United Nations World Space Forum 2024

"Sustainable Space for Sustainability on Earth"

Organized by

The United Nations in collaboration with Germany, United Arab Emirates and Peru

UN-Campus, Bonn, Germany 03 - 05 December 2024

 
Registration for the WSF2024 is open! Submit your application  HERE.

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Latest Information

  • WSF Draft Agenda (22.11.2024)

  • Registration:

    • Deadline for registration to attend in person with personalized invitation letters but without funding closed: 03.11.2024 
      • The deadline to apply for funding closed 01.09.2024
      • The call for poster abstracts closed on 01.09.2024
  • Practical information:

#WSF2024 | Background

As the planet faces increasing environmental and societal challenges, it requires effective legal frameworks, strong partnerships and global cooperation in order to achieve the goal of sustainable development.

Space science and technology bring an abundance of unique and fundamental benefits to humanity. With growing technological innovation, space exploration serves as a key provider of applications for life on Earth. Space tools enable and drive sustainable development by providing essential data for climate action, disaster management and monitoring progress on global commitments in sustainable development goals.

In an increasingly complex world with a growing participation of different stakeholders, this forum offers a unique opportunity for exchange and knowledge transfer to actors from politics, industry, science and society.

The "Space2030" Agenda provides a road map for achieving sustainable development through the use of innovation and technology derived from space exploration. Another central goal is to deliver insights on how to improve global space governance, focusing on economic, societal, accessibility and diplomatic issues.

With the upcoming midterm-review of the implementation process of the "Space2030" Agenda, the Forum will play a pivotal role in providing a platform for inclusive stakeholder discussions and contributions.

#WSF2024 | Setting the Stage

The World Space Forum event series aims to strengthen partnerships and advance the ongoing dialogue among the global community on a wide range of space issues to facilitate socio-economic sustainable development. The Forum promotes the implementation of the " Space2030" Agenda: space as a driver of sustainable development and its implementation plan " adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 76/3 through the broad involvement of all relevant space actors.

This year's event in Bonn, Germany, will have a special focus on the UN Summit of the Future held in September 2024 in New York. The Summit of the Future seeks to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and to address gaps in global governance. The Pact for the Future, to be adopted during the Summit, aims to reaffirm existing commitments and move towards a reinvigorated multilateral system that can effectively tackle future challenges, including the peaceful use of outer space. The World Space Forum 2024 provides an opportunity to draw attention to space solutions that effectively support the areas identified in the Pact, offering an opportunity for participants to discuss its implementation regarding space just three months after its adoption.

Furthermore, the outcomes of the Forum will be reported to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in the context of the upcoming mid-term review of the Space2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly.

After successfully hosting the High-Level Forum in 2018, we are pleased to continue the space dialogue with the World Space Forum 2024 in Bonn, Germany.

#WSF2024 | Objectives

The  World Space Forum 2024 aims to:

  • Start the dialogue on the implementation of the space-related sections in the Pact for the Future and the role of COPUOS in this endeavor
  • Discuss the implementation of the Space2030 Agenda and set the stage for the upcoming midterm review in 2025
  • Debate the on-going development of Global Space Governance
  • Reaffirm and strengthen the contribution of space activities and space tools for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
  • Promote international and public-private partnerships for the development of a sustainable, future-oriented and strong space environment
  • Address the need to improve existing communication approaches on the benefits of outer space technology and its applications
  • Involve young people, as future space leaders, to address issues of importance for future generations
  • Foster dialogue and close cooperation for developing a common space vision
  • Bring space actors together to exchange best practices and explore ways to jointly address challenges to humanity and sustainable development issues

#WSF2024 | Who is it for?

The  WORLD SPACE FORUM brings together experts and policy makers from international, regional, national and local institutions, private organizations, academia, and non-governmental organizations. This multi-stakeholder composition allows for a truly inclusive, diverse and multilateral dialogue around the four pillars of space economy, space society, space accessibility and space diplomacy.

The organizers strive to support gender mainstreaming in their program and are working towards a broad representation in terms of geography, age and gender, both among the visitors and among the active participants in order to achieve a truly inclusive and multilateral exchange.

