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The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation held its Governing Board meeting on 4–5 December 2025, with the Advisory Board convening on 3 December. The meeting brought together Board members, advisors and the GEM Secretariat to review progress across the Foundation’s activities and to discuss priorities for the coming period.

The first day focused on Secretariat reporting, with updates from the hazard, risk, information technology and communications teams, alongside reviews of ongoing partner activities. Discussions highlighted recent developments across GEM’s scientific programmes and operational platforms.

Key governance decisions were taken during the second day of the meeting. The Board confirmed the appointment of NBRB Uganda as a new Public Governor, approved the joint Public Governor agreement (pending signature) of two bodies of the Croatian Centre for Earthquake Engineering, and welcomed Liberty Mutual as a new Private Advisor. Renewals of existing Governors were also approved, including Aon, NIED Japan, and NERC UK.

The Advisory Board report was presented by its Chair, Laurie Johnson, whose term was renewed for a further two years, ensuring continuity in scientific and strategic advice to the Foundation.

The meeting also featured a series of live demonstrations showcasing recent developments in GEM’s tools and platforms. These included updates to the PAPERS, AELO and oq-impact web platforms, demonstrations of RUBIC-AI, GEM’s algorithm for classifying buildings from images, and applications of augmented reality for earthquake risk communication.

The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on progress and to look ahead, as GEM continues to advance its scientific agenda and collaborations in support of improved seismic risk understanding and resilience worldwide.

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