Portugal, Greece and United Arab Emirates Co-Host Event with UNOOSA on Sustainability of Outer Space and the Pact for the Future
The Sustainability of Outer Space and the Pact for the Future workshop, part of the United Nations Action Days, will focus on sustainable space activities and their role in sustainable development.
The Permanent Missions of Portugal, Greece and United Arab Emirates, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), are organising a special joint side event entitled Sustainability of Outer Space and the Pact for the Future. The event will take place on September 21, 2024, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
This side event follows the UN Portugal Management and Sustainability of Outer Space Activities Conference, held in Lisbon, and is part of the United Nations Action Days leading up to the Summit of the Future. Reflecting on the outcomes of the Lisbon conference, the event will focus on the vital importance of sustainable space activities for sustainable development.
Attendees will gain exclusive insights into the outcomes of the Lisbon Declaration on Outer Space, a major contribution from the international conference co-hosted by Portugal and UNOOSA in May 2024, which was presented to the 67th Session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) last June.
After a welcome address by Jorge Aranda, Deputy Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations in New York, Aarti Hola-Maini, Director of UNOOSA, will provide critical insights into UNOOSA’s vision for space concerning the Summit of the Future.
Mr. Peter Martinez, President of the Secure World Foundation, will deliver a keynote address, offering an expert perspective on space sustainability’s challenges and opportunities.
The Sustainability of Outer Space and the Pact for the Future workshop will include a panel debate featuring Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister of Advanced Sciences and Technology of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates; Hugo André Costa, Executive Director of the Portuguese Space Agency; Michael Stellakatos Loverdos, Chief Legal Adviser, representative from the Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN; Ryan Guglietta, Lead Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State; and Chiara Manfletti, CEO of Neuraspace. This debate will explore how space sustainability can be effectively integrated into the Pact for the Future and contribute to the sustainable development goals.
The Lisbon Declaration on Outer Space discussed and signed by the member states of the COPUOS at the Management and Sustainability of Outer Space Activities Conference, outlines fundamental principles and practices for the sustainable management of space activities. It is poised to play a significant role in shaping discussions at the Summit of the Future and provides a roadmap for strengthened international cooperation in space governance.
The Lisbon Declaration builds upon the foundations set out in Policy Brief No. 7 from the UN’s Our Common Agenda and outlines fundamental principles and practices for the sustainable management of space activities, stressing the importance of outer space as a shared resource.
The policy brief advocates for multilateral cooperation to address emerging risks and gaps in space governance, recognising the vital role that sustainable space practices play in the broader Pact for the Future.
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For more information, please contact: portugal.nu@mne.pt
