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UN COPUOS Action Teams and UNISPACE III Recommendations

The most important result of UNISPACE III was the adoption of the the Vienna Declaration on Space and Human Development. In that Declaration, UNISPACE III recommended 33 specific actions that should be taken by the international community to meet the global challenges in protecting the Earth’s environment and managing its resources, using space applications for human security, development and welfare, advancing scientific knowledge of space and protecting the space environment, enhancing education and training opportunities and ensuring public awareness of the importance of space activities in the United Nations system and promoting international cooperation. (Read more here about the background of the Action Teams)

SGAC is involved in 28 of the 33 recommendations.

SGAC’s prime space policy input is to bring your voice to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) through participation in several so-called Action Teams:

SGAC formed groups in the past to provide input for the following Recommendations:

  • #5: Minimise harmful effects of space activities on the local and global environment
  • #8: Promote literacy and enhance rural education through tele-education
  • #12: Improve scientific knowledge of near and outer space through co-operative activities
  • #13: Protect the near-Earth space and outer space environments through mitigation of space debris
  • #15: Protect the near-Earth space and outer space environments through further research on the use of nuclear power sources"
  • #16: Minimise interference with bands in the electromagnetic spectrum
  • #19: Establish/strengthen national mechanisms for the co-ordination of space activities
  • #20: Improve the sharing of information on and use of spin-offs from space activities
  • #21: Provide education opportunities for youth to learn more about space science and technology and participate in space activities
  • #22: Create within the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space a consultative mechanism to facilitate the participation of youth in cooperative space-related activities
  • #23: Create awards to recognize outstanding contributions in space activity
  • #24: Reaffirm the role of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, its Subcommittees and its secretariat in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space
  • #25: Ensure sustainable funding mechanisms for regional centres affiliated to the United Nations and enhance support for the United Nations Programme on Space Applications
  • #26: Encourage the increased use of space-related systems and services by the organizations of the United Nations system and by the private sector
  • #27: Invite States to ratify or accede to, and invite intergovernmental organizations to declare acceptance of, the outer space treaties
  • #28: Further consider the agenda structure and working methods of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its Subcommittees
  • #29: Strengthen the coordination of mutually beneficial activities between the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and other United Nations entities
  • #31: Establish a special voluntary United Nations fund for the implementation of UNISPACE III recommendations

For complementary reasons here the listing of the five Action Teams and Recommendations SGAC is not (yet) participating in:

  • Action Team 4 on Weather and Climate Forecasting
  • Action Team 10 on Global Navigation Satellite Systems
  • #3: Develop and implement the Integrated Global Observing Strategy
  • #30: Call upon the international community to consider the recommendations of the regional preparatory conferences for UNISPACE III"
  • #33: Promote further the peaceful uses of outer space, through cooperation between “space-faring” and “non-space faring” as well as among developing countries, and involvement of civil society, incl. industry

If you are interested to participate in any of the Action Teams or to get more info on specific Recommendations, please contact Alex for more information.