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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">colleagues</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,</span></span><br>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have prepared a draft letter with my ideas/suggestions </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.I
am just a volunteer and I feel sad that</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">that I have to raise this issue through an open letter.</span><font face="Helvetica Neue"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
But if I remain silent on this , I will be indirectly supporting the degrading of </span></font><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> independent peer review frameworks for Scholarly publications of Scientific Associations.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is the fundamental duty of all Officers of Scientific Associations/Organisations</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to always take steps to </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">guard and protect independent peer review
frameworks</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for Scholarly publications of Scientific Associations. I am hopeful and confident that that they all will do this for the future.</span><br>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not a native English speaker, so please help refine this</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">letter correctly. I want us to look at the future not focus on mistakes made in past . Some mistakes have been made and I understand that this is corrected.
We are all human , so we all make mistakes</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. So let us not focus on past mistakes but look at ideas on how we can strengthen the independent peer review frameworks</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for Scholarly publications of Scientific Associations in the future.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The International Cartographic Association (ICA) is my organisation for which</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have volunteered for the last 15 years and continuing . I have great respect for everyone in this great global community . The SDG book is a community effort
(not any individual’s book project) . I have requested from the start (as soon as I came to know) for openness and transparency in decision making for selecting the publisher. esp. as this book is on UN SDG . I understand that ICA has now corrected the mistake
. Everyone makes mistakes and it takes courage to acknowledge and correct the mistakes .Compassion and forgiveness are important values .</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am very grateful that ICA has listened to my concerns and rectified this . So I don’t have any issues with ICA or any colleagues in ICA. We might have difference
in opinions on some issues and having free and open discussions is in my humble opinion the best way to learn each others perspectives and find best solutions to move forward.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please send any updates/modifications needed to the draft by 30th July 2018. I am on family holidays ( with no internet ) in first week of August, so I will aim to
send this before I go on holidays.</span><br>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">===========================================</span></p>
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<b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Draft of Open Letter on the importance to protecting independent peer review frameworks</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for Scholarly publications of Scientific Associations</span></b></span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scholarly publications (edited books, journals etc) from scientific associations</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">/</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">organisations
has</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">credibility and reputation because of strong independent peer review frameworks </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.
We are very fortunate in the Geospatial domain to have many reputed Scientific Associations and organisations (ICA, IGU, ISPRS, IEEE-GRSS, IAG etc) who have over many decades provided strong leadership in advancement of geo science.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In times of fake news, science is usually one of those areas that can give us orientation and we can rely on.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Independent peer review frameworks</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for Scholarly publications is among the foundations of good science. However, this is</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">obviously at risk now.
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</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If a professional association takes</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">agrees to publish scholarly publications (edited books etc)</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">through a GIS vendor’s press then there is potential issues with independent peer review and ensuring scientific quality. It is only natural that any GIS vendor
publication press to have vested interests in promoting their products and</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">agenda. It also makes it easy for the vendor to get endorsement for their</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">products from scientific and professional organisations using this route. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Independent
peer review is the fundamental aspect of science and we need to ensure all steps to protect this.</span></span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are also now seeing a very disturbing trend with</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">some vendors even starting to trademark “ science” for marketing/sales of their</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">products and
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“science” is being misused for vendor marketing/sales! . I have raised this issue through an open letter [1] .</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Science is not a commodity to be marketed or sold by any vendor owners! I am very sad and disappointed to see this degrading of science happening. Scientific
organisations should not endorse any specific vendor products etc as “Science” and take strong moral stand against</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">marketing of products as “Science’ by any vendor owners!</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am a volunteer for the ICA for the last 15 years and always done my best in my small way to support ICA . Around one year back, i</span><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n
the light of the </span></i><a href="http://mapyear.org/" id="LPlnk430064" class="OWAAutoLink" previewremoved="true"><span style="color: #e4af0a"><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">International
Map Year (IMY)</span></i></span></a><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, the
</span></i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The International Cartographic Association (ICA) started an excellent initiative
</span><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">highlighting the value of cartography by “mapping” the
</span></i><a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/" id="LPlnk307766" class="OWAAutoLink" previewremoved="true"><span style="color: #e4af0a"><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">UN sustainable
