Thank you YB Tan Sri Datuk for your support and for participating here today it is an honour to have you in our company and to open the Conference.

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1 Welcome Address by Dato Abdul Majid bin Mohamed President of the Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific (PCGIAP) to the 15 th United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Asia and the Pacific (UNRCC-AP) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia April, The honourable Minister of Land and Cooperative Development YB Tan Sri Datuk Kasitah Gaddam, Mr. Amor Laaribi, Representative from the United Nations Statistics Division, Distinguished Ambassadors, Delegates, Invited Speakers, Members of the Organising Committee, Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to Kuala Lumpur for the 15 th Conference for Asia and the Pacific. United Nations Regional Cartographic Thank you YB Tan Sri Datuk for your support and for participating here today it is an honour to have you in our company and to open the Conference. I am filled with both pride and satisfaction standing here today delivering this welcome address. Pride because this event is being held here in Malaysia and satisfaction because of the achievements over the past three years since the 14 th Conference. I am also delighted to again be meeting my friends who have travelled from overseas and I very much look forward to working with you and my Malaysian colleagues over the next four days. Elections of the Executive of the Permanent Committee take place at each three yearly Conference and I am retiring from the position of President after serving two terms. It has been a great privilege to work with the Committee since its inception in 1995 and to be a part of the steps forward it has made. This Conference is a landmark event, and I say that for two reasons. this is the first occasion that the annual meeting of the Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific has been incorporated within the Conference and second, this 15 th Conference is an opportune time to report on and demonstrate the significant progress made in the three years since the 14 th Conference in February The 14 th Conference in Bangkok passed a number of resolutions: to steer its course for the three year period

2 and for the Permanent Committee to undertake. I am pleased to report that many of the important aspirations coming from the 1997 Conference have been realised, due in no small part to the excellent efforts of many of the people in today s audience. We have much more to achieve of course in developing the regional spatial data infrastructure and providing support to countries in the region but we have made good progress, particularly in the fields of geodesy, fundamental data and through exploring members development needs. This Conference adds the related and crucial areas of cadastre and geographical names. In the speaking sessions on tomorrow and Thursday mornings there is a wealth of talented speakers and interesting topics that closely link into the aims and objectives of the United Nations and the Permanent Committee. On behalf of all here I extend my appreciation to the speakers for their presentations. As well I am delighted that our colleagues from the United Nations ESCAP Remote Sensing area are present with us and we look forward to continuing collaboration with you. I offer my utmost gratitude to the Government of Malaysia for its backing and to the Organising Committee and the United Nations for their excellent and tireless efforts in ensuring this event would take place. As well, I extend my thanks to Board Members and the Australian Secretariat for the assistance and support provided to the Permanent Committee, to me, and to the Organising Committee. The theme for the Conference is A Milestone for Sustainable Development. The UNRCC-AP and the Permanent Committee have a lot to offer in facilitating sustainable development in our region and I urge you all to make the most of this opportunity of being here together to ensure the success of this Conference and in planning for the next three years. Your inputs will be much appreciated and valued. Over the past three years the Permanent Committee, with the encouragement of the United Nations, has become more and more involved in global spatial data activities such as Global Mapping, the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure and more recently Digital Earth. With continued cooperation I am confident that we can all help in a consistent and effective approach to spatial data management in support of global sustainable development. I thank you all very much for making the effort to attend this Conference and I wish you the very best for its success. Thank you.

3 FIFTEENTH UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL CARTOGRAPHIC CONFERENCE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Kuala LUMPUR, April 2000 STATEMENT OF MR. HABERMANN, DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED NATIONS STATISTICS DIVISION (Presented by Mr. Amor Laaribi, UNSD) Honorable Minister of Land and Cooperative Development, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates and Observers, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Fifteenth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Asia and the Pacific. The Malaysian Government kindly offered to host the fifteenth conference, in Kuala Lumpur, and I would like, on behalf of the United Nations, to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Government of Malaysia for hosting the Conference. I would also like to thank the Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific and its President, Dato' Abdul Majid Bin Mohamed, for their tireless efforts to ensure the success of this conference. The fourteenth Conference, held in Bangkok three years ago, adopted resolutions and agreed on a set of recommendations which focussed on the " transfer of technology, harmonization and standardization of data sets, the role and involvement of non-governmental organizations, and other issues related to assisting members states in the region to utilize fully the opportunities provided by cartographic technology and the applications in the information and communication environment to decision makers". The breadth of these resolutions demonstrates the broad reach and importance of these regional conferences. A review of the agenda for this conference shows the importance of geographic information systems and cartography in addressing the most critical global, national, regional and subregional issues. I believe that the current conference, gathering talented specialists from all over the world, provides the opportunity to review and assess how successful GIS and cartography have been in dealing with these critical issues and to identify the impediments and barriers that still exist, with a view to finding appropriate solutions in order to overcome them. Ladies and Gentlemen, While I will not attempt a comprehensive appraisal of the achievements of Asian and the Pacific countries during the past three years, it is useful to consider some important trends and shifts which influence the development of cartography and geographic information and could help to address the issues of the current agenda.

