Date: 25/04/2004
Source: Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
Title: P Mlambo-Ngcuka: Second Earth Observation Summit
STATEMENT BY THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA AT THE SECOND EARTH OBSERVATION SUMMIT DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR DR BEN NGUBANE ON BEHALF OF THE MINISTER OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MS PHUMZILE MLAMBO-NGCUKA, TOKYO, JAPAN, 25 April 2004
Mr Chairperson
Honourable Ministers
Your Excellencies
Delegates to the Second Earth Observation Summit
Dear Colleagues and Friends
It is a great privilege and honour to address this important Summit, tasked with reviewing the past and guiding the future work of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). When our member nations and the participating international organisations pledged at the First Observation Summit, held in Washington, DC, in July 2003, to unite our efforts in optimally harnessing Earth observation as instrument for sustainable development, a very unique global partnership was created.
In making our statement today South Africa would like to provide a broad vision of what we, as a developing country, expect from the Global Earth Observation System of Systems, or GEOSS, that is outlined in the Framework Document proposed for adoption at this Summit. Over the past 20 years remarkable progress has been made in the scientific understanding of the complex dynamics of planet earth. The development of remote sensing technologies and ground-based instrumentation has been critical in this respect. During this period we have also made strides in establishing credible political structures to promote compliance with science based global sustainable development criteria. This value chain of scientific understanding leading to decision-making is exemplified by the phenomenon of the "ozone hole", where detection, an understanding of causality and an effective remedy mandated by international political structures were separated by little more than a decade.
What is missing then? In our view, to avoid our successes being limited to a series of ad hoc examples such as that of the ozone hole, we need what the business world calls a Management Information System. Such a system would be founded on broad global benefit principals and be monitored according to internationally accepted indicators amenable to reliable and affordable scientific measurement. Mr Chairperson, our vision for GEOSS is that it should be the Management Information System for our planet. This is the compelling political statement that we need to draw attention to the important work that we are performing today.
What will we be capable of in ten years time as a result of GEOSS? Let me provide an example. Today we have excellent and rapidly improving systems for global short and long range weather forecasting. GEOSS will extend this forecasting capability to fully accessible regionally specific predictions of energy consumption, disease susceptibility, air pollutant concentrations and flood probabilities. The nine societal benefit categories provide an excellent basis for progress on a wide range of fronts.
For the GEO and ultimately the GEOSS to achieve its objectives, it is vital that the membership include more representatives from developing countries. South Africa has been honoured to have been selected in Washington at the first Earth Observation Summit as one of the four co-chairs of GEO, with specific responsibility to bring developing countries on board and to promote their perspectives. We believe that significant progress has already been made in this regard. Nevertheless, South Africa would like to urge the GEO to continue its outreach and public awareness efforts, which have already succeeded in significantly growing its membership since the First Summit. Integration of regional initiatives such as New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) into the development of GEOSS will be critical in this regard. It is ultimately essential for the GEO to interrogate and resolve issues such as the availability of Earth observation data to developing countries at minimum and affordable costs.
In conclusion, we should continue to be guided by our global commitments such as the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and the Millennium Development Goals. Indeed, the creation of GEOSS will be a significant landmark representing one of the first concrete realizations of the commitments made in Johannesburg in 2002. South Africa would like to thank and congratulate our hosts, the Government of Japan for the impeccable organisation of this important event and the warm hospitality so graciously extended to us. We look forward, as one of the GEO Co-Chairs, to continue our full commitment and active participation in the partnership. Indeed, we would like to wish GEO, its Secretariat, the Subgroups and Implementation Task well for the challenges ahead. We have no doubt that when we gather in Brussels in 2005 it will be to celebrate the realisation of our objectives.
For more information please contact: Nhlanhla Nyide
Cell: 082 871 6767
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
25 April 2004
Source: Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
Title: P Mlambo-Ngcuka: Second Earth Observation Summit
STATEMENT BY THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA AT THE SECOND EARTH OBSERVATION SUMMIT DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR DR BEN NGUBANE ON BEHALF OF THE MINISTER OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MS PHUMZILE MLAMBO-NGCUKA, TOKYO, JAPAN, 25 April 2004
Mr Chairperson
Honourable Ministers
Your Excellencies
Delegates to the Second Earth Observation Summit
Dear Colleagues and Friends
It is a great privilege and honour to address this important Summit, tasked with reviewing the past and guiding the future work of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). When our member nations and the participating international organisations pledged at the First Observation Summit, held in Washington, DC, in July 2003, to unite our efforts in optimally harnessing Earth observation as instrument for sustainable development, a very unique global partnership was created.
In making our statement today South Africa would like to provide a broad vision of what we, as a developing country, expect from the Global Earth Observation System of Systems, or GEOSS, that is outlined in the Framework Document proposed for adoption at this Summit. Over the past 20 years remarkable progress has been made in the scientific understanding of the complex dynamics of planet earth. The development of remote sensing technologies and ground-based instrumentation has been critical in this respect. During this period we have also made strides in establishing credible political structures to promote compliance with science based global sustainable development criteria. This value chain of scientific understanding leading to decision-making is exemplified by the phenomenon of the "ozone hole", where detection, an understanding of causality and an effective remedy mandated by international political structures were separated by little more than a decade.
What is missing then? In our view, to avoid our successes being limited to a series of ad hoc examples such as that of the ozone hole, we need what the business world calls a Management Information System. Such a system would be founded on broad global benefit principals and be monitored according to internationally accepted indicators amenable to reliable and affordable scientific measurement. Mr Chairperson, our vision for GEOSS is that it should be the Management Information System for our planet. This is the compelling political statement that we need to draw attention to the important work that we are performing today.
What will we be capable of in ten years time as a result of GEOSS? Let me provide an example. Today we have excellent and rapidly improving systems for global short and long range weather forecasting. GEOSS will extend this forecasting capability to fully accessible regionally specific predictions of energy consumption, disease susceptibility, air pollutant concentrations and flood probabilities. The nine societal benefit categories provide an excellent basis for progress on a wide range of fronts.
For the GEO and ultimately the GEOSS to achieve its objectives, it is vital that the membership include more representatives from developing countries. South Africa has been honoured to have been selected in Washington at the first Earth Observation Summit as one of the four co-chairs of GEO, with specific responsibility to bring developing countries on board and to promote their perspectives. We believe that significant progress has already been made in this regard. Nevertheless, South Africa would like to urge the GEO to continue its outreach and public awareness efforts, which have already succeeded in significantly growing its membership since the First Summit. Integration of regional initiatives such as New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) into the development of GEOSS will be critical in this regard. It is ultimately essential for the GEO to interrogate and resolve issues such as the availability of Earth observation data to developing countries at minimum and affordable costs.
In conclusion, we should continue to be guided by our global commitments such as the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and the Millennium Development Goals. Indeed, the creation of GEOSS will be a significant landmark representing one of the first concrete realizations of the commitments made in Johannesburg in 2002. South Africa would like to thank and congratulate our hosts, the Government of Japan for the impeccable organisation of this important event and the warm hospitality so graciously extended to us. We look forward, as one of the GEO Co-Chairs, to continue our full commitment and active participation in the partnership. Indeed, we would like to wish GEO, its Secretariat, the Subgroups and Implementation Task well for the challenges ahead. We have no doubt that when we gather in Brussels in 2005 it will be to celebrate the realisation of our objectives.
For more information please contact: Nhlanhla Nyide
Cell: 082 871 6767
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
25 April 2004
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