The third IGOS Cryosphere Theme (IGOS-Cryo) development workshop was held at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 16-18 October 2006. It was sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA), the U.S. National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS/NOAA), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).

The workshop brought together representatives from research institutions and government agencies to work on the identification of the major issues regarding a common and integrated observational strategy for snow and ice cover, permafrost and seasonally frozen land, glaciers, ice sheets, and ice caps, and solid precipitation. The 24 participants were from the Russia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Austria, Japan, U.S., and Canada. The workshop was a major step forward toward the completion of the Theme Report.