Wrapping up the 53rd COPUOS

On Tuesday, COPUOS began consideration of three agenda items – space and society, space and water, and space and climate change.  The space and society agenda item was particularly focused on space education, as member States detailed their efforts highlight the importance of space activities and attract young people to the space sector.  The next two agenda items focused on application of space technologies. Many member States face water problems, either a lack of it—and subsequent problems with food production, desertification, and the like—or too much, with flooding as a result.  Space technology is seen as a key tool in water management, and in policymaking regarding water.  Similarly, observation of the Earth from space, complemented by ground-based observation, was seen as the primary way to monitor and respond to climate change.  Member states who commented under this agenda item detailed their country’s efforts to use space in support of understanding climate change.  

On Wednesday and Thursday, the Committee considered two more agenda items – the use of space technology in the United Nations system and the use of space-derived geospatial data for sustainable development.  The first item details the use of space resources by various UN bodies, including UNESCO, the WHO, the WMO, and many others.  The Inter-Agency Meeting on Outer Space Activities meets every year to coordinate space-related activity and presents a report to the COPUOS in June.  During consideration of the second item, member States discussed how remote sensing data has been used to support socio-economic and environmental management.  

COPUOS concluded on Friday, June 18th, 2010.  The final item on the agenda was the report on the Committee that will be presented to the UN General Assembly.  The draft report is available, in four parts, online.

While in Vienna to attend COPUOS, CSIS recorded two space-related podcasts.  The discussion with Ambassador Ciro Arévalo Yepes of Colombia focuses on his proposal for a UN space policy, which is also detailed in a paper presented to the Committee.  The other podcast, with Dr. Gerard Brachet of France, focuses on the long-term sustainability of space activities.