United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names

Meetings   2nd Session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names

2nd UNGEGN Session EVALUATION form - English
UNGEGN CONTACT INFORMATION FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES AUTHORITIES form

Geographical Names Supporting Sustainable Development and Management of the Pandemic


The 2021/second session of the "new" United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) was convened from 3 to 7 May 2021 on the Interprefy virtual platform. The session consisted of ten informal virtual meetings, of two hours from 9 -11 a.m. and 3-5 p.m. each day, with remote simultaneous interpretation in all six UN languages. Each meeting was attended by an average of 127 participants, 54 of the 130 papers submitted were introduced and discussed, and 97 written statements were submitted.

Objectives

The 2021 UNGEGN session provided a forum for experts to learn and share best practices and norms, and new tools for geographical names administration. The session also highlighted the Group's role as an enabler in preserving cultural heritage and where appropriate support relevant aspects of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The second session discussed papers from Austria, Canada, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia which addressed the theme "Geographical Names Supporting Sustainable Development and Management of the Pandemic". This theme supports General Assembly resolution 70/1, which called for ECOSOC's inter-governmental bodies and forums to reflect the integrated nature of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as well as the interlinkages between them.

Work Programme

The Group of Experts has had a robust work programme spanning over 50 years and many significant milestones. The major items addressed during the session were the adoption of the 2021-2029 Strategic Plan and Work Programme, toponymic data files and gazetteers, romanization systems, toponymy training and education and geographical names as cultural heritage. The extended time also enabled delegates to make interventions from the floor, notwithstanding the challenging time differences, which resulted in rich exchanges and an overall engaging session.

Other Activities

A series of side events consisting of working groups and divisional meetings, special webinars and an orientation session for new attendees was held. A noteworthy side event was Creating an Equal Society through Geographical Names, which generated welcomed interest from 70 participants.

The documents of the 2nd Session of UNGEGN are available from the links below;


Documents (general)
List of documents by agenda item
(click on agenda item in left column)

Note:
* Please be informed that the technical reports submitted by regional entities and member states are not reviewed or edited by the Secretariat. These reports facilitate the technical discussion of the subject matters on the agenda and help clarify technical issues. The contents of the reports does not reflect the position of the United Nations Secretariat.

The designations employed and the presentation of material does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, city or area, or of its authorities, concerning the appellation of places, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Agenda item 2(a) - Organizational matters: Adoption of the agenda
  • Provisional agenda
  • Annotated Provisional Agenda
    Agenda item 2(b) - Organizational matters: Organization of work.
  • Organization of work
  • Entities invited to participate in the session as observers
    • Agenda item 4(a) - Reports: Governments on the situation in their countries and on the progress made in the standardization of geographical names

    FOR INFORMATION

    Agenda item 4(b) - Reports: Divisions of the Group of Experts

    FOR INFORMATION

    Agenda item 4(c) - Reports: Working Group on Country Names

      FOR INFORMATION

    • UNGEGN List of Country Names
      • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.130/Rev.1, Full report
        English (updated as of 25 Apr 2021)

      Agenda item 4(d) - Reports: National and international meetings and conferences

        FOR INFORMATION

      • International Seminar on Sea Names, 2019-2020
        • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.123, Full report
          English

      • International Symposium on the Standardization of Geographical Names - Introducing the Efforts and Contributions by UNGEGN and Japan
        • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.132, Full report
          English

    Agenda item 5(a) - Cooperation and liaison with other organizations: International organizations

    FOR DISCUSSION

    • Report of the Joint International Cartographic Association/International Geographical Union Commission on Toponymy
    • Colaboración México-República Dominicana en el marco del AMEXCID para el fortalecimiento de capacidades en la aplicación técnica de normalización de los Nombres Geográficos mediante la elaboración de la metodología del nomenclátor de República Dominicana

      FOR INFORMATION

    • Report of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
    • ICANN Report
      • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.97, Full report
        English
    Agenda item 5(b) - Cooperation and liaison with other organizations: Economic Commission for Africa and Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management

    FOR DISCUSSION

    Agenda item 6(a) - National and international standardization of geographical names: Names collection, office treatment, national authorities, features beyond a single sovereignty and international cooperation

    FOR DISCUSSION

    Agenda item 6(b) - National and international standardization of geographical names: Toponymic guidelines for map and other editors for international use

    FOR DISCUSSION

  • General remarks by the Coordinator of toponymic guidelines for map and other editors, for international use

    FOR INFORMATION

    • Agenda item 7 - Social and economic benefits, supporting sustainable development, measures taken and proposed for the implementation of resolutions and evaluation of the work of the Group of Experts

    FOR DISCUSSION

    Agenda item 8 - Issues of publicity for the Group of Experts and funding of Group projects.

