The UN Committee on on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) held its 56th session from 12-21 June 2013, at the UN Office in Vienna, Austria.
According to the UN Information Service Vienna (UNIS Vienna), the session included a new agenda item on "Space and sustainable development," under which the Committee discussed contributions of space-technology-based data for sustainable development policy-making.
21 June 2013: The UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) held its 56th session from 12-21 June 2013, at the UN Office in Vienna, Austria. According to the UN Information Service Vienna (UNIS Vienna), the session included a new agenda item on “Space and sustainable development,” under which the Committee discussed contributions of space-technology-based data for sustainable development policy-making.
The UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), which serves as the Secretariat to the Committee, is expected to create a special webpage on the use of space technology for sustainable development.
The session also addressed disasters and emergencies, with UNOOSA signing a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM) to establish the 16th Regional Support Office of the UN Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER).
COPUOS’ 2014 session will include a focus on sustainable development in marine and coastal ecosystems. [UNIS Vienna Press Release] [UNOOSA Webpage on 56th Session]