During the Regional Geographical Conference of Santiago de Chile Ron Abler, the President of the IGU, Commission/Working Group on Toponymy that has been under discussion between ICA and IGU for some time is now formed after several preliminary meetings between interested members of both organizations.

After reviewing the proposal submitted by IGU representative Cosimo Palagiano, the executive committee approved establishment of the body contingent upon the submission of an appropriate Steering Committee and on approval by the ICA, whose executive committee will consider the proposal in late November 2011.

New ICA President Georg Gartner is enthusiastic about the joint body. Palagiano was appointed the IGU Co-Chair of the new group; the ICA appointed the other co-chair Paulo Márcio Leal de Menezes. The joint group is sponsoring a paper session at the Santiago Regional Conference.