Outer Space: Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, 69th session, 846th meeting General Assembly Date: 10 June 2026 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/asset/k1r/k1r6oixtij Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Morocco · Chair · Rafiq Akram [1:03]: أصحاب السعادة، حضرات المندوبين والممتلين الموقرين، يسعدني أن أرحب بكم جميعاً في مركز فيديو وأعلن الآن افتتاح الدورة التاسعة والستين والجلسة تمانمائة وستة وأربعين. للجنة استخدام الفضاء الخارجي في الأغراض السلمية كما تعلمون جميعاً ستمتخب اللجنة بعد قليل أعضاء مكتبها للفترة 2026-2027 وفقاً للإجراءات المتبعة وعاقب عملية الانتخاب سيكون من دواع سروري دعوة الرئيس الجديد إلى المنصة. We have a problem of translation. We will fix it in— by 5 minutes. Distinguished delegates, we will start. أصحاب السعادة، حضرات المندوبين. Distinguished guests, it's a pleasure for me to give you the welcome in this center. Ladies and gentlemen, I now declare open this session. As you are all aware, the Committee will shortly elect its officers for the period 2026-2027 in accordance with the established procedures. Following the election, it will be my pleasure to invite the new chair to the podium. However, first we must adopt the agenda for this session. Distinguished delegates, you have before you the provisional agenda for this session contained in document A/AC.105/L. The provisional agenda has been prepared on the basis of the agreement reached at the 2025 session of the Committee, as reflected in paragraph 324 of its report in document A/80/20. This agreement was subsequently endorsed by General Assembly in Resolution 80/76. Please note that as indicated in this document, neither the annotations nor the provision— the indicative schedule of work Are part of the agenda to be adopted by the committee. Distinguished delegates, if I hear no objections, may I take it that the agenda is adopted? Is it approved? Speaker 3 [9:06]: Approved. Morocco · Chair · Rafiq Akram [9:14]: The delegation of the Russian Federation has requested the floor. You have the floor, sir. Russian Federation [9:26]: Спасибо, господин. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good morning, dear colleagues. We highly value the Vienna spirit. Which for decades has made it possible to successfully seek compromise solutions and mutually acceptable decisions on a broad range of international problems. The Russian Federation, from the very beginning, in a principled manner and consistently, has been in favor of giving Vienna the status of one of the essential UN negotiating platforms. so that it can provide this international cooperation. Austria has moved away from its neutrality, and the requirements of a country that is host to the Vienna UN body is becoming more obvious and taking on a terrible shape. The unfounded refusal to give a visa to the head of our delegation, the Special Coordinator of the Ministry of External Affairs of Russia on International Cooperation for Research and Use of Space for Peaceful Purposes, Mr. Sergei Belousko, who for many years has made an important contribution to ensuring the successful work of the committee and its subcommittees, is one such example. For the recently elected members of the UN, the Austrian Republic, they are the subject of attention of the international community, and on their shoulders they have this unfortunate baggage, and we call for the situation to be immediately resolved. Once more, we thank our colleagues from the UN Office on Outer Space and the Working Group on the Use of Nuclear Energy in Space for its support in resolving these visa issues. Mr. Chair, dear colleagues, we respect the intention of all of the delegations here in Vienna to participate at the 69th session of COP15 and to quickly move to our main work. By way of showing goodwill, we will not impede the approval of the agenda and of the chair, but we will be forced procedurally to block any decision On the substance, responsibility for such a development falls on Austria. Until such time as it doesn't reconsider its policy of enmity against Russian representatives, Moscow will not give its agreement for the Unispace 4 high-level conference to be held in Vienna. Speaker 6 [12:40]: Thank you. Russian Federation [12:42]: We regretfully note that this visa-based adventure of the Austrian authorities not just deprived our delegation of the opportunity to fully participate in the work, as it also has caused considerable harm to the entire committee. We call on all delegations to support our position so that we can return the discussions to a constructive format and achieve practical results in this session. Thank you for your attention. Morocco · Chair · Rafiq Akram [13:23]: Thank you to the distinguished delegate of the Russian Federation for this statement. I now give the floor to the delegation of Austria. Austria [13:39]: Thank you very much, Chair, for giving me the floor. Austria is as committed as always to fulfilling its host country obligations. I take note of the information of the distinguished delegate of the Russian Federation and will report about it to the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria. Let me assure you again that Austria will continue to give utmost importance to fulfill her host country obligations. Thank you. Morocco · Chair · Rafiq Akram [14:14]: Thank you to the delegation of Austria for this statement. Now I give the floor to