    FOR DISCUSSION

  • Summary report on the activities of the Working Group on Publicity and Funding
    • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.126, Full report
      English

    • Agenda item 9 - Activities on the standardization of geographical names in Africa

    FOR DISCUSSION

  • Rapport de Division Afrique Centrale
  • Situation de la normalisation des noms géographiques au Cameroun et progrès réalises depuis la session de 2019
    • Agenda item 10 - Toponymic education

    FOR DISCUSSION

    • E-learning course on the Norwegian Place Name Act
    • Webinars on toponymy in Indonesia: an adaptation of toponymic education to the corona virus disease pandemic situation
    • Streamed audiovisual lectures on toponymy
    • Summary report on the activities of the Working Group on Training Courses in Toponymy
      • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.127, Full report
        English

      FOR INFORMATION

    • Capacitación a la República Dominicana sobre las fases de implementación de la metodología para la elaboración de un nomenclátor
    Agenda item 11 - Toponymic terminology

    FOR DISCUSSION

    • Generic Terms in the Canadian Geographical Names Database
    • Report of the Working Group on Toponymic Terminology 2019-2021
      • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.105, Full report
        English

    • Publication of the Glossary of Terms for the Standardization of Geographical Names in Korea
      • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.124, Full report
        English
    Agenda item 12 - Geographical names as culture, heritage and identity, including indigenous, minority and regional languages and multilingual issues

    FOR DISCUSSION

    Agenda item 13 - Exonyms

    FOR DISCUSSION

  • Decline in the number of Danish exonyms in use for European cities
  • Quatre types d'exonymes
    • GEGN.2/2021/56, Summary
    • GEGN.2/2021/56/CRP.56/Rev.3, Full report
      French and English (updated as of 25 April 2021)

  • Exonyms as part of the cultural heritage
  • Los exónimos de los nombres geográficos en las lenguas indégenas de América con respecto al español como lengua franca de América Latina
    • Agenda item 14 - Toponymic data files and gazetteers

    FOR DISCUSSION


  • Web application for searching geographical names in the topographic database of the Netherlands

    FOR INFORMATION

    • New edition of the Polish list of official names of localities and their parts
    • Progress Report on the Construction of National Database for Geographical Names of China and Compilation of Standard Geographical Names Atlas, Gazetteers, Dictionaries and Chronicles
      • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.113, Full report
        Chinese

    • Situación del proceso de Normalización de Nombres Geográficos en el Perú
      • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.117, Full report
        Spanish

    • withdrawn
      • GEGN.2/2021/28

    • Agenda item 15 - Writing systems and pronunciation

    FOR DISCUSSION

    • Verification of Geographical Names in Indonesia
    • Report of the Working Group on Romanization Systems: Current status of United Nations Romanization systems for geographical names
    • Transcriptor: Solving your transliteration problems?
      • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.120, Full report
        English

      FOR INFORMATION

      • A Brief Introduction to Guidelines on Geographical Names Transformation from Japanese to Chinese
        • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.114, Full report
          Chinese

    Agenda item 16 - Other geographical names issues

    FOR DISCUSSION

    • Creating an Equal Society through Geographical Names
      • GEGN.2/2021/CRP.135, Full report
        English

    Agenda item 17 - Arrangements for the 2023 session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names
  • Provisional Agenda for the 2023 session of UNGEGN
    • Agenda item 18 - Other business
    Agenda item 19 - Presentation and adoption of decisions
    • Draft Recommendations and Decisions - Informal Paper
    Agenda item 20 -Adoption of the report on the 2021 session
    • Draft Report

    Guidelines for the preparation and submission of Statements/Interventions:


    Given that the session will be virtual, with reduced meeting times, delegates are provided the opportunity to contribute to the discussions through written statements. These statements constitute the interventions delegations would normally make from the floor during the session. Therefore, delegations are encouraged to read the papers for agenda items 3 to 15 and submit your corresponding written statements.


    1. A Template (Word document) for preparing written statements is available for downloading.

    2. Completed statements are to be emailed to: geoinfo_unsd@un.org

    3. Due to the potential volume of submissions in a condensed period, we encourage written statements to be brief, provided in English if possible, focused on the main discussion items for the Group of Experts, and submitted to the Secretariat by 23 April.

    4. All submitted statements will be uploaded in pdf format and available from the related agenda item below.

    5. Statements will be available in the language received, as soon as feasible after receipt (except over weekends).

    6. Your statements will not be edited and will be uploaded sequentially according to date.

    7. Additional statements may be posted during the actual sessions 3 to 6 May. Please note that these statements may not be fully captured immediately in the main summary points read out at the close of each agenda item, but may be added to the webpage, where appropriate, at a later stage.


