Global Mapping Forum 2008

Global Mapping Forum 2008 was held from June 5-7 at the United Nations University in Tokyo and at Keio Futsubu and Chutobu School in Kanagawa prefecture, jointly organized by the Geographical Survey Institute / Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the International Steering Committee for Global Mapping and the United Nations University. Three hundred and forty-six participants from 26 countries met in Tokyo to celebrate the near completion of Global Map Version 1, and exchanged their ideas about developments and uses of the Global Map to cope with global environmental problems and other issues. At the closing session of the forum on June 6, the "Global Map Tokyo Declaration" was adopted. The Tokyo Declaration states that the Global Map gives a common understanding to the people involved in environmental issues, and therefore has to be user friendly, that coordination between users and producers is essential and that capacity building is needed.