India has been elected as Co-Chair of the Regional Committee of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Asia and the Pacific (UN-GGIM-AP) for the term 2025-2028, the Ministry of Science & Technology announced today. The election took place during the 14th Plenary Meeting of UN-GGIM-AP, held from 24–26 September 2025 in Goyang-si, Republic of Korea. The event was hosted by the National Geographic Information Institute (NGII), Korea.
Represented by Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana, IAS, the Surveyor General of India, India will hold the co-chairmanship for three years under the UN-GGIM Strategic Framework. “I am deeply honoured by the trust that the Member States of the Asia-Pacific region have placed in India,” Mr. Makwana said. “As we look ahead to the upcoming term, I wholeheartedly seek the continued cooperation and active support of all Member States, partners, and stakeholders.”
According to the Ministry statement, India’s priorities during the 2025-2028 term will include: strengthening digital transformation; promoting good governance; enhancing data-driven decision making; ensuring inclusivity and transparency; and building regional capacity in geospatial information management.
UN-GGIM-AP is one of the five regional committees of UN-GGIM, representing 56 member states in Asia and the Pacific. The committee aims to maximize the economic, social, and environmental benefits of geospatial information through cooperation, capacity development, and shared solutions.