Senior representatives of ASREN, GÉANT, RedCLARA, TEIN*CC, UbuntuNet Alliance and WACREN have signed the Helsinki Declaration on 10 June 2026 during TNC26 in Helsinki, Finland. Building on the foundations of the Katowice Declaration first signed in 2021, the renamed declaration marks a significant milestone: the joining of TEIN*CC as a new partner, bringing the Asia-Pacific region into a truly global coalition of Regional Research and Education Networks (RRENs) committed to advancing Earth Observation for the benefit of society.
The declaration has been renamed the Helsinki Declaration to reflect both this expansion and the significance of the Finnish capital as the location of signature at TNC26.
From Katowice to Helsinki
The journey began at the Internet Governance Forum in Katowice, Poland, in December 2021, when ASREN, GÉANT and RedCLARA joined forces to affirm their shared commitment to supporting the international Group on Earth Observations (GEO). The Katowice Declaration was formally signed at TNC22 in Trieste, Italy, in June 2022. A first expansion followed in June 2023, when UbuntuNet Alliance and WACREN joined, extending the coalition’s reach into sub-Saharan Africa. Today, with the addition of TEIN*CC, the research and education network collaboration centre for the Asia-Pacific region, the partnership now connects research and education communities from the Arab states, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia-Pacific under a common vision.
Why Earth Observation matters
Addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, tackling climate change, and preparing for and responding to disasters all depend on data. Increasingly, this data is being centralised into vast datasets from a growing variety of sources, with volumes expanding exponentially as technology advances. Geospatial research, the investigation of earth science with a focus on specific locations, relies on robust communication layers and distribution systems to move that data efficiently across the globe.
The Helsinki Declaration recognises that RRENs are uniquely positioned to serve as the backbone of this data exchange, connecting researchers across borders and continents. It is their networks that transport the observation data, analysis and education materials essential for addressing climate change.
The Declaration sets out a series of concrete commitments across several areas that are expected to have tangible societal impact:
- The partners commit to working towards a rapid and fluid exchange of GEO data across continents, addressing current technical challenges in synchronising platforms and continuing to upgrade infrastructure to meet the present-day requirements of research communities.
- The declaration emphasises the need to develop human capacity within the research and education community on Earth Observation topics, with a particular focus on increasing digital literacy, especially for women in the GEO ecosystem.
- Partners affirm that open access policies should be developed to ensure that GEO data can be accessed and used as widely as possible.
- The partners commit to increased outreach and engagement with these communities, and to better understanding research priorities on each continent in order to identify areas for effective collaboration.
- The declaration also affirms that RRENs – and their NREN members – provide mechanisms enabling the realisation of many UN Sustainable Development Goals, and calls for partners to baseline their current contributions in this regard.
You can read the full Helsinki Declaration.
“TEIN*CC is pleased to join the Helsinki Declaration in support of the global GEO community. Representing the Asi@Connect community across the Asia-Pacific region, we remain committed to strengthening trusted and inclusive digital connectivity for international research collaboration and Earth observation data exchange, and will continue working closely with our partners to advance these efforts.” – President Jungsu Song, TEIN*CC
