About us - CGMW

Who are we?

The CGMW is an offshoot of the oldest international organisation in the earth sciences, the International Geological Congress (IGC), established in Paris in 1878. The Commission's project was envisaged in 1910 in Stockholm, at the 11^e CGI, and formalized in 1913 in Toronto at 12^e CGI. It is an association governed by the French law of 1901, non-profit, scientific and educational. The CGMW is affiliated to theInternational Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and to International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG)and is recognised by theUNESCO as an A-rank NGO.

What are our activities?

The CGMW is responsible for the design, promotion, coordination, preparation and publication of small-scale Earth science maps of the continents, major regions of the globe, oceans, according to various themes (geology, geophysics, minerals, natural resources, climates), etc.). In accordance with its mission, the CGMW wants to play a leading role in the use and dissemination of digital mapping techniques and in the search for international standards.

Who are our members and how is the Commission run?

The full members of the CGMW are the Geological Surveys (or organisations responsible for geological mapping) of all countries or territories in the world. Other interested organisations may join as associate members. The mapping activity is financed by membership fees from the Geological Surveys, grants from IUGS and UNESCO, and sponsorship from industrial companies. From a legal point of view, the CGMW is a not-for-profit association governed by the French law of 1901 on Associations. The original statutes and the declaration to the Préfecture de Police of Paris in October 1981 are downloadable here. The amendment to the Articles of Association voted by the 2014 General Meeting is as follows available here.

The Executive Board is composed of a President, a Secretary General, and the heads of the geographical and thematic sub-committees. About twenty people from different fields of Earth sciences and different countries fulfil these functions on a voluntary basis (see the complete list in the section "Bureau of the CGMW"). The headquarters of the General Secretariat is in Paris.

How do we work?

The way in which the CGMW maps are produced is flexible. Each mapping project is placed under the authority of a General Coordinator to whom the Office entrusts it with a leadership and supervisory role. In order to produce these documents, the CGMW relies on the entire international scientific community and on the cooperation agreements it has established with geological surveys, university laboratories, oceanographic institutes and industrial companies, depending on the characteristics of each project. Before publication and in order to guarantee a high scientific standard, all maps are submitted to a group of internationally renowned experts.

General Assembly

The General Assembly takes place every two years, alternately at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and in the country where the International Geological Congress. These meetings examine, among other things, the orientations of future programmes and the progress of projects underway.

The leaflet in English presenting the Commission's activities is downloadable here.