the Islamic Republic of Iran. You have the floor. Iran (Islamic Republic of) [14:27]: Thank you, Chair. Mr. Chairman, the host country has the responsibility to facilitate the participation of all delegations in the meeting. This will create the condition necessary for the constructive and effective engagement of and contribution of all delegations in the meeting. Thank you very much. Morocco · Chair · Rafiq Akram [14:55]: Thank you to the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and now I give the floor to the delegation China [15:10]: Thank you, Chair. We have heard the information shared by the distinguished delegate of Russia. The head of delegation of Russia has not received in time the visa to come to Austria. We also heard response from the host country, Austria. The Outer Space Committee, as the UN body, should give every member of it the right for full participation in the meeting and making its contributions. The host country should do its utmost to ensure the rights of member states be fully realized. We hope the relevant issues will be resolved quickly. To create a good atmosphere for the proceeding of the current session. Thank you. Morocco · Chair · Rafiq Akram [16:08]: Thank you to the delegation of China. Before we proceed, I'd like to know whether any other delegations would like to take the floor. I see none. We will continue. As I did not hear any objection, may I consider that you agree to adopt the agenda? I see no objection. The agenda is adopted. Ladies and gentlemen, let's move on to item 3 of our agenda, which is the election of officers. I would like to turn to agenda number 3 and to inform the delegations that in paragraph 45 of its Resolution 80/76 entitled International Cooperation in the Peaceful uses of outer space, the General Assembly reiterated with regard to the composition of the Bureau of the Committee and its subcommittees for the period 2026-2027 that the Committee and its subcommittees should elect their offices at their respective sessions in 2026 in accordance with that composition. At its 62nd session earlier this year, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee elected Pakorn Apapante from Thailand as its chair for 2026 and Ya'qub Al-Qassaf from Bahrain as its chair for 2027. At its 64th session earlier this year, the Legal Subcommittee elected Pablo Adrián Rocha Olabuenaga from Mexico as its chair for 2026 and Nathanael Pineda Rodriguez from Panama for 2027. Distinguished delegates, the committee should now elect its officers for the period 2026-27. As reflected in paragraph 45 of General Assembly Resolution 80/76 and as communicated by note verbale dated 12 November 2025, CU 2025/321 and USA 2025/84, the following officers have been nominated. Mr. Theodore Valentini. Valente of Italy for the office of chair, Miss Melita Jouvet of Slovenia for the office of first vice chair, Mr. Akeem Babatunde Rabiu of Nigeria for the office of second vice chair as well as the rapporteur of the committee. Distinguished delegates, do I take it that the committee elects those officers to serve the committee for the period 2026-2027? I see no objection. It is so decided. I Would like. I warmly congratulate the new bureau members on their election. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, gentlemen, it was indeed a great honor for our team that includes my esteemed colleagues, Mr. Juan Francisco Facete Fernandez from Paraguay, as well as Ms. Hassa Al Khalifa from Bahrain, and myself. To chair the Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space during the session in 2025, at a time when the activities in outer space were expanding largely, bringing together new challenges. I would like to express my gratitude to the 2 subcommittees the legal— the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee as well as the Legal Subcommittee, and to pay tribute to Elena Pochisa from Romania and Mr. Santiago Ripoll Carola from Spain for their excellent guidance of those 2 subcommittees. I would like to seize this occasion to express my gratitude to the chairperson chairpersons and vice chairpersons of the working groups that are part of those 2 subcommittees and that enabled those 2 subcommittees to achieve all the progress because of their excellent work and efforts. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I would like you— I would like to also commend the work of the United Nations Office for External— for the External Affairs Activities in UNUSA that acts as our technical secretariat. And would like to thank all the intergovernmental organizations. I would like to thank Ms. Arti Holimani and her excellent team for their technical support and preparation for this I would like to commend the efforts of that office in enhancing dialogue amongst all the interested quarters and building capabilities in the space policy and legal activities, empowerment of women and the youth in the external and outer space, supporting regional centers, and supporting the sustainability of the outer space in their various activities and initiatives. We have tried taking into consideration international priorities to enhance and bolster international cooperation and to encourage commitment to UN instruments and guidelines that enable the peaceful use of the outer space. And its sustainability, that enables fair and responsible access to the outer space, and that encourages the exchange of technology and know-how amongst the member states. The role of UNOSA— or of COPUS, sorry— has become a central role in multilateral efforts related to outer space today more than ever. In 2025, and in spite of the various challenges such as the liquidity crisis that the UN has encountered, member states have yet again shown their commitment to ensure that the outer space remains a space for peaceful cooperation that is beneficial to all countries. And the 68th session of COPUS was indeed a valuable opportunity for open dialogue and exchange related to the advancement in outer space activities and the responsibilities related to the use of outer space. