The International Center on Global-Scale Geochemistry was officially inaugurated at the Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration (IGGE), CAGS based in Langfang, Hebei Province of China as a new category 2 center under the auspices of UNESCO.

Mr. Jiang Daming, Minister of Land and Resources of China, Dr. Flavia Schlegel, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences of UNESCO, Mr. Yuan Tongli, Vice Governor of Hebei Province, Prof. Roland Oberhaensli, President of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), Mr. Du Yue, Director-General of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO addressed the Inauguration Ceremony. Dr. Cao Weixing, Vice Minister of Land and Resources of China, Dr. Zhong Ziran, Vice Minister for Geological Survey and President of China Geological Survey (CGS), Dr. Peng Qiming, Chief Geoscientist of the Ministry of Land and Resources of China, Dr. Li Jinfa, Vice President of CGS, and Mr. Wang Xiaolie, Vice President of CGS and Executive Vice President of CAGS were present at the inauguration ceremony.

Also present at the Inauguration Ceremony were representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Commerce, National Natural Science Foundation of China, UNESCO Category II Centers based in China, the 1st Governing Board and Academic Committee of the International Center on Global-scale Geochemistry, and trainees from home and abroad of the geochemical training course to be organized after the inauguration ceremony of the Center.

Dr. Cao Weixing, Vice Minister of Land and Resources of China, and Dr. Flavia Schlegel, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences of UNESCO signed the Agreement of the International Center on Global-Scale Geochemistry and renewed the Agreement of the International Research Center on Karst on behalf the Chinese Government and UNESCO respectively.

At the Inauguration Ceremony, Dr. Li Jinfa, Vice President of CGS and Councilor of the 1st Governing Board of the Center announced the release of the Report on Geochemical Survey in China (2016), Mr. Peng Xuanming, Director-General of IGGE and Director of the Center, introduced the international cooperation programme Mapping the Chemical Earth and Dr. Peng Qiming, Chief Geoscientist of MLR announced the official launch of the One Global Geochemical Map platform.

The objectives of the International Center on Global-Scale Geochemisry are as follows:

To foster knowledge and technology of global-scale geochemistry for sustainable global development in the field of natural resources and environments;

To document the global concentration and distribution, baselines and changes of chemical elements in the Earth surface for monitoring environments, for discovering mineral resources, for improving the efficiency of agriculture, and for studying the behavior of elements in the food chain and their health effects on humans and other biota;

To educate and train postgraduate students, scientists and engineers on the basis of up-to-date global-scale geochemical knowledge and mapping, and to provide technical assistance to developing countries;

To promote equal access to basic services and knowledge-sharing, and to create a bridge between the scientific community, decision makers and the general public in the field of global-scale geochemical data.

 Mr. Jiang Daming, Minister of Land and Resources of China Delivers an Address

 Signing Agreements

Inauguration Ceremony 

Inauguration Ceremony