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Monday, November 23, 2009

Subjects: ISDE Joined the Group of Earth Observations

Prof. Guo Huadong, Secretary General of ISDE. Image: HUNAGI Visuals resourcey, 2007

From our daily mail. Prof. Wang Changlin, Director of the Secretariat of ISDE wrote in his recet letter:

"At the 6^th plenary session of the Group of Earth Observations (GEO) held in Washington DC on November 17, 2009, the International Society for Earth Observations was accepted to be a participating organization of the GEO, together with International Union of Geological Sciences. The above announcement was made by Dr. José Achache, GEO Secretariat Director at the plenary session. Total 7 organizations including for AIT, CUAHSI, EMWIS TU, ILTER, ISDE, IUGS, and SMEBD applied for being members of the GEO’s Participating Organizations, and the final decision was made at the GEO Executive Committee meeting one day before the Plenary session. In addition, 3 country members joined the GEO this year, which made GEO’s constitution of 83 country members and the European Commission, as well as 58 participating organizations.

At the opening ceremony of the 6^th International Symposium on Digital Earth held in Beijing, Dr. José Achache gave a presentation, and mentioning that ISDE had not participated in GEO’s activities, and wish ISDE could make contributions to GEO. Thereby, Prof. Guo Huadong wrote a letter to GEO Secretariat, and on behalf of ISDE submitted a proposal of being a member of the GEO’s participating organizations. The acceptance of ISDE to GEO will strengthen ISDE’s international recognition, and enable ISDE to participate into GEO’s events. For ISDE, it should implement the GEOSS 10 years strategic plan and accept GEO's Cape Town Declaration in 2007.

The next GEO’s ministerial summit and plenary session will be held in Beijing next year. For more information of GEO VI in Washington please refers to the report: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/group-on-earth-observations-meets-in-washington-to-strengthen-access-to-data-and-information-on-biodiversity-forest-carbon-and-other-global-issues-70289572.html .

...

Best regards

Wang Changlin, Prof. Dr.

Secretariat Director, International Society for Digital Earth
Assistant Editor, International Journal of Digital Earth
Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences"