UN Office for Outer Space Affairs and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil sign MoU to advance cooperation on the exploration and

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance their cooperation in areas of space law, space policy, space science and technology, space for sustainable development, disaster management, navigation, telecommunication, and capacity-building. 

The MoU was signed at the Vienna International Centre by Minister and former astronaut Marcos Pontes and UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo. It builds on the longstanding cooperation between UNOOSA and Brazil and further expands on what has already been achieved. 

In 2018, UNOOSA and Brazil organized a Symposium on Basic Space Technology in Natal, Brazil to build capacity in this area, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean. A two-day workshop on nanosatellite mission design was provided by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in the facilities of the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) giving participants hands-on experience prior to the event. One of the workshop participants was later part of the team that created Guatemala’s first satellite, deployed into orbit in April 2020 thanks to KiboCUBE, a joint programme of UNOOSA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, under the Access to Space for All Initiative of UNOOSA.

The Federal University of Santa Maria in Brazil hosts one of the Regional Support Offices (RSO) of the United Nations Platform for Space-Based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER), a programme of UNOOSA. Experts from the RSO contributed to UN-SPIDER capacity-building missions in a variety of countries, training local experts and transferring know-how. 

Together with UNOOSA, Brazil is promoting inclusiveness in the space sector. The government is supporting the organization of an Expert Meeting on UNOOSA’s Space4Women programme, that aims to advance gender equality in space. The event, which will take place in Brazil in October 2021, will promote the exchange of best practices to foster gender equality in the sector. 

UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo said: “Brazil has made significant strides in science and technology, notably on space, building successful collaborations with UNOOSA on areas such as advancing satellite technology and the use of space applications for disaster management. This MoU is another testimony of UNOOSA’s ability to diversify stakeholders and initiatives, for the benefit of all. I would like to thank Brazil and Minister Pontes for their trust and for the work done together to expand our collaboration so broadly. I’m particularly proud of our strong common actions in promoting gender equality, helping to shape the world we want.” 

The Minister, Marcos Pontes, said: “This MoU creates a robust framework for collaboration in the space sector between the Brazilian Government, through the Ministry, and UNOOSA, both within a broad portfolio of already ongoing initiatives, and new potential ones. With this instrument, we will continue to promote Brazilian science in the international community and provide greater visibility and credibility to Brazil in the areas comprised by the agreement. Among the potential avenues for future collaboration are capacity-building initiatives in the use of space science and technology and their applications, as well as the promotion of strategic partnerships in areas such as open science, natural disasters risks management and space for sustainable development.”