In the United Nations building in New York, a new Regional Cartography Conference for Latin America was held from 27th June to 1 July, 2005. On this occasion the focus was on the theme of spatial data infrastructure at the continental level. With the participation of the principal international organizations in the fields of geography and spatial information, and an outstanding number of experts and delegates of Member States of the UN (although the regional representation was limited), the conference evaluated aspects related to information policies, institutional and economic aspects of the use of information for various ends, giving emphasis to themes related to sustainable development and especially the production, management, and dissemination of geographic information via the development of spatial data infrastructures truly sustainable by countries involved.

The Secretary General of the PAIGH, Santiago Borrero, conceded the presidency to Mexico in the person of the Director of Geography of INEGI, Mario Reyes, who was elected unanimously by the delegates and who very successfully directed the deliberations that followed. In his presentation the Secretary General of PAIGH referred to aspects related to institutional development in the region and the construction of capacities for the development of the regional infrastructure of geographic information.

| Presentation of Sec. Gen. Santiago Borrero |