Group On Earth Observations - History and Structure

History and Structure

GEO was established in February 2005 by the Third Earth Observation Summit in Brussels at the end of a process that started in 2003 with the First Earth Observation Summit in Washington DC. It was launched in response to calls for action by the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrialized countries. These high-level meetings recognized that international collaboration is essential for exploiting the growing potential of Earth observations to support decision making in an increasingly complex and environmentally stressed world.

GEO is a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations. It provides a framework within which these partners can develop new projects and coordinate their strategies and investments. As of January 2008, GEO’s membership includes 72 Governments and the European Commission; in addition, 52 intergovernmental, international and regional organizations with a mandate in Earth observation or related issues have been recognized as Participating Organizations (see lists below). Each Member and Participating Organization is represented by a Principal and a Principal Alternate. Members make financial contributions to GEO on a voluntary basis.

GEO is constructing GEOSS on the basis of a 10-Year Implementation Plan. Adopted by the Third Earth Observation Summit, the Plan runs from 2005 to 2015. It defines a vision statement for GEOSS, its purpose and scope, expected benefits, nine “Societal Benefit Areas” (disasters, health, energy, climate, water, weather, ecosystems, agriculture and biodiversity), technical and capacity-building priorities, and the GEO governance structure.

GEO is governed by a Plenary consisting of all Members and Participating Organizations. GEO meets in Plenary at least once a year at the level of senior officials and periodically at the ministerial level. The Plenary held its first meeting in May 2005 in Geneva, followed by GEO-II in December 2005 in Geneva, GEO-III in Bonn in November 2006, and GEO-IV (plus a Ministerial Summit) in Cape Town in November 2007. Members take decisions at the Plenary by consensus.