UN-Portugal Outer Space Fellowship returns to Lisbon to strengthen international cooperation in the space sector
Representatives from several countries are once again gathering for a week focused on capacity-building in space policy, governance and diplomacy.
The second edition of the UN-Portugal Outer Space Fellowship began this Monday, 23 March, in Lisbon, bringing together 21 representatives from several countries for a week of work focused on space policy, governance, and diplomacy. The initiative is the result of a partnership between Portugal and UNOOSA (the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs), aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and supporting the development of national space strategies in developing countries, including Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries.
Jointly designed by the Portuguese Space Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Camões – Institute for Cooperation and Language, and developed in partnership with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the programme maintains its focus on strengthening individual and institutional capacities in the space domain and on the use of space technologies in support of sustainable development.
At the opening session, the President of the Portuguese Space Agency, Ricardo Conde, emphasised the inclusive aspect of the programme, asserting that space “must be a tool for inclusion, not inequality”. Throughout the week, participants will address topics such as space law, international governance, Earth observation, the sustainability of space activities, and space diplomacy, in a programme designed to equip each country with tools to respond to specific challenges encountered in different regions.
In this context, Aissatu Embaló from Guinea-Bissau emphasised the importance of understanding how satellite imagery can aid developing countries facing serious climate-related challenges. “In Guinea-Bissau, climate challenges are very significant, and it is essential to understand how satellite imagery can support developing countries such as ours,” she said.
Soane Fatafehi Tone, from the Kingdom of Tonga, also emphasised the potential of space technologies to enhance preparedness for extreme events: “As we face natural disasters every year, space technologies can give us better forecasting tools and more time to prepare.”
In a recorded message, UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini stated that the programme “is more than a training programme”, describing the initiative as “a bridge that connects nations, builds capacity and empowers a new generation of leaders in space policy and governance”. In the same message, Aarti Holla-Maini also emphasised Portugal’s contribution to the multilateral debate on space governance and to promoting a more cooperative, inclusive and sustainable space environment.
The president of Camões, I.P., Florbela Paraíba, also emphasised the importance of international cooperation for development in the space sector, asserting that “in the current international context, it is imperative to strengthen multilateralism and uphold a rules-based international order”. In her view, space must continue to be regarded as “a domain of cooperation, not competition”.
Florbela Paraíba also recalled that the UN-Portugal Outer Space Fellowship is part of the broader UN-Portugal Fellowship programme, which, in the areas of digitalisation, ocean governance and outer space, has already brought together more than one hundred participants from all regions of the world over the past two years, promoting capacity-building and peer learning. This institutional capacity-building dimension is particularly relevant for countries seeking to consolidate a national space strategy. This is the case of Guatemala, whose representative, Marielena Soza, stressed: “We want to play a more active role in defining a national strategy for space and to better understand how international space law can be applied in our country.”
This week’s agenda also includes visits to the Portuguese space ecosystem and participation in the International Conference on Space Policy and Diplomacy on Thursday, 26 March, thereby broadening participants’ exposure to real-world experiences and the international debate on space governance.
