UNOOSA and EUSPA sign agreement to advance the understanding of and access to space benefits

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) to support United Nations Member States. Advancing the long-standing cooperation between the parties will further contribute to making the benefits of space technologies available to everyone, everywhere. 

This partnership builds on the common objectives regarding international cooperation in space activities and the use of space technology, data and services for achieving sustainable development. UNOOSA and EUSPA also agree to collaborate to promote these goals and objectives within their respective mandates. UNOOSA and EUSPA will conduct joint studies and user needs assessments which will feed into pilot projects and the capacity-building component of the collaboration. Capacity-building across a range of space fields will include educational activities devoted to space technologies and applications as well as strong attention to fostering the space economy. A report on how satellite navigation systems, such as Galileo, and Earth observation technologies can actively support the transition towards a world with eight billion people will be published by the end of 2022.

UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo underscored the value of this partnership: “I sign this MoU with great pride and excitement as UNOOSA is expanding its long-term cooperation with one of the leading space entities. The space sector in the European Union is strong and I look forward to working with EUSPA in extending our support to all Member States of our organisations. Space assets are transformative tools for achieving sustainable socio-economic development and together we aspire to tap into their full potential to ensure their benefits reach everyone, everywhere.”

EUSPA Executive Director, Rodrigo da Costa, emphasized: “The collaboration between EUSPA and UNOOSA is further reinforced with this MoU, and fully aligned with our agency’s commitment to contribute to the delivery of the EU Green Deal. Space data and services are more crucial than ever, and we will explore how synergies between satellite navigation systems such as Galileo, Earth observation technology such as Copernicus and satellite communication can help us address pressing societal challenges such as climate change and foster space economy.”