    Written statements may be submitted by the following:

    • Member States: by the Head of Delegation, Representative or Lead Member or Permanent Missions to the UN in New York;
    • UNGEGN Geographical and Linguistic Divisions: by the Chair/President; and
    • Observers: by the designated Lead Person of the entity

      Written statements are available from the links below:

    Agenda item #3: Reports of the Chair and the Secretariat
    Written statements (date received)
    Agenda item #4 - Reports:

    (a): Governments on the situation in their countries and on the progress made in the standardization of geographical names

    Written statements (date received)

    (b): Divisions of the Group of Experts

    Written statements (date received)

    (c): Working Group on Country Names

    Written statements (date received)
    Agenda item #5: Cooperation and liaison with other organizations:

    (a): International organizations

    Written statements (date received)

    (b): Economic Commission for Africa and Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management

    Written statements (date received)
    Agenda item #6: National and international standardization of geographical names:
    (a): Names collection, office treatment, national authorities, features beyond a single sovereignty and international cooperation
    Written statements (date received)
    (b): Toponymic guidelines for map and other editors for international use
    Written statements (date received)
    Agenda item #7: Social and economic benefits, supporting sustainable development, measures taken and proposed for the implementation of resolutions and evaluation of the work of the Group of Experts
    Written statements (date received)
    Agenda item #8 - Issues of publicity for the Group of Experts and funding of Group projects.
    Agenda item #9 - Activities on the standardization of geographical names in Africa.
    Agenda item #11 - Toponymic terminology
    Written statements (date received)
    Agenda item #12 - Geographical names as culture, heritage and identity, including indigenous, minority and regional languages and multilingual issues
    Written statements (date received)
    Agenda item #15 - Writing systems and pronunciation
    Written statements (date received)
    Agenda item #17 - Arrangements for the 2023 session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names
    Written statements (date received)
    Side event Application Form

    Side Events - Calendar

    Open Meeting

    Closed Meeting



    25 March   (Thursday)

    07:30 - 09:00am EDT

    UNGEGN Draft Strategic Plan and Programme of Work 2021-2029
    Organizer: UNGEGN Secretariat
    Contact person: UNGEGN Secretariat (geoinfo_unsd@un.org)
    Flyer Agenda Presentation material

    15 April   (Thursday)

    08:00 - 09:30am EDT

    UNGEGN Global Conversation
    Organizer: UNGEGN Secretariat
    Contact person: UNGEGN Secretariat (geoinfo_unsd@un.org)
    Flyer Meeting link Presentation material Recording

    21 April   (Wednesday)

    02:00 - 3:30pm CET / 08:00-09:30am EDT

    virtual meeting of the Working Group on Geographical Names Data Management
    Organizer: Working Group on Geographical Names Data Management
    Contact person: Mr. Pier-Giorgio.Zaccheddu (Pier-Giorgio.Zaccheddu@bkg.bund.de)
    Agenda Meeting link

    27 April   (Tuesday)

    08:00 - 09:00am EDT

    New Comers Orientation Session
    Organizer: UNGEGN Secretariat
    Contact person: UNGEGN Secretariat (geoinfo_unsd@un.org)
    Flyer Meeting link Presentation material Recording

    28 April   (Wednesday)

    8:00-9:00 EDT/14:00-15:00 CET

    East Central and South - East Europe Division meeting
    Organizer: East Central and South-East Europe Division
    Contact person: Ms. Darina Porubčanova (darina.porubcanova@skgeodesy.sk)
    Meeting link Presentation material

    4 MAY   (Tuesday)

    8:00 - 9:00 am (EDT)

    Working Group on Exonyms Business Meeting
    Organizer: Working Group on Exonyms
    Contact person: Mr. Kohei Watanabe (kw10004@cam.ac.uk)
    Agenda and Meeting link

    5 MAY   (Wednesday)

    1:00 - 2:00pm (EDT)

    Business meeting of the Joint ICA/IGU Commission on Toponymy
    Organizer: Joint ICA/IGU Commission on Toponymy
    Contact person: Mr. Peter Jordan (peter.jordan@oeaw.ac.at)
    Agenda and Meeting link

    07:30 - 8:45am (EDT)

    Creating an Equal Society through Geographical Names
    Organizer: UNGEGN Secretariat
    Contact person: UNGEGN Secretariat (geoinfo_unsd@un.org)
    Flyer Meeting link Presentation material Recording

    6 MAY   (Thursday)

    1:00 - 2:00pm (EDT)

    Working Group meeting
    Organizer: Working Group on Geographical Names as Cultural Heritage
    Contact person/s: Ms. Annette Torensjö (annette.torensjo@isof.se) and Ms. Leila Mattfolk (leila.mattfolk@isof.se)
    Agenda Meeting link

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    Virtual Background

    Poster


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