- UNGEGN Resolution V/22 Aboriginal/ native geographical names
- UNGEGN Resolution VIII/1 Promotion of minority group and indigenous geographical names
- UNGEGN Resolution IX/5 Promotion of the recording and use of indigenous minority and regional language group geographical names
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United Nations Group of Experts on Geographic Names
The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographic Names (UNGEGN) was created over 60 years ago.
UNGEGN was established to provide a cooperative framework, allow for follow up on conference resolutions and promote standardisation of geographical names across member states.
UNGEGN uses geographical and linguistic divisions and topical working groups, publications, the website and training activities to achieve this. Further information is available on the UNGEGN website.
The Victorian naming rules comply with a number of UNGEGN resolutions. When naming authorities are compiling a naming proposal, they are encouraged to indicate compliance to UNGEGN resolutions to support their naming proposals.
Naming rules alignment to UNGEGN resolutions
- UNGEGN Resolution V/22 Aboriginal/ native geographical names
Relates to: - UNGEGN Resolution VIII/1 Promotion of minority group and indigenous geographical names
Relates to: - UNGEGN Resolution IX/5 Promotion of the recording and use of indigenous minority and regional language group geographical names
- UNGEGN Resolution V111/2 Commemorative naming practices for geographical features
- UNGEGN Resolution V/22 Aboriginal/ native geographical names
- UNGEGN Resolution X/4 Discouraging the commercialisation of geographical names
- UNGEGN Resolution – I/4 (national) standardisation
- UNGEGN Resolution – I/4 (national) standardisation
- UNGEGN Resolution – I/4 (national) standardisation
- UNGEGN Resolution – I/4 (national) standardisation
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Linking place names to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a group of 17 goals covering 169 targets. The SDGs are an urgent call for action by all countries, both developed and developing, to act in a global partnership to support global sustainable development.
The goals recognise that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality and promote economic growth. This is all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
DELWP is Victoria’s lead agency promoting and delivering sustainable development. This means we are well positioned to provide leadership across Victoria and contribute to global sustainability efforts.
Read more about how DELWP is supporting SDGs.
Place naming is one of the important ways that the Victorian Government, industry and communities can work together to support the SDGs. Most of the SDGs require standardised names of places and roads to deliver the work needed to achieve the goals, as well as for effective reporting.
Naming authorities are encouraged to indicate how individual naming proposals align with SDGs to support their naming proposals.
SDGs and their connection to place names
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 1.4 Equal rights to ownership, basic services, technology and economic resources Indicator 1.1.1 Proportion of poverty by geographic location Indicator 1.4.1 Access to basic services Indicator 1.4.2 Legally recognised land ownership | Location and extent defined through place names |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 2.3 Double agricultural productivity and ensure sustainable food production Indicator 2.4.1 proportion of area under productive and sustainable agriculture | Location and extent defined through place names |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 3.6 Reduce trafficable deaths by half Indicator 3.6.1 Death rate due to road traffic injuries Target 4.1 Ensure children complete school education Indicator 4.1.1 Proportion of children attending primary and secondary education | Roads and schools named |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 4a Build and upgrade education facilities Indicator 4.2.1 Children under 5 have access to preschool care Indicator 4.3.1 equal access to educational facilities | Education sites require an address and for facilities to be named |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 5.1. End all forms of discrimination against women. Indicator 5c Adopt policies for promotion of gender equality Indicator 5.c.1 Countries with systems to track gender equality and women’s empowerment | Naming authorities are encouraged to support the naming of places after women |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 6.3 Improve water quality Indicator 6.3.2 proportion of water and with good ambient water quality Target 6.6 protect and restore water related ecosystems | Location and extent defined through place names |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 7.1 Ensure access to modern energy services Indicator 7.1.1 Access to electricity | Requires a street address which contains place, road, locality names |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all Target 8.9 By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products Indicator 8.10.2 Number of adults over 15 with access to a bank account | Requires a street address which contains place, road, locality names Places to be named to support economic development |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 9.1 Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure Indicator 9.1.1 Population living within 2km of an all-season road | Infrastructure (including roads) to be named to support economic development and allow innovation |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
| Target 10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard | Support and encourage naming of places after minority groups and ensure equality in the naming of places |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums Target 11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage | Requires a street address which contains place, road, locality names Places to be named to enable protection |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources Target 12.b Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products | Regions and forests to be named Naming cultural sites to support and promote local culture |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 13.2 Integrate climate change measures into (national) policies, strategies and planning Indicator 13.1.3 Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies | Requires a street address which contains place, road, locality names and for places to be named to monitor the effects of climate change |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
| Target 14.2 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans | Features to be named including seas, undersea features |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Targets 15.1 – 15.5 Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems, all types of forests, mountain ecosystems, natural habitats Indicator 15.1.1 Forest area as a proportion of total land area Indicator 15.1.2 Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater | Features to be named including forests, deserts, waterways and mountain features |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 16.1 Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere Target 16.6 Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels Indicator 16.1.4 Proportion of population that feel safe walking alone around the area they live | Name, location and extent defined |
| Target / Indicator | Place name connection |
|---|---|
Target 17.14 Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development Indicator 17.14.1 Number of (countries) with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development | Provide authoritative advice and data to Government to enable effective reporting and enable global partnerships |
Read more about the UNSDGs.
Read more about the naming rules and starting a naming proposal using the links below.
Page last updated: 11/07/23