Updates:
The Office for Outer Space Affairs has been organizing a long-standing series of capacity-building workshops on space law and policy where 10 workshops have been successfully held since 2002 in cooperation with the Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Brazil, Nigeria, Ukraine, Islamic Republic of Iran, Thailand, Argentina, China, and at the UN premises in Vienna.
Building upon this series of workshops, the Office now moves on with a new phase in its capacity-building efforts, by a new series of dedicated United Nations Conferences on Space Law and Policy. The first Conference co-organized by the Government of the Russian Federation and hosted by the State Space Corporation "Roscosmos", as supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation will be held in Moscow, Russian Federation, on 11-13 September this year.
Limited resources of outer space are used by an increasing number of States, international intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental entities. As more actors engage in space activities, whose actions might affect others, including users of space services on Earth, it is of utmost importance to ensure that all actors comply with requirements of international space law.
International cooperation on the peaceful uses of outer space helps to bring the benefits of space technology applications to a wide circle of stake-holders, both governmental and non-governmental, and to intensify and diversify national space programmes. Policy and regulatory frameworks at the national, regional and global levels are of paramount importance to provide the necessary basis for space activities of States, particularly developing countries, to meet sustainable development goals .
Each year, the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolutions on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space(the latest resolution 72/77 was adopted in 2017) , reaffirms the importance of international cooperation in developing the rule of international law, including relevant norms of international space law and their important role in international cooperation for the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes and of the widest possible adherence to international treaties that promote the peaceful uses of outer space in order to meet emerging new challenges, especially for developing countries. The General Assembly also recognizes that all States, in particular those with major space capabilities, should contribute actively to the prevention of an arms race in outer space with a view to promoting and strengthening international cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
The General Assembly, in its resolutions on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, further requests the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to continue to consider, as a matter of priority, ways and means of maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes, and agrees that the Committee should continue to consider the broader perspective of space security and associated matters that would be instrumental in ensuring the safe and responsible conduct of space activities, including ways to promote international, including regional and interregional cooperation to that end. The Assembly encourages the Office for Outer Space Affairs to conduct capacity-building and outreach activities associated with space security and transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities, as appropriate, and within the context of the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.
The General Assembly resolutions on transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities (starting from its resolution 68/50) encourage relevant entities and organizations of the United Nations system to coordinate, as appropriate, on matters related to the recommendations contained in the report of the Group of Governmental Experts on Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures in Outer Space Activities (UN Document A/68/189 of 2013). This call is taken into account in meeting the objectives of the Conference.
The objectives of the Conference will be as follows:
- To promote awareness and knowledge of the legal and policy aspects and implications, both current and anticipated, of activities in outer space thus serving the interests of space faring and developing nations;
- To draw attention of the authorities and decision makers to topical issues of progressive development of international space law;
- To increase public awareness of the existing and possible challenges and threats in the area of outer space activities;
- To promote the implementation and coordination of international cooperation in space-related areas in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Click to see the programme.
The Conference will be structured by discussions in the following topics. In addition, renowned experts in the field will be invited as speakers. The participants will consider specific topics and discuss observations and recommendations for consideration by COPUOS. Appropriate time will be set aside for discussions and for short presentations by the speakers on their own relevant activities.
The following topics will be considered in dedicated sessions:
-Challenges and threats to the safety of space operations, security and the long-term sustainability of outer space activities
-Ways and means of maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes
Kindly note that the Conference organizers may modify the number and themes of sessions of the final programme.
Technical Tour is scheduled to "Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center", which is the facility responsible for training cosmonauts for space missions. In order to enter the Center a scanned copy of a participant's passport shall be submitted, after receiving official invitation letter to the event.
Conference opening day: evening reception on behalf of the Director General of the State Space Corporation "Roscosmos".
Conference closing day: evening reception on behalf of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Dates: The Conference will be held from 11 to 13 September 2018 in Moscow, Russian Federation. Invited participants will receive a formal invitation letter with further information on available accommodation, logistics and other local arrangements prior to the Symposium.
Venue: Azimut Hotel
The working language of the Conference will be English Simultaneous interpretation from English into Russian and vice versa will be provided.
The Conference is being planned for a total of 180 participants including decision- and policy-makers from national space agencies and governmental bodies, experts of the space community, business and academia researchers/students and specialists involved in space activities, representing developing and developed nations from all economic regions.
The Office seeks to achieve the balanced participation of women and men to ensure gender parity.
Applicants and their nominating organizations are strongly encouraged to find their own sources of sponsorship to participate in the Symposium. However, within the limited financial resourcesavailable to the organizers, a number of qualified applicants from developing and emerging economies expressing the need for financial support will be offered financial support to attend the Conference.
The support may include the provision of a round-trip air ticket between one of the Moscow airports and the applicant's international airport of departure and/or room and board for the duration of the Conference. En-route and other expenses or any changes made to an air ticket provided by the organizers must be borne by the participants. Selected applicants will be notified in June-July 2018.
Life and major health insurance is the responsibility of each selected participants or his/her institution or government . The organizers will not assume any responsibility for life and major health insurance, nor for expenses related to medical treatment or accidents.
Medical facilities for first aid in emergencies will be provided at the Conference venues; for serious emergencies, immediate transportation and admission to a hospital shall be provided, with the understanding that all participants of the Conference possess valid individual insurances.
Applications for participating in the Conference have to be submitted online through this webpage (see top of page).
The completed application form together with the presentation abstract should be submitted on-line to the Office for Outer Space Affairs, no later than 25 May 2018 from applicants seeking funding support and no later than 1 July 2018 from self-funded applicants. Only complete applications received before these deadlines will be considered.
*Please note that in order to visit Russia, foreigners, depending on their nationality, may have to obtain an entry visa. All visa applicants are required to possess a passport valid not less than 6 month after visa expiration.
For questions related to the Conference programme and participation opportunities, please contact us.
For latest information and updates on the Conference, it is advised that you frequently visit this webpage.