development goals</span></i></span></a><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Building upon
this, The ICA community started work on a book on UN SDG Mapping</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">building upon the posters of the various commissions on this [2]. This is a great community initiative developed with inputs from all colleagues in commissions
of the ICA. The Open Source Geospatial Commission colleagues also contributed our inputs for this. When the book project was announced, I did my best to contact colleagues to contribute to this in good faith. I didn’t have the faintest idea that it was being
planned to be published through a properitary GIS vendor publication press! </span>
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As soon as I came to know about this, I did contact Menno -Jan with my concerns and requested him that as this is a community book project to please allow
open discussions and keep the community updated [3] . I was very surprised that there was no open and transparent discussions on selecting the book publisher was done.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From an email from Anthony Robinson on 16th July 2018, I understand now that ICA is not proceeding with the vendor GIS publication press (Esri press)</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for the SDG book and I welcome this. But it is</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">important</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we need to be learn lessons from this mistake and not repeat this in future</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
are all humans and make mistakes.</span></span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I fully respect the right of individuals publishing their personal work [1] in any publication house that they wish. But as officers of Scientific Organisations,
esp. in times of some vendor owners doing marketing/sales on “Science” , I request all colleagues to be careful not to do anything that will undermine independent peer review process.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am suggesting some initial ideas that we all can take as a community to help reduce this problem in the future</span></p>
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<li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All Scientific </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Associations and organisations should </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ensure
that there is full open and transparent discussions allowed before choosing any publishers of scholarly publications (Edited Books etc). </span></span><br>
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<li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is important that GIS scientific associations/organisations take strong moral stand against taking sponsorship/royalty etc
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for scholarly publications from all GIS vendors . Independent peer review system is the fundamental aspect of science. So I am humbly requesting all Scientific
organisations to</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not use
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">any GIS vendor controlled press for publishing scholarly outputs (edited books etc).</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GIS scientific organisations should not</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tak</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
any sponsorship or royalty for scholarly publications (</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">books, journals etc) from any GIS vendors . If a scientific association takes</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">agrees to publish scholarly publications (edited books etc)</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
through the vendor’s press then there is potential issues with independent peer review and ensuring scientific quality. It is only natural that any GIS vendor publication press to have vested interests in promoting their products and agenda. It also makes
it easy for the vendor to get endorsement for their products from scientific and professional organisations using this route. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Independent peer review is the fundamental aspect
of science and we need to ensure all steps to protect this.</span></span><br>
</li></ul>
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<li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Officers of Scientific Organisations and Editors of all GIS journals </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">declare
any conflict of interest with any vendors (funding/sponsorship/royalties etc received from any GIS vendors currently or in the past) to ensure transparency and good practices.They should not support any vendors interest directly or indirectly. Scientific
organisations should not endorse any specific vendor products etc as “Science” and take strong moral stand against marketing of products as “Science’ by any vendor owners!</span><br>
</li></ul>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am concerned with the wider degradation of science and education happening in different sectors. This is a moral issue and needs all organisations globally in science
and education working together.</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is the fundamental </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">duty
of all </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Officers of Scientific Organisations</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">to guard and protect independent peer review frameworks</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
</span><font face="Helvetica Neue"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for Scholarly publications of Scientific Associations. I am hopeful and confident that that they will do this for the future.</span></font><br>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best wishes,</span></p>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suchith</span></p>
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<span style="color: #454545">[1] <a href="https://www.rd-alliance.org/group/geospatial-ig/post/open-letter-importance-scientific-freedom-and-public-good" id="LPlnk527628" class="OWAAutoLink" previewremoved="true">
<span style="color: rgb(228, 175, 10);">https://www.rd-alliance.org/group/geospatial-ig/post/open-letter-importance-scientific-freedom-and-public-good</span></a></span></p>
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<span style="color: #454545">[2] https://<a href="http://icaci.org/maps-and-sustainable-development-goals/" id="LPlnk925436" class="OWAAutoLink" previewremoved="true"><span style="color: #e4af0a">icaci.org/maps-and-sustainable-development-goals/</span></a></span></p>
<p style="margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; color: rgb(228, 175, 10);">
<span style="color: #454545">[3] <a href="https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/geoforall/2017-June/003790.html" id="LPlnk76817" class="OWAAutoLink" previewremoved="true">
<span style="color: rgb(228, 175, 10);">https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/geoforall/2017-June/003790.html</span></a></span></p>
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<span style="color: #454545">[4] <a href="https://esripress.esri.com/display/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&websiteID=254&moduleID=0" id="LPlnk619170" class="OWAAutoLink" previewremoved="true">
<span style="color: #e4af0a">https://esripress.esri.com/display/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&websiteID=254&moduleID=0</span></a> </span></p>
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