4 First: It is now widely accepted that the forces of globalization affect all of us, no matter where we live or what size nation we live in. Events and discoveries in one part of the world propagate throughout the world. Moreover, it is the speed of this propagation that characterizes globalization. Events in one part of the world can cause shock waves within weeks, days or hours in other parts of the world. Not only are there new markets and actors but also the old rules often do not seem to be applicable. We still do not fully understand how they have changed and what new global mechanisms may be required to cope with these changes. While some posit that the benefits of globalization are uneven and may cause inequity others argue its inevitability. However, there is growing agreement that globalization has not only economic effects but also profound cultural, political and technological effects. It is to one of the technological aspects that I would like to address now. Second: Information and communication technologies are one of the most distinctive features of globalization. The dramatic improvements in information technology are both one of the major driving forces to globalization and also a result of globalization. On the one hand the new information and communication technologies drive the creation of new businesses, which are in the forefront of the knowledge economy. These technologies allow for information to be accessed, linked and referenced in ways that were unimaginable as recently as ten years ago. On the other hand development of these technologies require cooperation and synergies at a global level. The growth of the Internet and associated multimedia tools provide unparalleled opportunities to improve communication and data exchange between organizations and countries and make information ubiquitous. Information is indeed a strategic resource and will be one of the critical pillars of prosperity. However, while developing and mastering technology is necessary it is not, as the mathematicians would say, a sufficient condition. As necessary as mastering the technology of the information age will be, mastering the management of information must also be accomplished. Information must be managed so that it can be collected, disseminated and used efficiently and effectively. Third: The last issue that I would like to address is the geo-information concept itself. Certainly the information revolution allows us to think more strategically about information needs, collection and the resources needed to deliver information to a wider market. What is remarkable is that most of this information, up to 80%, can be georeferenced. The reason for this is that we live in a physical world and human activities are closely linked to geographic location. Geographic information is a rapidly growing and important part of the information society, with applications in many sectors: regional planning, land management, environment and natural resources, health care and emergencies, transportation and urban systems, marketing studies, as well as in most of the service sector activities. Increasingly, these geographic information applications are moving from the marketing and research area to management and strategic decisionmaking. Very little is free in this world and the collection and management of spatial data can be costly. Moreover, the development and maintenance of spatial databases is

5 often expensive and time consuming. It will become ever more necessary to minimize duplication of effort and data and encourage the sharing of core data. Building spatial databases, at national and local levels, is increasing and the concept of spatial data infrastructure, as part of the national infrastructure, is emerging. Developing national spatial data infrastructures will better facilitate the availability and access to spatial data for governmental organizations, the private sector, universities and citizens in general. Our challenge is how to harness the enormous potential of geographic information technologies and go beyond national level applications to regional and global ones. It is becoming clear that the major barriers and impediments to harnessing geographic information will not be technical ones but rather our ability to cooperate with one another, to learn from each other and to create regional and global data infrastructure standards. This is why this and other conferences like it are so important. We have the means; the question is whether we have the will to take up this challenge. Ladies and Gentlemen: This conference is held in an important time. It is the beginning of a new millennium and a new age - the information age. Cartography is facing crucial challenges: new sensors collecting high resolution data in digital form, integrated management of information and the use of Internet and multimedia to disseminate information, and increased demand on cartographic services and products. In addressing the issues of the agenda of this Regional Cartographic Conference, you will contribute to identifying appropriate solutions to reap the benefits of these challenges. I regret that I cannot be here with you and discuss these great opportunities and challenges but I wish you great success in your endeavors. Thank you very much for you attention.

