Participants at the United Nations/United Arab Emirates High Level Forum deliver recommendations for supporting space as a tool for sustainable development
VIENNA, 15 November (United Nations Information Service) – Concrete recommendations for the use of space as a tool for sustainable development have been agreed by the more than 150 participants at the recent United Nations/United Arab Emirates High Level Forum on Space as a Driver for Socioeconomic Sustainable Development.
The Forum, which took place from 6 to 9 November 2017 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was organized by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), in conjunction with the United Arab Emirates Space Agency, and hosted by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. The Forum was co-sponsored by the Secure World Foundation, Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Space Systems and the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems.
In the recommendations and observations, the Forum participants identified the need to increase global efforts to use space for sustainable development, bridge the “Space Divide” between space-faring and non-space faring nations, and improve the gender balance and youth involvement in the space sector. Participants recommended the development of a Global Space Partnership for the Sustainable Development Goals, a Global Space Fund for Development, and a Global Compact for Space, to assist UNOOSA to foster a wide range of partnerships to support countries to utilize space as a tool for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The recommendations also welcomed UNISPACE+50, the upcoming global space summit in June 2018, as a venue for diplomacy through space and space through diplomacy, and the opportunity to elevate space as an important pillar of the global agenda through the expected outcome of UNISPACE+50: the Space2030 vision. As part of the recommendations, participants proposed to continue the High Level Forum on an annual basis. The full set of recommendations and observations from the Forum can be found here.
The Forum was divided into two parts: expert presentations and discussions on 6 and 7 November, and high-level panels on 8 and 9 November. The first segment consisted of expert presentations on four pillars of space economy, space diplomacy, space accessibility and space society. The second segment focused on UNISPACE+50 and space as an arena for innovation, integration and investment. Special segments were dedicated to space debris and to the empowerment of youth in the space exploration sector. UNOOSA and the United Arab Emirates Space Agency also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for increased cooperation during the Forum.
Participants at the Forum came from over 40 countries, and represented the broader space sector, including governments, space agencies, academic, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, private sector and industry.
For more information, please contact:
Daria Brankin
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
Telephone: (+43 699) 1459 8718
Email: daria.brankin[at]unoosa.org
