Interorganizational Activities

ISPRS's role in promoting international cooperation for the advancement of photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information systems has expanded significantly over recent years. There are three categories of organisations with which ISPRS is associated:

organisations of the United Nations
UN related organisations
other Int'l Societies in related sciences and technologies

ISPRS reports periodically through ISPRS Highlights on its relationships and activities with the organisations listed below. In addition, relevant documentation on specific events is often available through our liaison officer listed with each organisation.

UNITED NATIONS

COPUOS (Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space)

ISPRS has Observer status in COPUOS. Since 1989, the ISPRS Secretary General has delivered a statement at each of the annual February meetings of the COPUOS Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee, and the COPUOS Full Committee at its annual June meetings.
Liaison responsibility: Secretary General, Professor Chen Jun

OOSA - Office for Outer Space Affairs

OOSA is responsible for the (COPUOS) and as such liaises with UN members as well as the UN Secretariat on all matters relating to space activities. It organised the very successful UNISPACE III conference in July 1999, as a sequel to UNISPACE II in 1982, where ISPRS participated in the presentation of three workshops and presented a poster display.
Liaison responsibility: Secretary General, Professor Chen Jun

UNESCO - UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

ISPRS has a non-governmental organisation Category B relationship for Information and Consultative Relations which gives ISPRS eligibility for some subventions with the opportunity to submit worthy proposals.
Liaison responsibility: President, Professor Orhan Altan

ECOSOC - Economic and Social Council

ISPRS is an accredited NGO in consultative status with both the New York and Vienna offices. As is the case of UNESCO, ISPRS submits reports and receives many UN documents. ISPRS actively participates in the UN Regional Cartographic Conferences by preparing background and scientific papers as well as contributing to policy discussions and resolutions.
Liaison responsibility: President, Professor Orhan Altan

DPI - Department of Public Information

The Secretary General participates in the Annual UN/DPI Conference and receives monthly documents on UN activities. It is with this office that ISPRS received credentials for two Council members to access UN photo library services.
Liaison responsibility: President, Professor Orhan Altan

DDSMS - Department for Development Support and Management Services

ISPRS coordinates and consults with the staff of DDSMS to promote international cooperative activities with the UN regional groups.
Liaison responsibility: President, Professor Orhan Altan

UN RELATED ORGANISATIONS

ICSU - International Council of Scientific Unions

ICSU is a non-governmental organisation, founded in 1931 to bring together natural scientists in international scientific endeavour. Its national membership comprises 95 multi disciplinary bodies (scientific research councils or scientific academies) and 25 international single-discipline Scientific Unions, to provide a wide spectrum of scientific expertise enabling members to address major international, interdisciplinary issues which none could handle alone. ICSU also comprises 28 Associates, including ISPRS and has a special Committee on Space Research (COSPAR).

ISPRS joined ICSU in 1994, following the necessary procedures for gaining appropriate recommendations from sponsoring member organisations. It addresses topics such as global problems and sustainable development, and has a publication outlet, ICSU Press. It is the peak scientific body representing the majority of international scientific bodies of the natural sciences.

Liaison responsibility: Secretary General, Professor Chen Jun

UATI - International Union of Technical Associations and Organisations

UATI is an international NGO umbrella organization for engineering and technology organizations. It coordinates and facilitates cooperation with UNESCO, UNIDO and ECOSOC and conducts collaborative projects in the developing world. It has unified with the WFEO to become the International Council for Engineering and Technology (ICET).
Liaison responsibility: Secretary General, Professor Chen Jun

ISO - International Standards Organization

General Information

The ISO is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies, comprising 118 members (85 Member Bodies, 24 Correspondent Members, 9 Subscribing Members), one from each country. ISO international standards are developed in agreement between Member Bodies. A committee draft is given to an ISO Technical Committee (TC) for discussion. After consensus in the TC, the central secretariat of ISO emits a Draft International Standard (DIS). The drafts include the voting results from all respective countries. Final voting by all ISO Members Bodies and the final version has to be agreed to by at least 75% of the voters.

International Organisations such as ISPRS may be granted liaison status (Category A or B) with an ISO TC, ISO Subcommittee or ISO Working Group. Category 'A' liaison gives right to full participation, whereas 'B' liaison is to be kept for information only.

ISPRS Liaison and Representatives

ISPRS currently has liaison status on the following ISO committees.

ISO/TC 20 'Aircraft and Space Vehicles'

ISO/TC/20/SC14 'Space Systems and Operations'
Category B liaison
ISPRS Representative - President Commission I, Prof. Naser El-Sheimy

ISO/TC20/SC13 'Space Systems and Information Transfer Systems'
ISPRS Representative - Dr H. Ziemann

ISO/TC 42 'Photography'

WG 03 Sensitometry, Image Measurement and Viewing'
WG 05 'Physical Properties and Image Permanence of Photographic Materials'
WG 12 'Lens Quality Characteristics
WG 18 'Electronic Still Picture Imaging'

Category A Liaison
ISPRS Representative - Dr H. Ziemann and President, Commission I, Prof. Naser El-Sheimy

ISO TC/172 'Optics and Optical Instruments'

ISO/TC172/SC9 'Electro optical systems'
Category A Liaison
ISPRS representative - Dr Hartmutt Ziemann and President Commission I, Prof. Naser El-Sheimy

ISO TC/211 'Geographic Information/Geomatics'
Category A liaison
ISPRS representative - President Commission IV, Prof. Marguerite Madden

EIS-AFRICA - A Network for the Co-operative Management of Environmental Information in Africa

Liaison responsibility: President, Professor Orhan Altan

ISSC - International Social Science Council

ISPRS has collaborative arrangements between ISS and several WGs.
Liaison responsibility: President, Professor Orhan Altan

CIPA - Comité Internationale Photogrammetrie Architecturale

ISPRS and ICOMOS each provide 6 members to the managing body, CIPA Committee. A CIPA international conference is held every two years, where the most recent developments in architectural photogrammetry are presented.
Liaison responsibility: President, Commission V, Prof. Jon Mills

ICOMOS - International Council on Monuments and Sites

Liaison responsibility: Treasurer, Mike Renslow

CEOS - Committee of Earth Observation Satellites

ISPRS is currently establishing formal arrangements with CEOS to enable it to have closer working relationships.
Liaison responsibility: Second Vice President, Prof. Ammatzia Peled

COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES WITH INTERNATIONAL SOCIETIES

JBSIS - Joint Board of Spatial Information Societies

SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering

ISPRS is a regular co-sponsor of SPIE meetings such at the annual conferences and the annual Videometrics series of meetings.
Liaison responsibility: Treasurer, Mike Renslow

IAPR - International Association for Pattern Recognition

Liaison responsibility: President Commission III, Nicolas Paparoditis

ISB - International Society of Biomechanics

Liaison responsibility: Fabio Remondino

IUFRO - International Union of Forestry Research Organisations

Liaison responsibility: President Commission VII - Prof. Wolfgang Wagner

IGU - Spatial Data Handling (SDH)

Liaison responsibility: Professor M. Molenaar

Other organisations: AM/FM, CEN 287, CIESIN, COSPAR, EUROGI, IAF, ISSS, ISU, OGC, SORSA, URISA