#WSF2024 | Sessions overview

 

Sessions

Panels / Description

TUESDAY 03, DECEMBER 2024
09:30 - 11:00 Opening Session  
11:30 - 13:00 Session I: Retrospective Contributions of various stakeholders from society and member states.
13:00 - 14:15 Lunch  
14:15 - 18:00 Session II:  Space4SDGs Panel 1: The cooperation of science and industry to tackle climate change
Panel 2: International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters' and UN-SPIDER
Panel 3: SDG 17 - Partnership for the Goals
19:00 - 23:00 Welcome Reception   
WEDNESDAY, 04 DECEMBER 2024  
09:00 - 13:00 Session III: Sustainable Space Activities Panel 4: Preserving the Outer Space Environment (I):  Space Debris Mitigation
Panel 5: Preserving the Outer Space Environment (II): Space Debris Remediation
Panel 6: Global initiatives
Panel 7: Securing Space Sustainability: How to implement Space Traffic Management?
13:00 - 14:15 Lunch  
14:15 - 18:00 Session IV: Sustainable Lunar Explorations Panel 8: Sustainable Lunar Activities
Panel 9: Information Exchange
19:00 - 22:00 Dinner Reception
(pre-registration required)
 
THURSDAY, 05 DECEMBER 2024  
09:00 - 11:05 Session V: Implementation of the Pact of the Future Panel 10: Balancing the Needs of Science and Industry
Panel 11: Continuing the Outer Space Dialogue: The Multilateral Way Forward for Space Governance
Panel 12: The Pact for the Future and the Space2030 Agenda
11:15 - 13:00 Closing
followed by Lunch
 
13:00 Transfer to technical tour 
(pre-registration required)
 

#WSF2024 | Exhibit?

An exhibition will be organized in addition to the WORLD SPACE FORUM to provide a platform for space agencies, international organizations, industry and other actors to promote their work. Registration with further information will be opened in June. 

Submission and deadline for application

 Please take note of the following deadlines when submitting your registration:

  • Deadline for registration to attend in person with personalized invitation letters but without funding closed: 03.11.2024 
    • The deadline to apply for funding closed 01.09.2024
    • The call for poster abstracts closed on 01.09.2024

 

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.

All applicants interested in participating in the World Space Forum must complete the following:

1. Registration form

2. Send the signature form in PDF with the file name below adjusted to your surname and name:

  • Surname_Name_signature form (e.g. Smith_Mary_signature form)

3. Accompanying documents/process for funded participants -  01.09.2024

Why is this form necessary? To confirm that you have adequate health insurance; to confirm if you need funding; and to confirm that the organization that you represent (which can also be your own company) has approved your potential participation. If you are applying in your individual capacity, the latter element will not apply. Instructions are detailed in the signature form.

Only completed applications with all the requested information and documents will be considered. 

Besides this, applicants who wish to be considered to contribute to the event as a speaker or to present a poster will be asked to include an abstract of maximum 250 words in the online application form. Please note that this is not mandatory, but it is recommended in case you want to apply as a fully/partially funded participant. Please also note that if you submit an abstract and are selected as a participant, this does not automatically imply that you will be selected as a speaker.

Please note that only applications submitted through the online form will be accepted.

The United Nations encourages all qualified applicants, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities to apply.

Successful candidates will be contacted by email in October. Organizers will announce when the selection is completed on the event webpage. Due to the high number of applicants, unsuccessful candidates will not be notified individually, and organizers will not able to provide individual feedback.

Selection Criteria

Criteria to select participants include motivation and experience in the space sector.  Presentation and poster abstracts will be evaluated based on relevance of topic, alignment to World Space Forum objectives, concrete application on the proposed subject, and sound structure.

To encourage equitable access to opportunity, the selection process will consider additional criteria, including regional representativeness and gender balance.

Life and health insurance

Life/major health insurance for each of the selected participants is necessary and is the responsibility of the candidate or their institution or Government. The co-sponsors will not assume any responsibility for life and major health insurance, nor for expenses related to medical treatment or accidents.

Contact Information

World Space Forum Organizing Team
E-Mail: worldspaceforum[@]un.org and  wsf2024[@]dlr.de

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