Call for nomination to the Programme Board

Dear GEO Principals,

The GEO Secretariat invites you to nominate representatives to the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Programme Board for a term of up to three years commencing after the GEO Plenary in 2027.

This call follows the launch of the Post-2025 GEO Work Programme, a key mechanism for advancing the goals of the Post-2025 Strategy - Earth Intelligence for All. As the GEO Work Programme moves into implementation, the Programme Board's work becomes even more consequential: monitoring progress against committed outcomes and recommending course corrections where needed, reviewing and endorsing new activities, connecting the Work Programme's global priorities with the perspectives and capacities of GEO's regional networks, and helping GEO's activities integrate new technologies into the user-driven products and services at the heart of Earth Intelligence for All.

We welcome nominees who combine strategic insight with practical knowledge of Earth observations, artificial intelligence, policy, programme development, monitoring and evaluation, or resource mobilization.

The estimated time commitment is approximately 18–30 days per year, which may be shared between principal and alternate representatives. Members are generally responsible for covering the costs of their participation, though limited travel support may be available for representatives from low-income or lower-middle-income countries, subject to budget and Executive Committee approval.

Programme Board seats are assigned to GEO Members and Participating Organizations. Each Member or Participating Organization may nominate one principal and up to two alternate representatives. The designated individuals serve on the Programme Board representing their Members or Participating Organizations, not in a personal capacity. Additional correspondence contacts may be identified but may not act as representatives at meetings. Current Programme Board members wishing to continue must therefore be renominated.

The list of current Programme Board members is provided in Attachment 1 and the Programme Board Terms of Reference are provided in Attachment 2.

Please submit your nominations to the GEO Secretariat (secretariat@geosec.org) using the attached nomination form (Attachment 3), signed by either the GEO Principal or Alternate by 11 December 2026. Following review of the nominations, the Secretariat will propose a slate of candidates to the GEO Executive Committee for consideration and recommendation to the 2027 GEO Plenary. If more nominations than seats are received, the Secretariat will provide the Executive Committee with a justification of the proposed slate to ensure transparency and consistency. Following appointment by the Plenary, three Co-chairs will be elected following the procedure set in Annex E of Attachment 2.

Thank you for your continued support to GEO.