencies change with time; and
acknowledging that proposals for funding of development projects are often poorly prepared; and
that many development projects fail because of lack of proper project management, urges the national mapping organisations and related regional organisations
to cooperate in establishing a network to assess the role of fundamental geospatial data in development;
to record all development projects undertaken where geospatial data collection and utilisation is involved; and, in particular,
to share their experience in participating in development projects.

(Proposal from the Workshop on Aid and Development).

Resolution 4:

noting that satellite positioning, in addition to facilitating safe navigation, plays an increasingly important role to precise positioning needed for land registration and environmental monitoring reducing costs and improving data quality;
understanding that radio frequencies are a limited resource;
noting that it has been proposed for the World Radio Conference of 1999 to reallocate the lower end of the GPS LI Band from 1567MHz to mobile satellite services (MSS);
noting that GPS wideband systems using at least 20MHz of the current band will be degraded if bandwidth is lost;
noting that reallocation will preclude potential for GPS modernisation that might use this spectrum as well as other appropriately allocated services, such as pseudolites or other ARNS/RNSS services, and that MSS is a communication service that may use another spectrum to support such a service; and
underlining that the ITU as well as national bodies involved in the allocation of radio frequencies would ensure that frequencies are allocated as required for its efficient use;

we recommend that NMO's worldwide should contact their national authorities to make them act accordingly in their dealings with the ITU.