ICA will celebrate fifty years of existence in 2009. The relationship between the International Cartographic Association (ICA) and National Mapping Agencies (NMAs) around the world has been remarkable since the founding of ICA in 1959. The support offered by NMAs during the early years was decisive in establishing firm economic support for the ICA in its job of promoting international co-operation. There are many matters and issues of mutual interest. The responsibilities attributed to NMAs refer directly to topics relating to cartography and geographical information. Cartography in most NMAs refers to the production of maps and capture of geographical data, and a relationship to near disciplines such as topography, photogrammetry, remote sensing, data processing, global positioning systems, update of information, management of cartographic numerical bases and of geographical information systems. Further matters integral to NMAs may include historical cartography, the development of national atlases and land-use studies.

There is evident coincidence between these topics and those included under the different commissions and working groups of the ICA. These address education and training, incremental updating and versioning of spatial databases, national and regional atlases, mapping from satellite imagery, spatial-data standards, ubiquitous mapping, visualisation and virtual environments, maps and the internet, generalisation and multiple representation, and the quality and uncertainty of spatial data. ICA has always nurtured ongoing interchange between world experts from all sectors within which cartographic activity is pursued. It has established a real, international and updated global network for exchange of technological knowledge between experts in cartographic matters, and of geographical information. The ICA commissions have taken a leading role in fostering relations between staff responsible for technical projects in the NMAs and within the international field of ICA activity. Many NMA employees have contributed to and benefited from their membership of ICA commissions and working groups.

ICA serves as the main forum, open to all countries of the world, within which NMAs may find a platform for dissemination of their own technological developments in the fields of cartography and geographical information, and evalu–ate their projects in relation to those of other countries. ICA can put professionals developing activities within academic, company or public-administration sectors, as well as those in regional organisations, in contact with NMA professionals all over the world. In addition, ICA offers NMAs an outstanding opportunity at the International Map Exhibition to show maps realised in years preceding conferences, and to win international recognition through one of the prestigious ICA awards given to the best of them.

To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary in 2009 it would be great to strengthen and improve further collaboration with NMAs and to ensure that most belong to and collaborate with ICA as affiliate members.