Remarks Come At UNISPACE+50 Conference In Vienna

Speaking at the opening of UNISPACE+50 symposium in Vienna, Simonetta Di Pippo, the Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, said that space technology had become a “fundamental pillar” of 21st century society, driving development worldwide.

The forum commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the ground-breaking 1968 UN Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, or UNISPACE for short.

“What remains to be seen, however, is how we can work collectively to organize our efforts across the board to deliver the full potential of space for sustainable development,” Di Pippo said.

In her remarks, Ms. Di Pippo said that space is the vital enabler to realize the ambitions set by global goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sendai Framework to reduce the risk and impact of disasters across the world.

The impact of global cooperation in using space for sustainable development cannot be overstated. “From city halls to the UN General Assembly, when policy makers need to see the big picture to make well-informed policy decisions, they are turning to space,” said Ms. Di Pippo. “The challenge is to ensure the tools and information space can provide are helping to make effective policy in all corners of the world.”

These are the precise issues which will be explored further in the coming days at the conference, she added.

During the conference, David Kendall, the chairperson of the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space said that the increasing involvement of UN Member States in the Committee, was a reflection of the increasing importance that countries around the world attach to the frontier science. “Member States are now realizing more and more that space is an essential element in delivering their programmes to their citizens,” he said.

The need, therefore, is to develop “new directions and thinking” in relation to the governance of outer space, he added.

(Source: United Nations news release. Image from YouTube video)

FMI: www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/unispaceplus50/symposium.html