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the central focus of our work was the sustainability of the external outer space activities, and we have seen an increase of orbits and parties involved, leading to more need for transparency coordination and coordination of responsibilities more than ever. That's why the open debate continued in the STSC related to the long-term sustainability of the outer space in order to make headway. And that led up to the setting of an expert group related to the situational awareness to increase international cooperation and exchange of information to ensure that the space activities are safer. There was another development that was quite encouraging that took place under the purview of ATLAC, the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation. And that showed that the member states have set up various initiatives to delve into an early dialogue to ensure that there is sustainability of such future activities in a very transparent, safe, and cooperative manner. During the same period, the Commission also dealt with some arising issues such as the spin-offs of the large satellites on astronomy and maintaining a dark and quiet sky, in addition to various issues related to the management of outer space activities. The ongoing activities over the last period enabled us to make headway related to Unispace. 4 that will be held in 2027, which would represent an important opportunity for collective thinking related to international cooperation related to space. COPUS activities in 2025 show or indicate that even when we have a swiftly changing space environment, multilateral dialogue continues to be the most effective means and way to build confidence, enhance cooperation, and ensure the sustainability of outer space to serve the humanity in its entirety. This means that we need to continue to have multilateral dialogue, very comprehensive, and that always looks into the future. Ladies and gentlemen, Your Excellencies, now that I have come to the end of my chairmanship of COPUS and I hand over my responsibilities to the new chair for 2026-2027, to Mr. Teodoro Valentini from Italy, I would like to express my gratitude to all member states observers, and partners that contribute to the work of that commission. I look forward to further support and further contributions to enable the success of Mr. Theodore Valentini's new chairmanship. And I would like to thank you for your kind attention. It is therefore my honor to invite Mr. Teodoro Valentini of Italy and his 2 vice chairs, Ms. Melita Zufić from Slovenia, First Vice Chair, and Mr. Akin Babatunde-Rabiu of Nigeria, Second Vice Chair and Rapporteur, to assume their functions at the podium. Thank you. Speaker 15 [30:10]: Thank you. Where is that door? When you come, when you come, we stand. When you come, we stand. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [31:16]: First of all, good morning to everybody. And distinguished delegates, I would like to thank all the member states of the Committee for electing me as Chair for the next 2 years and for placing confidence in me to further advance the work of this committee. I congratulate my colleague Rafiq Akram of Morocco for successful leading of the committee last year with outstanding results. Thank you, Rafiq. Distinguished delegates, I would like also to inform delegation that I have received communication from the following member states of the United Nations: Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Serbia, and Uganda, requesting to participate in the current session of the committee as observer. Furthermore, I would like to inform delegation that I have received communication from the following organizations requesting permission to attend and participate in the meetings of the current session of the committee as observer: Astro Access, Astro Aid Foundation, Center for Advocacy and Global Growth, Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, Chilean Space Association, Cosmic Footprint Society, and Latin American Association of Air and Space Law. So I would like now to give the floor to the Secretary to provide further information on the communication received from Myanmar. Thank you. UNOOSA · Secretariat [33:26]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Distinguished delegates, with regards to the request from Myanmar, the Secretariat would like to inform the Committee that communications naming different individuals as representatives of Myanmar have been received. The first communication was dated June 2nd, 2026, from the Permanent Mission of Myanmar to the United Nations in New York. The second communication dated the 4th of June, 2026, is from the permission of Myanmar to the United Nations