Final Report of FIG Commission 7 Years 1994-98Report Index
|
Final Report of FIG Commission 7 Years 1994-981. Preface and Summary of Achievements of FIG Commission 7 (1994-98)For the period 1994-98 Commission 7 set itself a very simple but ambitious objective—that was to play a significant role in directing and influencing the cadastral and land management agenda worldwide. In working towards this objective, we established a comprehensive Work Plan which was to be implemented jointly by the Commission 7 Secretariat, the three Working Groups and all Commission delegates and correspondents. Through the excellent support of those involved in the Commission, I believe the Commission has exceeded its initial aims for this work period. During the period, the Commission has run excellent annual meetings in Fredericton (Canada) in 1994, Delft (The Netherlands) in 1995, Budapest (Hungary) in 1996 and Penang (Malaysia) in 1997. The delegates and correspondents who organised these meetings and contributed so much of their time to their success are gratefully acknowledged. They are Sue Nichols from Canada, Jan Sonnenberg from The Netherlands, András Ossko from Hungary and Abdul Majid Mohamed from Malaysia. I am sure all delegates and correspondents will join me in thanking them for their very significant contribution. Importantly however, the Commission could not have undertaken its work without the excellent commitment from the three Working Groups, chaired by Jürg Kaufmann, Tommy Österberg and Paul Munro-Faure. These Working Groups have undertaken and implemented three major work plans which have resulted in significant contributions to the cadastral and land management debate. Each of the Working Groups supported an excellent symposium at the three annual meetings in The Netherlands, Hungary and Malaysia. These are summarised elsewhere in this report. In particular I want to thank the Executive of the Commission comprising the Vice-Chairperson Paul Munro-Faure, who gave me excellent support throughout the period, as well as the Secretary Gary Hunter and the Administrative Assistant Lillian Cheung. Without their support and efforts the Commission would not have achieved its objectives. I am also grateful for the very efficient and professional support received from the FIG Bureaux in both Australia and the UK. In particular the Past President of the FIG Earl James and the past Secretary General Graham Lindsay, and the current President Peter Dale and the Bureau Director Jane Wooley. All have been extremely supportive and cooperative in ensuring the Commission could undertake its work. Last but not least I want to acknowledge the excellent support and contribution made by all the Commission 7 delegates and correspondents around the world. Simply without their commitment the Commission would not be a success. What are the highlights of the last four years? They are nearly too many to mention but some certainly stand out. These include the preparation of the Statement on the Cadastre which has now been translated into twelve languages and distributed widely around the world, and accepted by such organisations as the United Nations. In addition the Bogor Declaration on Cadastral Reform was a significant contribution of the Commission. The three proceedings of the Commission 7 symposia, which focussed on the work of the Working Groups, will continue to have an influence for many years to come. I would particularly like to highlight the outcomes of the Working Group on Modern Cadastres and Cadastral Innovation, and the publication "Benchmarking Cadastral Systems". In addition I would like to highlight the work on developing countries where the Commission has been able to provide a better understanding of cadastres in countries which are under significant financial restrictions and lack the financial, human and institutional resources. Lastly the commitment of the Commission gave to contributing to the cadastral changes in the former socialist countries. Through a number of seminars the Commission has made a significant contribution in this regard. The many other contributions that the Commission has made are no less important and are listed in the remainder of the report. The highlight of the 4-year Work Plan is of course the Congress this year in Brighton. Most of the activities of the Commission have worked towards this Congress. I am delighted with the Commission 7 program, which will be presented in Brighton, which brings together a summary of the work of the Commission over the last four years but also has attracted a wide range of papers on cadastral and land management issues from around the world. It will be an excellent program which all Commission 7 delegates and correspondents can be justly proud. I am also delighted with the future plans of the Commission, which has been proposed by the Vice-Chairperson Paul Munro-Faure and accepted by the Commission. The last four years have laid a firm base on which the Commission can move forward from strength to strength. While I believe the Commission has made a valuable contribution to the cadastral reform agenda worldwide I have no doubt that its influence will continue to grow to the benefit of all nations. I have included the Commission 7 song written and updated each year by Jürg Kaufmann. This represents the wonderful camaraderie that has developed in the Commission 7 and FIG family. It is this friendship, which crosses races, ideologies, boarders and oceans, which helps us make the world a better place to live. It has been an honour and a pleasure to serve the FIG and the Commission over the last four years. Thank you again for your excellent support and contribution. Ian P. Williamson |