FIG General Assembly 2011FIG Work Plans and Budget AdoptedMarrakech, Morocco, 18 and 22 May 2011
FIG General Assembly 2011 was held during the Working Week in Marrakech, Morocco. 50 member associations with almost 300 participants attended the first session. The second session was attended by 48 member associations and about 250 participants representing all member categories as well as observers. At this General Assembly, FIG appointed immediate past President Prof. Stig Enemark as an Honorary President. The main item on this year’s agenda was the adoption of the Council and Commission work plans for 2011-2014. These were adopted and the Commission work plans were further developed during the week during the Commissions’ annual and other meetings. As part of the Council work plan, for the first time a four-year budget was adopted for 2011-2014. This four-year budgetary framework included the proposal to maintain membership fees at the 2012 level, approved at the 2010 General Assembly, for 2013 and 2014. FIG has now four task forces. The Africa Task Force (2009–2014) and Task Force on Spatially Enabled Society (2009–2012) will continue their work. The new task forces on Surveyor and the Climate Chance (chaired by John Hannah, New Zealand) and Property and Housing (chaired by Chryssy Potsiou) had their first meeting in Marrakech. This General Assembly admitted five new member associations: Ethiopia (Ethiopian Surveying Professionals Association - ESPA), Senegal (Ordre National des Geomètrés Experts du Senegal – ONGES), Nigeria (Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers – NIESV), Mali (Ordre des Geométrès Experts du Mali – OGE) and Liberia (Cadastral Surveyors Association of Liberia). At the same time member associations from Armenia, Brazil (FENEA), Burkina Faso and Tanzania were expelled. The total number of member associations after this General Assembly is now 102. In addition, four new affiliate members were admitted: China Land Surveying and Planning Institute, Survey Department from Sri Lanka, Cyprus Lands and Surveys Department and Unidad Administrativa Especial de Catastro Distrital – UAECD from Colombia. The number of affiliate members is now 40. There were also four new corporate members, FARO, Hi-Target Survey Instruments Company Ltd, Global Survey Qatar, and Concord Surveying Company from Qatar. Seven new academic members were also admitted from Turkey (Zonguldak Karaelmas University), Kazakhstan (East Kazakhstan State Technical University named after D. Serikbayev), Norway (Bergen University College), Kosovo (University of Prishtina), Cyprus (Neapolis University Paphos), Saudi Arabia (TECRS – The Environmental Center for Remote Sensing) and Morocco (IAV – Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II). The selection for the venue of FIG Working Week 2015 was postponed to Rome next year as there was no proper bid submitted by the deadline for General Assembly to consider. The General Assembly next year will also select the venue for the Working Week 2016. General Assembly had a good breakout session and subsequently a robust discussion during the second session on membership issue relating to voting rights. The General Assembly by consensus established a working group from amongst those present to consider the issue and bring a discussion paper to the next General Assembly in Rome. The working group comprises member associations from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, China (HKIS), Ireland (IIS), Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and USA (AI). The 13-member group will select a chair from amongst themselves to progress its work. President CheeHai Teo, in addressing the General Assembly, expressed optimism that together, we can to be a Profession, armed with knowledge and best practices, extending the usefulness of surveying for the benefit of society, environment and economy, increasingly positioned in significance and relevance, next door to everywhere. Read more:
26 May 2011 |