in Vienna. Please allow me therefore to inform the committee about the practice of other United Nations bodies in similar situations to which competing credentials were submitted. In particular, The Credentials Committee of the General Assembly, at its 80th session, had before it 2 communications concerning a representation of Myanmar indicating different individuals as representatives to the 80th session of this assembly. The first one was from the Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations in New York, and the second communication was from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar. The Credentials Committee has therefore decided to postpone its consideration of the credentials pertaining to the representatives of Myanmar to the 80th session of the General Assembly and to revert to consideration of those credentials at the time in the 80th session. Please allow me, Mr. Chair, to also recall the General Assembly Resolution 396, Roman numeral V, of the 14th December 1950, which provides that when more than one authority claims to be the government entitled to represent the member state in the United Nations, this question should be considered by the General Assembly. But furthermore, I would also like to recall that at our 61st and 62nd sessions of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee in 2024 and 2025, as well as the 64th session of the Legal Subcommittee this year. Based on the decision of the Credentials Committee, as well as the General Assembly resolution, the subcommittees decided to defer any action on the credentials pertaining to the representatives of Myanmar at that session of the subcommittee. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [36:01]: Thank you. I thank the Secretariat for the information provided. So, distinguished delegates, in view of the above, I would like to open the floor to see if the Committee agrees to defer its action on the credentials pertaining to the representative of Myanmar at the present session of the Committee. Pending a decision by the General Assembly on the representation of Myanmar and in line with General Assembly Resolution 396 of 14 December 1950. Are there any objections on that? I see no objection, so it is so decided. Thank you. Do you need to give further explanation on guidelines? UNOOSA · Secretariat [37:01]: No. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [37:01]: No? Okay, so we can move on. Then, distinguished delegates, let's now come back to the request from Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Serbia, Uganda, AstroAccess, Access, AstroAid Foundation, Center for Advocacy and Global Growth, Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, Chilean Space Association, Cosmic Footprint Society, and Latin American Association of Air and Space Law for permission to attend and participate in the meetings of the current session of the Committee as observer in this case. I would like therefore to suggest that in conformity with past practice, we invite those delegations and observers to attend the current session and to address the committee as appropriate. That is, of course, without prejudice to further requests of this nature and does not involve any decision of the full committee concerning status. It's just a courtesy that we customarily extend to such delegation. Can I take this is agreeable for you? Thank you. I see no objection, so it is so decided. And now we move to the item number 4, which is to myself because it's the statement of the chair. Before moving I would like now to move to the next item of the agenda. Okay, let's invert. I would like now to move to the next item of the agenda and present my statement to the committee. Excellencies, distinguished delegates and representatives, it gives to me really a great pleasure to welcome you all to the 69th session of the Committee on Peaceful Use of Outer Space. I am honored to serve as its chair. On behalf of the Bureau, Her Excellency Ms. Melita Župek of Slovenia, serving as the 4th vice chair, and Mr. Hakim Babatunde Rabiu of Nigeria, serving as the 2nd Vice Chair and Rapporteur. We thank you for the confidence placed in us and assure you of our commitment to continue the successful work of this Committee. Allow me also to convey my sincere appreciation to Mr. Rafiq Akram of Morocco for his successful chairmanship of the Committee in 2025. I would like to congratulate Mr. Akram, together with Mr. Juan Francisco Facetti Fernández of Paraguay and Ms. Eza Al Khalifa of Bahrain, for their leadership in guiding the committee to award significant achievements in the face of considerable challenges. Distinguished delegates, it's my great pleasure to begin by welcoming 6 new member states: Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Honduras, Maldives, Malta, and Zimbabwe, and these— very important— brings the Committee membership to 110 states. I also warmly welcome 6 new permanent observers: the African Space Agency, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the Alliance for Collaboration in the Exploration of Space, known as Access Worldwide, the Lunar Policy Platform Foundation, AeroAI Global Solutions Inc., and Women in Aerospace Europe, bringing the total number of observers to 62. The continued growth of the committee embracing both member states and expanding network of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations