figlogo.gif (1705 bytes)   FIG 22nd General Assembly
  31 May and 4 June 1999
  Sun City, South Africa
 
Minutes

Appendix to item 31: Reports from task forces
Task force on Sustainable Development

TASK FORCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Report to the FIG Working Week 1999

1. Background

The FIG Bureau decided in 1997 to form a task force to prepare a FIG policy and statement on how the organisation will implement the concept of sustainable development, as it is formulated in the report – Agenda 21 - from the 1992 UN conference on environment and development in Rio.

In addition to Agenda 21, the statement should as well reflect the outcome of the UN Habitat II conference in Istanbul in 1996 (the Habitat Agenda with its Global Plan of Action) and their follow-ups, the memorandum of understanding FIG and UNCHS (Habitat), and the existing FIG statement from 1991 on sustainable development.

2. Work Plan

A final draft of the statement shall be ready for the FIG working week 2000, to be finally adopted at the FIG working week 2001.

It is anticipated that the work mainly will be undertaken by correspondence and using email. The final result should be a publication of 10-15 pages for each language (if translated).

3. Task force composition

The task force was constituted with the following members:

- Markku Villikka, Finland (chairperson)
- Karin Haldrup, Denmark (Com.3)
- Dennis St. Jacques, Canada (Com. 4)
- Paul van der Molen, Netherlands (Com. 7)
- Helmut Brackmann, Germany (Com. 8)
- Mike Yovino Young, USA (Com. 9)
- Peter Byrne, Australia
- Ian Williamson, Australia
- Jerry Ives, USA

In addition a network was established for people who showed their interest during the task force meetings at the FIG Congress in Brighton.

When Markku Villikka later was appointed to Director of the FIG permanent office, Helge Onsrud, Norway, was asked to substitute him as task force leader, taking up the position late 1998.

At a meeting between FIG and CIB in London in April 1999, CIB was invited to nominate two corresponding members to the task force.

4. Progress of work

When taking over as leader of the task force, my intention was to prepare a first complete draft for presentation and discussion at the FIG working week in Sun City. Due to other pressing matters, I have however not been able to accomplish this. My revised plan is to circulate a draft to the task force members during the autumn of this year, to have a well prepared document on the table for the FIG working week in Prague in May 2000, so that the final document can be adopted in 2001 as originally planned.

A draft outline of the statement is attached to this report, for circulation and commenting during the FIG working week in RSA. I regret very much not being able to attend the working week myself. Comments may be given to Markku Villikka on the spot, or mailed to me in Norway at helge.onsrud@statkart.no .

Helge Onsrud (Norway)
Chairperson of the task force

20 May 1999


Appendix: Draft outline of the statement

FIG AGENDA 21

The International Federation of Surveyors implementing Agenda 21

1. Preamble

Dealing with land management, land use planning and geographic information for decision making, the surveying profession is deeply involved in matters of vital importance for sustainable development of the Earth.

FIG recognises the necessity of implementing policies and concrete actions on global as well as on local level to support sustainable development, and further that not only governments, but organisations and individuals as well, are challenged to respond to the policies and guidelines formulated in Agenda 21 and the Habitat II Global Plan of Action.

Representing surveyors on international level, FIG is committed to implement the concept of sustainable development as a cornerstone for its activities, and further that it’s national member associations and individual surveyors shall join the commitment; thinking globally, acting locally.

2. Understanding the Issue

Sustainable development

Explaining the content of sustainable development as a fundamental guideline for policies and actions on global, regional and local level; what is really sustainable development about.

A rapidly changing world

Outlining the major issues calling for sustainable solutions, with focus on issues of particular interest to the surveying profession (facts and figures):

Land management a crucial issue

Concluding that land management and land use planning are vital issues for sustainable development

Geographic information for decision-making

Concluding that information on the status of the environment and of the environmental changes is a foundation for developing good policies for sustainable development, and that geographic information plays a major role in this respect. To the latter explain the role of modern technology (GIS, remote sensing, etc)

The role of surveyors, surveying and mapping, etc

Explaining the role of surveyor and the surveying profession in land management, land use planning and geographic information.

Agenda 21 and the Global Plan of Action

Outline of the chapters and statements of the two reports of particular relevance to the surveying profession, which primarily are issues relevant to land management, land use planning and geographic information: (referring to the policies formulated in the relevant chapters in the two reports, and copying some basic statements)

From Agenda 21:

From the Habitat II Global Plan of Action

3. FIG Plan of Action

A.     FIG as an International Non Governmental Organisation with a global mandate:

B.    FIG member associations

C.    FIG code of sustainable developments ethics for individual surveyors and surveying companies and public agencies (some possible examples below)


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