Fourth African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology
for Sustainable Development
26-29 September 2011, Mombasa, Kenya
Background
African Leadership Conferences on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development (ALC) have been held in Nigeria (2005), South Africa (2007) and Algeria (2009). The fourth Conference in the series was hosted by the Government of Kenya and held in Mombasa from 26 to 29 September 2011.
The Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) provided funding support to the conference and organized sessions on capacity building in space technology development and space law. The sessions related to space technology development were organized as part of the Office's
Basic Space Technology Initiative (BSTI) implemented in the framework of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications.
Sessions on Capacity Building in Space Technology Development and Space Law
Mombasa Declaration and Capacity Building in Space Technology Development
The conference concluded with the promulgation of the
"Mombasa Declaration" which contains observations and recommendations for activities in space science and technology for Africa. BSTI will in particular aim to contribute to the following recommendations:
For the development of Africa's human capital resources in space science and technology, action should be taken to:
- To improve access to high-level education and training in space science and technology on the continent;
- To acknowledge and harness the expertise already present on the African continent through the development of a comprehensive database of African space science and technology experts;
- To align with existing human capital development initiatives of the African Union;
- To utilize existing training centres in Africa and to promote greater cooperation among education and training institutions to develop appropriate training programmes in space science and technology that respond to Africa's needs;
- To encourage African countries to increase their utilisation of and support for the Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education, affiliated to the United Nations, located in Morocco and Nigeria;
- To promote knowledge sharing through regional space conferences and through scholarly interaction among African institutions;
- To support the existing networks and associations of space professionals in Africa;
- To encourage the development and implementation of university curricula in space science and technology in Africa;