United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
What is the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs?
The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) was set up by the General Assembly in 1959 to review the scope of international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, to devise programmes in this field to be undertaken under United Nations auspices, to encourage continued research and the dissemination of information on outer space matters and to study legal problems arising from the exploration of outer space. COPUOS and its two Subcommittees (the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and the Legal Subcommittee) each meet annually to consider questions put before them by the General Assembly, reports submitted to them and issues raised by the Member States. The Committee and its Subcommittees, working on the basis of consensus, make recommendations to the General Assembly. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is the United Nations office responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. The Office serves as the secretariat for the United Nations General Assembly's only committee dealing exclusively with international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
SGAC statements and reports to UN COPUOS
- General Session June 2007
- Past statements to be added soon
Read more about our UN COPUOS participation. Learn more here how you can get involved.
What does UNOOSA do?
The United Nations Programme on Space Applications (PSA) is implemented by UNOOSA and works to improve the use of space science and technology for the economic and social development of all nations, in particular developing countries. Under the Programme, the Office conducts training courses, workshops, seminars and other activities on applications and capacity building in subjects such as remote sensing, communications, satellite meteorology, search and rescue, basic space science and satellite navigation.
On behalf of the Secretary-General, UNOOSA maintains the Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space and disseminates information contained therein. An index of all functional space objects launched into outer space, including information contained in the Register, is available online.
UNOOSA prepares and distributes reports, studies and publications on various fields of space science and technology applications and international space law. Documents and reports are available in all official languages of the United Nations through this website.
The Office provided substantive secretariat services for the three United Nations Conferences on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE), which were held in 1968, 1982 and 1999. The Office now supports and participates in the implementation of the recommendations of UNISPACE III.
How is the Space Generation Advisory Council involved with UNOOSA?
The Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) was formally established following UNISPACE III conference and has been granted permanent observer status within the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS).
Our history
In December 1997, the UNOOSA Secretariat invited the International Space University (ISU) to organize a youth forum as part of the Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III). The ISU then solicited alumni volunteers to plan, organize and conduct the Space Generation Forum, in parallel with other UNISPACE III activities. Thus, the Space Generation Forum was planned, organized and conducted by young space professionals. The 160 participants in the Space Generation Forum were from 60 nations. Their expertise covered all fields of space, including science, technology, law, ethics, art, literature, anthropology and architecture, and many other fields relevant to space. On 23 July, the participants had before them a document containing the 49 recommendations. The participants were asked to choose the 10 best recommendations, which are contained in the document entitled Space Generation Forum: visions and perspectives of youth.
See our list of statements at COPUOS
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