Working Groups of the Committee and its Subcommittees

The following Working Groups are presently conducting work in the Committee and its Subcommittees:

Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

Working Group on the "Space2030" Agenda (2018 - 2021)     

The Working Group on the "Space2030" Agenda was established by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space pursuant to the General Assembly resolution " Fiftieth anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space: space as a driver of sustainable development", that called upon the Committee  "to continue to develop, on the basis of the results of the UNISPACE+50 process, a "Space2030" agenda and implementation plan and to provide the General Assembly with the outcome of its work for consideration by the Assembly". In 2018, the Committee included a new item entitled "'Space2030' agenda" on its agenda  and agreed to establish the Working Group on the "Space2030" Agenda under that item. 

The Working Group on the "Space2030" agenda of the Committee has been mandated to negotiate a "Space2030" Agenda, a forward-looking policy document for reaffirming and strengthening the contribution of space activities and space tools to the achievement of global agendas, and its implementation plan. In 2021, the Working Group under the leadership of its Bureau comprising the Chair, Mu'ammar Kamel Haddadin, Director General of Royal Jordanian Geographic Center (Jordan), and the Vice-Chairs, Ambassador Alessandro Cortese (Italy) and former COPUOS Chair and cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu (Romania) completed its work. The "Space2030" Agenda: space as a driver of sustainable development was endorsed by the Committee at its 64th session and submitted to the General Assembly for adoption.

At its 76th session, the General Assembly adopted a resolution containing the "Space2030" Agenda and its implementation plan that offers the global community a blueprint to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by tapping into the data, technology, innovative products, and other tools gained through space exploration. By the terms of the text, titled " The 'Space2030' Agenda: space as a driver of sustainable development", the Assembly urges Member States to implement the Space2030 Agenda and work with other entities ‑ from non-governmental organizations to businesses ‑ to promote the use of space-based solutions. The resolution also aims to guarantee that the benefits derived from outer space exploration are open to all nations, regardless of their development.

More information on the work of the Working Group on the "Space2030" Agenda and related documents can be found  here.

Scientific and Technical Subcommittee

Working Group of the Whole

The Scientific and Technical Subcommittee's Working Group of the Whole was established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 41/64 of 3 December 1986. Originally tasked with evaluating the implementation of recommendations made by the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, the Working Group presently considers a number of issues, such as the use of space technology for socio-economic development in the context of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development and the post-2015 development agenda, global health and organizational matters In 2015, the Working Group established an Expert Group on Space and Global Health, which reviews and analyses current uses of space technology, applications, practices and initiatives in support of global health needs ( A/AC.105/C.1/2015/CRP.29, para. 4).

Working Group on the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space

The Working Group on the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space has a long record of productive work under matters under its consideration. In 2009, the Working Group developed, jointly with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source Applications in Outer Space. Under its multi-year work plan for the period 2017-2021, which was extended by two years because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Working Group developed the Final report on the implementation of the Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source Applications in Outer Space and recommendations for potential enhancements of the technical content and scope of the Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space ( A/AC.105/C.1/124). 

In 2023, COPUOS in its final report A/78/20, para. 150 endorsed the recommendation by STSC and the Working Group ( A/AC.105/1279, annex III, para.8) for a new 5-year work plan under the following objectives:

  • Objective 1: Promote and facilitate the implementation of the Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source Applications in Outer Space
  • Objective 2: Collect and analyse relevant technical information about potential future uses of NPS in outer space, in particular those involving nuclear reactors
  • Objective 3: Discuss within the Working Group the implications of the analysis described in objective 2 with respect to further work of the Working Group and recommend suitable actions to the Subcommittee.

For documents of the Working Group, please click here.

Working Group on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities

The first Working Group on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities was established in 2010 under the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee ( A/AC.105/958, para. 181) to identify areas of concern for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, propose measures that could enhance sustainability, and produce voluntary guidelines to reduce risks to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. The Working Group and its expert groups addressed thematic areas including sustainable space utilization supporting sustainable development on Earth; space debris, space operations and tools to support collaborative space situational awareness; space weather; and regulatory regimes and guidance for actors in the space arena.

At the fifty-ninth session of the Committee, in June 2016, a first set of guidelines for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities was agreed upon ( A/71/20, Annex). In 2018, consensus was reached on a preamble and nine additional guidelines (  A/AC.105/1167, Annex III). The Working Group, which concluded its mandate at the sixty-first session of the Committee, was not, however, able to reach consensus on its final report or on how to refer the preamble and guidelines to the General Assembly ( A/73/20, paras 207-208).

In June 2019, the Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities, which had been negotiated by the Working Group, were adopted by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space ( A/74/20, para. 163 and Annex II). At the same session, the Committee also decided to establish a new working group under the long-term sustainability agenda item of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee ( A/74/20, para. 165).

At its fifty-eighth session of the Subcommittee, in April 2021, the Subcommittee elected Umamaheswaran R. (India) as Chair of the Working Group on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities and convened the Working Group ( A/AC.105/1240, para. 195).

At the fifty-ninth session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, in February 2022, the Working Group agreed on and adopted its terms of reference, methods of work and workplan ( A/AC.105/1258, annex II, para. 7 and appendix) and the actions were endorsed by the Subcommittee ( A/AC.105/1258, para. 209).

A dedicated webpage is available for Working Group members.

Working Group on Space and Global Health

The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, at its sixty-first session held from 20 to 29 June 2018, agreed that, under the agenda item of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee on space and global health, a working group, with Antoine Geissbühler (Switzerland) as Chair, should be convened at the fifty-sixth session of the Subcommittee in 2019. The Committee further agreed that the Chair of the newly established working group, together with the Secretariat, would present to the fifty-sixth session of the Subcommittee, a proposal for a multi-year workplan for that working group, taking into account the role of the Expert Group on Space and Global Health. 

For documents of the Working Group, please click here

Legal Subcommittee

Working Group on the Status and Application of the Five United Nations Treaties on Outer Space

This Working Group was established under the Legal Subcommittee in 2001 to review the status of the treaties, their implementation and obstacles to their universal acceptance, as well as to promote space law, especially through the UN Programme on Space Application (   A/AC.105.763   , para.118). The Working Group has i.a. addressed the application and implementation of the concept of the "launching State," prepared measures to promote universal acceptance of the UN Space Treaties (  A/AC.105/826 Appendix I) and reviewed responses to a set of questions on international space law as well as on the on the application of international law to small-satellite activities.

At the fifty-ninth session of the Committee, in 2016, the Working Group was identified as the mechanism under thematic priority 2, "Legal regime of outer space and global governance: current and future perspectives", (   A/71/20, para. 296   ), which was endorsed by the Committee in preparation for UNISPACE+50. 

More information on the work of the Working Group and related documents can be found here.

Working Group on the Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space

This Working Group considers various matters relating to the definition and delimitation of outer space. It considers, among other things, information on national legislation and practice relating to the definition and delimitation of outer space, and reviews responses of States and international organizations to questionnaires on issues relating to the definition and delimitation of outer space, as well as on issues relating to suborbital flights for scientific missions and/or for human spaceflight. For documents of the Working Group, please click here.

Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities

This working group was established under the Legal Subcommittee agenda item "General exchange of views on potential legal models for activities in the exploration, exploitation and utilization of space resources" at the sixtieth session of the Legal Subcommittee in 2021, and was renamed the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities at the sixty-first session of the Legal Subcommittee in 2022.   For documents of the working group please click here.

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