6 Welcome Speech by the Honourable Tan Sri Datuk Kasitah Gaddam Minister of Land and Cooperative Development at the Opening Ceremony of the 15 th UNRCC-AP and 6 th PCGIAP Meeting Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia April Y. Bhg. Dato Abdul Majid bin Mohamed, President of the Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific; Mr. Drew Clarke, Secretary of the Permanent Committee; Dr. Amor Laaribi, Representative from the United Nations; Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen: Selamat Datang and welcome to Malaysia. On behalf of the Government of Malaysia it is a great pleasure to greet you all at this important event: - the 15 th United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Asia and the Pacific incorporating the 6 th Meeting of the Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific. I offer my congratulations to all those who have made this event possible, and I extend a warm welcome to the delegates from countries in the Asia and the Pacific region, to invited speakers from a number of organisations around the world and to all other participants and observers. The Government of Malaysia is delighted that the United Nations and the Permanent Committee chose Kuala Lumpur as the meeting venue. I am confident you will have a successful gathering at this excellent venue of the Shangri-La Hotel until you complete your work on Friday afternoon. Governments, scientific bodies, environment agencies and coordination groups like the Permanent Committee are more and more recognising the importance of sustainability for environmental management and for economic and social development. The United Nations set the scene for global sustainable development with the Rio Conference in 1992 and its Agenda 21. The importance of geographic information for decision making in support of sustainable development emphasises the crucial role the Permanent Committee holds in the region and with the hard work of its members and support from the United Nations major advances are being made.

7 Countries in the region and beyond will benefit well into the future from the endeavour of Permanent Committee Members and the United Nations. I believe that many generations ahead will be grateful for your efforts. Malaysia for its part has embraced national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI) development since early 1990 s. The rapid pace of development experienced by the country in the past decade has exerted heavy pressures on the land and its natural resources. As a result the National Infrastructure for Land Information Systems (NaLIS) was established in 1997 with the objectives: i) to support the sharing of geographic information among producers and users of spatial data; ii) to avoid wasteful duplication of effort in the collection and production of spatial data; iii) iv) to ensure the timeliness, correctness and consistency of land information, and to assist in land development, utilisation of natural resources and safeguarding the environment as well as to ensure sustainable development. The most important component in a NSDI is its data. The Department of Survey and Mapping being the lead agency in the collection and production of spatial data has implemented extensive computerisation programme to modernise its operation. Its digital cadastral databases (DCDB) will be fully populated by the end of These databases will form the fundamental data of the NSDI or NaLIS in the case of Malaysia. Another component of the NSDI is its data standards. In this respect various spatial data standards sub-committees were set up by the National Mapping and Spatial Data Committee, the NaLIS Coordinating Committee and the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) to formulate spatial data standards for the country. These standards sub-committees under the umbrella of SIRIM Technical Committee 12 (TC12) are also tirelessly involved in the activities of the ISO/TC 211, which deals with geomatics/ geographic information standards at the international level. These NSDI-related activities were made possible by the government s generous budgetary allocation, which indicates its commitment toward a greater objective - the Vision Vision 2020 is a national agenda that sets out the challenge to become a fully developed, matured and knowledge-rich society by year It envisages the creation of a Civil Society as the ultimate goal, in which all Malaysian will have access to information and learning through infostructure for personal, organisational and national advancement. These information and knowledge applications will provide the basis to further enhance quality of work and life in general.

8 Malaysia will take a second leap after Vision 2020 into the information age by adopting the "Strategic Initiative One" to reinvent Malaysian society through the K-economy Masterplan. The "K" or Knowledge Economy Masterplan will stress a paradigm shift from a production driven economy to one which is knowledge driven and would be "for the entire nation and for every citizen," and would encompass a policy for a "brain-gain" infusion and a reduction of unskilled foreign workers. As such, I am proud that Malaysia has been given this golden opportunity to host this important conference and to share our experience in the development of our NSDI. Malaysia is also proud to be a contributor to the regional initiative. It is in this way that all countries can make a positive input to the regional model that will have broad benefits across Asia and the Pacific and contribute to global enterprises as well. This 15 th Conference and annual Committee meeting is an important and opportune occasion for the United Nations and the Permanent Committee to: Assess and report on progress; Look ahead to goals for the next three years; and Elect a new Committee Executive to lead the way in collaboration with the United Nations and with support from expert bodies around the world, some of whom are here today. Finally, I wish the 15th Conference and the 6 th Permanent Committee Meeting the utmost success and I trust you all have a productive time. I very much look forward to the positive outcomes that I know will eventuate from your deliberations. To all participants I wish you a happy, healthy and pleasant stay in Malaysia. I now declare the Conference open.