The final day of GEO-X met on Thursday, 16 January 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland. GEO-X approved the proposal for preparation of the next GEOSS Implementation Plan, discussed the draft Geneva Declaration, and considered the 2013 ExCom report, GEO financial reports and the 2014 operations budget, Implementation Board and ExCom membership, and an update of the rules of procedure. The Plenary heard a series of formal statements from Members and Participating Organizations on key events and activities. The Plenary also accepted an offer by Gabon to host GEO-XI in November 2014. The Plenary was gaveled to a close at 3:18 pm.

In the afternoon, Karine Siegwart, Vice Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, moderated a high-level panel on "Perspectives on the Value of Earth Observations." Panelists provided their insights on the role of Earth observations in addressing global environmental challenges and achieving sustainable development into the future, as an input to the Ministerial Summit discussions on the future of GEO. Presentations were provided by: Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP; Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction; Philippe Gillet, Acting President, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland; and Serge Tröber, Chief Underwriting Officer of Corporate Solutions, Swiss Re.

Throughout the day, the EU sponsored a "Speakers' Corner" with presentations on a number of issues linked to GEOSS, while separate special events were held on the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network, UNEP-Live, GEONETCast support to the Charter on Disasters, the EU's Copernicus programme, and the role of the Blue Planet Initiative in the Integrated Atlantic Observing System.

In the evening, Ministers and Heads of Delegation attended a dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel hosted by the Government of Switzerland.