The United Nations and Space: Looking to the Second Half Century of Space Activities
- Paper number
IAC-07-P.E.3.01
- Author
Mr. Gerard Brachet, Sic Itur, France
- Year
2007
- Abstract
The international community will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the space age in 2007. From the very beginning, the UN Committee for the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS), established by the United Nations in 1959, has developed the international legal framework for space activities. The most well known of the international conventions adopted over the years is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which contains essential principles governing activities in space and particularly the freedom of conducting activities in outer space without any extension in outer space of geographic sovereignty limitations (but with responsibilities taken by States for space activities conducted by them or by their constituents). Over the years, the UN COPUOS, which will hold its 50th session in June 2007, has continued to build a body of international conventions and General Assembly resolutions which form the backbone of the legal regime and/or recommended practice in many areas of space activities, thus facilitating international cooperation and the development of commercial ventures such as in satellite telecommunications, while protecting the space environment for the benefit of future generations. In addition, with strong support from the COPUOS, the United Nations have promoted a number of technical projects aimed at developing the utilization of space systems by the international community and engaging the developing countries via dedicated capacity building programs. The UN Secretariat’s Office of Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) and the specialized agencies of the United Nations such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), etc., have each contributed major elements in initiating and sponsoring projects and capacity building activities. The Plenary Event which is proposed for IAC 2007 in Hyderabad would focus on the technical and capacity building projects of UN activities as well as to the UN role in the definition of the international legal and regulation framework. It is envisaged to have participation by high level representatives from the UN Secretariat, from ITU, from WMO and from UNESCO, introduced and moderated by Gerard Brachet, the current Chairman of the UN COPUOS. A significant portion of the plenary will be dedicated to interaction with the audience.
- Abstract document