Created in 1913 at the 12th International Geological Congress in Toronto, lhe Commission of the Geological Map of the World is an international non-profit organisation governed by the French law of 1901.

It is responsible for the design, coordination, preparation and publication of small-scale geoscience maps of the global Earth, continents, oceans and major regions of the globe.

The CGMW is affiliated to the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). Some of the publications of the CCMG are supported by theUNESCO.