engaged in space-related activities reflects the importance of the mandate of the Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space and its subsidiary bodies and broad confidence placed in their work. As the principal multilateral bodies and broad confidence placed in their work, cooperation in outer space affairs. The committee continues to play a pivotal role in advancing the peaceful, safe, and sustainable exploration and use of outer space, and in strengthening the international framework. That underpins those efforts. This positive trajectory demonstrates that space continues to rank high on the global agenda and that space assets, data, and technologies are playing an even more critical role. Distinguished delegates, this year we mark the 60th 55th anniversary of the first human spaceflight. It's a moment to reflect and to look forward. As Chair and as head of a space agency, I see great opportunities ahead to strengthen cooperation, support innovation, and expand exploration responsibility. But as you are aware, However, the rate of space activities is outpacing the progress made in this committee. More than ever, we are called on to focus and advance our work in a timely and effective manner. We all have a crucial role to play in ensuring that our space remains peaceful, safe, and sustainable. and that its benefits reach all member states irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development. The eyes of the world are on us, and the committee must show that it can respond effectively and efficiently and keep pace— keep peace where we today face economy. As Chair, I will strive to maximize the substantive results of our work during the current shortened session by working together in a constructive spirit while acknowledging the challenges around us and resources constraints faced by the organization. I would like to stress that the schedule before us is dense. I therefore appeal to delegation and thank you all in advance for focusing your discussion on the agenda items before us and for upholding the Vienna spirit of cooperation. Let me reiterate that your constructive engagement On the substantive matter dealt with in this committee will be crucial to ensure the committee delivers on its mandate and work at the current session. Distinguished delegates, I would like to acknowledge the work of the 2 subcommittees and commend their chairs, Mr. Pakorn Apaphand of Thailand, and Mr. Pablo Adrián Arrocha Olabuenaga of Mexico, for their effective leadership and look forward to hearing their reports. I would also like to acknowledge the tremendous work of all the chairs and vice chairs of the various working groups, the expert groups, and the Action Team of this Committee, which continue to progress towards concrete deliverables. This work is addressing the pressing needs of our time. I also acknowledge the valuable work continuing with the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems, the International Asteroid Warning Network, the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, and the Space for Global Health Network. This committee, supported by its scientific and technical and legal subcommittees, remains the principal multilateral forum for advancing solutions to key challenges in outer space activities, Including long-term sustainability, space debris mitigation, enhancing space situational awareness, and promoting the responsible use of emerging technologies. The committee will have before it the results of the extended midterm review of the Space 2030 Agenda. A unique policy document that highlights the critical role of space tools for improving lives and powering national economies globally. This session will also see the consultation on the updated draft resolution of the UN General Assembly Space Science and Technology. For promoting peace, as well as progress and reporting on the recent Space for Development initiative launched last year. Several critical work streams will continue their work during this session. Specifically, as Chair of this Committee, I look forward to the adoption of the renewed work plan of the Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities, which is essential to further develop practical guidance in critical areas. Complementing this work, the Expert Group on Space Situational Awareness will present 4 concrete recommendations for endorsement at this session. I encourage all delegations to engage constructively in their consideration so that the committee can proudly show tangible outcomes that will equip member states with practical tools to safeguard increasingly congested space environments. The working group of the wall is also a critical juncture and must advance the future role and methods of work of the Committee and effective implementation of its mandates. The Committee will hear the outcome of the consultation of this Working Group on the measures to address the effects of the liquidity crisis and improvements to the organization and work of the committee and its subcommittees. The Working Group on the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space is examining potential further guidance for new NPS applications that will enable human presence on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Yesterday, this working group held an important workshop with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Speaker 21 [50:25]: Thank you. