1. How GEO works  Coordinating activities of Members and Participating Organisations  Supporting the development of capabilities for Observations, Processing and Information Dissemination  Encouraging cross-cutting approaches GEO is based on voluntary contributions from Members and participating Organizations. The GEO implementation tool is the Workplan, updated on a yearly basis and subdivided in well identified tasks, addressing all Societal Benefit Areas and transverse areas.

2. The GEO Workplan To address targets of the Implementation Plan and track relevant progress, the main tool is a Workplan, approved every year by the GEO Plenary. The Plan is structured in tasks encompassing all the SBA’s and the transverse areas leading to the progressive definition and implementation of GEOSS Current Workplan is the 2007-2009, April 2007 issue, available at GEO website http://www.earthobservations.org/http://www.earthobservations.org/ Task sheets can be downloaded from GEO ftp ftp://ftp.wmo.int/Projects/GEO/ ftp://ftp.wmo.int/Projects/GEO/

3. GEO main lines of actions  Ensure coordination of observing systems, their continuity, upgrading and sustainability  Increase data integration, datasets availability and use, by enabling and facilitating interdisciplinarity and cross-cutting interactions among communities  Ensure full and open exchange of data, metadata and products  Promote and facilitate build-up and consolidation of communities of practice and full involvement of end Users  Capacity Building  Increase awareness GEO workplan contains specific tasks on Seismographic Networks Improvement and Coordination and on Integration of InSAR Technology

4. GEO main lines of actions  Ensure coordination of observing systems, their continuity, upgrading and sustainability  Increase data integration, datasets availability and use, by enabling and facilitating interdisciplinarity and cross-cutting interactions among communities  Ensure full and open exchange of data, metadata and products  Promote and facilitate build-up and consolidation of communities of practice and full involvement of end Users  Build capacity  Increase awareness GEO workplan contains specific tasks on Seismographic Networks Improvement and Coordination and on Integration of InSAR Technology

5. GEOSS architecture  Coordination of observations, at functional and geographical level  Technical and programmatic requirements for registration of systems to GEOSS  Interoperability requirements  Definition and availability of “multiuser” products to support all Societal Benefit Areas  Harmonization of data quality assurance Major on going activities Key architectural element: GEO Web Portal and Clearinghouse

6. Executive Committee 12 Members Regional representation –Africa(2) : Morocco and South Africa –Americas(3): Brazil, Honduras, USA –CIS: Russia –Asia(3): China, Japan and Thailand –Europe(3): EC, Germany and Italy 4 co-Chairs: EC, USA, China and South Africa GEO Organization (2)