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On Friday, 13 November, Eduardo Sojo, President, National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), Mexico, opened the GEO Ministerial Summit. A short video was shown, presenting the rationale of GEO and its potential to contribute to the global development agenda. María Eugenia Casar, Executive Director, Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), welcomed delegates on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, affirming that Mexico shares GEO's objectives.
Each of the four Ministerial Summit Co-Chairs offered brief addresses: Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research and Innovation; Naledi Pandor, Minister of Science and Technology, South Africa; Sally Jewell, Secretary of Interior, US; and Jianlin Cao, Vice Minister of Science and Technology, China.
A session chaired by Summit Co-Chair Jewel featured a presentation on GEO achievements and perspectives by Rolando Ocampo, Vice President, INEGI, and a presentation of the GEO Strategic Plan 2016-2025 by Danielle Lacasse, Co-Chair of the Implementation Plan Working Group. In addition, Jewell announced the first place winner of a video contest, the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO), and delegates watched the winning video on the importance of ocean observations.
A third session, chaired by Summit Co-Chair Pandor, featured a reading of the draft Mexico City Declaration by Pandor, followed by statements from delegations supporting the Declaration and the Strategic Plan. The Declaration was adopted and the Plan approved.
In the afternoon Summit Co-Chair Moedas chaired a session featuring a ministerial discussion panel and proposals from delegates for upcoming GEO activities to be planned in 2016-2025 and the implementation of GEOSS.
The final session, chaired by Summit Co-Chair Cao, featured closing remarks by each of the Co-Chairs and by INEGI Vice President Ocampo. The Summit was gaveled to a close at 4:47 pm.
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» GEO-XII
