Integrated Earth Observation System
Intergovernmental Ad Hoc Working Group

Concept Paper for the Inaugural Meeting
1-2 August 2003

Background

As a result of the Earth Observation Summit (31 July 2003, Washington, DC), countries recognized the need to support:

1. The exchange of observations recorded from in situ, aircraft, and satellite networks, dedicated to the purposes enumerated in the Declaration, in a full and open manner with minimum time delay and minimum cost;
2. The concept of an international, comprehensive, integrated, and sustained Earth observation system that will meet the collective requirements for observations, minimize data gaps, and maximize the utility of the system;
3. The establishment of an ad hoc Intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) -- formerly known as the Intergovernmental Ad Hoc Working Group -- to prepare a 10-year implementation plan for a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth observation system, with the plan being available within one year for discussion and subsequent adoption; and The identification of strategies to improve observing systems and to advance the capacity-building of local scientific expertise in developing countries. This inaugural meeting of the GEO will begin the process to develop a 10-year implementation plan. Additional meeting information is provided in the following paragraphs.

Overview and Objectives

The 1-2 August 2003 inaugural meeting of the GEO will serve to facilitate international collaboration to advance planning for a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth observation system. The expected outcomes of the inaugural meeting are to:

• Reach agreement on the Terms of Reference;
• Identify a work plan and schedule for preparing a preliminary conceptual plan

for an integrated Earth observation system by Spring of 2004; and

Reach agreement on a framework for the 10-year implementation plan. Meeting participants may also begin to address elements of a plan, which may include:

• The initial architecture of an integrated Earth observation system.
• Requirements for an integrated Earth observation system to support planned information infrastructure at the national level.
• A systems analysis of the information infrastructures that exist at the international level and currently operate using global Earth observations.
• Gaps in the current observation system framework.
• The exchange of observations recorded from in situ, aircraft, and satellite networks, dedicated to the purposes enumerated in the Declaration, in a full and open manner with minimum time delay and minimum cost.
• Strategies to improve observing systems in developing countries and advance the capacity building of local scientific expertise.
• Specific country contributions to an integrated Earth observation system.
• Multinational organizational requirements from such entities as the Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) Partnership.
• A preliminary 10-year implementation schedule.

Participants

Participation for this first meeting will be by invitation only. Each government participating in the Earth Observation Summit is requested to identify one senior-level representative and their senior-level governmental alternate for this inaugural meeting of the ad hoc intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO). It is anticipated that the country representatives will possess a broad knowledge of national goals, interests, and potential Earth observation contributions as well as a broad knowledge of observation capabilities.