Science at the Summit: Harnessing South African - European cooperation in support of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems

The Science at the Summit programme is presented by the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST), in collaboration with several European partners, on the occasion of the Third South Africa – European Union Summit.
27 - 29 September 2010, Brussels, Belgium

Tuesday, 28 September 2010 from 08:30 - 13:00
Stanhope Hotel, Rue du Commerce 9, Brussels

View the provisional programme

Since 2003 and its creation, South Africa and the European Commission have been Co-Chairs of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the international partnership working to create a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). This partnership seeks to enhance international cooperation in order to optimally harness the potential of Earth observation to inform decision-making to support global sustainable development. Within the various GEO forums and through research projects, notably funded under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme, collaboration between South Africa and the European Commission, as well as with EU Member States, has contributed significantly to the development of GEOSS. In anticipation of the GEO Ministerial Summit to be held in Beijing in November 2010, the Seminar will review this collaboration in order to identify new opportunities for South African - EU partnerships to support the further development of GEOSS. The Seminar will therefore also highlight collaboration in multilateral frameworks as a strategic dimension of the South Africa - EU S&T partnership.