Maldives secures seat on board of UN committee on geospatial information management

The Maldives on Friday secured a seat on the Executive Board of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management for Asia and the Pacific (UN-GGIM-AP).

According to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry, Mohamed Shafee, the Director General of Geomatics at the Ministry of Finance and Planning, was selected as a member of the Executive Board of UN-GGIM-AP for the term 2025-2028 during the 14th plenary meeting of the committee held on Friday in South Korea.

Shafee was selected by members of the committee after they reached a consensus, securing seats alongside representatives from Armenia, Australia, Fiji, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russian Federation and Tonga.

It marks the first time the Maldives will be serving on the UN-GGIM-AP Executive Board, taking an active role in global arena in the field of geospatial cooperation.

The Executive Board of the UN-GGIM-AP will consist of total 15 members including two co-chairs and three vice-chairs, and will play a central role in coordinating the overall functions of the committee.

The UN-GGIM-AP is the regional body responsible for leading, coordinating, and supporting the development and management of geospatial information in Asia and the Pacific. It operates under the global UN-GGIM framework and aligns its activities with international goals and standards and consists of the 56 member states.