ts 
up an International Documentation Center for S & M (IDCSM) which could or 
might be patronaged by the United Nations with participation of FAO, -and 
eventually UNESCO, regional organizations such as the Panamerican Institute 
of Geography and History (PAIGH-OAS); and in particular of IAG, ISPRS, ICA 
and FIG. Specifics on the establishment of such a documentation center 
will be discussed in more details in the following sections. 
Historical Development 
  
In accordance with recommendations of recent Regional Cartographic 
Conferences of the United Nations, the UN Cartographic Section has undertaken 
in the past 6-years periodical surveys on the status of world cartography. 
Surveys were conducted for the years 1968, 1974 and 1980. These surveys per- 
formed on the basis of official questionnaires sent to the national or ter- 
ritorial cartographic agencies, requested information on topographic map cove- 
rage, air photo coverage, geodetic control used for mapping, map revision, 
equipment available, budgetary data and manpower, cadastral S & M, and edu- 
cational facilities. On the results of the 1968 and 1974 surveys it was 
reported in Source 1). A report on the 1980 Survey is presently in prepara- 
tion. On the world's S & M manpower and educational facilities it was 
reported in Source 2). The analysis of the results of the 1968 and 1974 
Surveys as well as the compilation and analyses of the Manpower and Educational 
Facilities Survey and the 1980 Survey were contracted to the Department of 
Photogrammetry, Laval University (Dr. A.J. Brandenberger, Project Manager, 
Dr. S.K. Ghosh, Project Co-Manager). Since the UN survey questionnaires did 
not produce a 100% return rate and in order to have available information as 
complete as possible the project manager decided to set up aS & M data bank 
which also includes information obtained from sources others than those obtained 
through the UN questionnaires. This data bank has been started about 15 years 
ago and possibly might presently be the world's most comprehensive one. The 
data bank (which is as far as possible kept up to date, particularly also in 
view of a considerable number of contradictionary data received or published) 
includes about 100,000 names and addresses of S & M organizations and key 
persons as well as more than 3,000 pages of S & M information throughout the 
world. The Laval University S & M data bank could serve as a valuable source 
for the establishment of the proposed International Documentation Center on 
S & M (IDCSM). 
The project has been discussed with Prof. Matthias, then President 
of FIG, at the 1980 ISPRS Congress in Hamburg, and found his approval in 
principle; in addition Prof. Matthias prepared a preliminary proposal for 
the FIG participation in the project with the idea to host the IDCSM in Canada 
under the patronage of the Canadian Institute of Surveying (CIS). The project 
was further discussed during the meeting of the presidents of IAG, ISPRS, 
ICA and FIG at the 1981 FIG Congress in Montreux, Switzerland, and considerable 
interest was expressed in creating an International Documentation Center on 
Education, Professional Practice and World Cartography (IDC-EPPWC); also it 
was requested that the Canadian colleagues of all four societies contact the 
persons responsible for the S & M Data Bank of the Department of Photogram- 
metry at Laval University (Dr. A.J. Brandenberger & associates) to clear up 
the situation, in particular in view of the possibility of building up the 
Brandenberger 5