In April 2004, environmental ministers from more than 50 countries met in Japan to adopt the Framework Document for a ten-year implementation plan for a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

Section 5 of the Framework Document indicates that the 10-Year Implementation Plan for Earth Observations (2005-2014) includes the following instructions, among others:

• The initiative is to be "comprehensive", "coordinated", and "sustained".
• It is to be a "distributed system of systems, building step-by-step on current cooperation efforts among existing observing and processing systems within their mandates, while encouraging and accommodating new components..."
• It is to "address key challenges of data utilization, including the need for:
  • Full and open exchange of observations with minimum time delay and minimum costs...;
  • Assured data utilitiy and usability...;
  • Assured continuity and availability of the many observations and products in place or planned;
  • A robust regulatory framework for Earth observations (e.g., through protection of radio frequency bands that are uniquely essential for Earth observations)."
• It is to facilitate "capacity building efforts" in developing countries, covering "education, training, institutional networks, communication, and outreach".