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [50:27]: to address the question, and we report on its outcomes. Furthermore, the Working Group on the Status and Application of the 5 UN Treaties in Outer Space will, on the margin of this session, exchange with permanent observers and interested delegations on areas where strengthened information sharing might be useful. ATLAC, the Action Team on Lunar Activity Consultation, will also further refine its initial draft recommendation based on the analysis of the contributions received from its member states and taking into account information provided in the background paper prepared by the Secretariat on existing international mechanisms. And although not meeting at this session, the work of the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities on a draft set of initial recommended principles for space resource activities is also well underway, with a consolidated version of the draft principles expected by next September. I encourage the delegation to remain again constructively engaged as this work moves towards its next milestone. In addition to those work streams in place, the committee will consult and decide on the proposal to hold a 4th United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Exploration of Outer Space, or UNISPACE IV, in 2027, marking the 60th anniversary of the Outer Space Treaty. Distinguished delegates, I wish to convey my sincere appreciation to the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, to its Director, Ms. Arti Olomäinen, and to her dedicated team for their continued and proactive support in helping us concentrate our collective efforts on the priority work stream that will enable us to underscore the indispensable role of this committee and of multilateral cooperation in the global space ecosystem. At the same time, I would like to highlight the increasing constraints on the Office to be able to adequately execute its responsibilities, particularly those entrusted to the Secretary-General under the United Nations treaties and principles on outer space, including the maintenance of the Register of the objectives launched into outer space. Maintaining the UN Register is a basic responsibility. The demands on this Office to support States and the Committee continue to grow. I call on all Member States to raise their voice and their support for this crucial Office. In concluding, distinguished delegates, let me reiterate the importance of achieving substantial results from this committee session. We have a shared responsibility to make the most of the limited time available to us. Sorry. I request all delegations to observe the allotted speaking times and focus on the substantive work of this committee. By working together in the Vienna spirit of cooperation and consensus, I am confident we can achieve meaningful progress and deliver the outcome expected of us to further strengthen international cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space for the benefit of the present and the future generation. I thank you for your kind attention. Now we can move on, on the organization of the work. So distinguished delegates, I would like to bring to your attention that the working group of the— of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee will meet during this session of the committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Prakash Chauhan of India, as requested by the subcommittee, as reflected in the its report AAC-105-1346. Our next one, paragraph 5. The working group will also hold informal meetings. And the Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space achieves activities of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, will also meet during this session of the committee as requested by the subcommittee as reflected in its report AAC 1051346, Annex 2, paragraph 7. The working group will also hold informal meetings. I should like to recall that India as proposed, Dr. Gaurin Shakar, to succeed Dr. Umama Eshavran as chair of this Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities. This proposal, together with the CV of Dr. Gobrind Sankhavar was circulated to the member states of the committee in advance of the session through Information Circular OOSA 2026-61. Dr. Gobrind Sankhavar stands ready to chair the scheduled working group meetings starting at this session. Do I take it that the committee agrees that Dr. Gaurin Shakar succeed to Dr. Uma S. Chavran as the chair of the Working Group on Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities? The floor is open. Thank you, Mr. President. Are there any objections to that? UNOOSA · Secretariat [58:20]: I don't see any. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [58:24]: Okay, thank you. I see no objection, so it is so decided. On the margin of this session, the expert group on SSA of the Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities will hold its meeting, led by Ms. Fatima Al-Shabni of the United Arab Emirates as its chair, in line with the work plan agreed at the 63rd session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee this year, as reflected in the report AAC 1051346, Annex 3, Appendix 5, Work Plan for the Period 2025-2028. Also, on the margin of this session, the Working Group on the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee will hold its intersessional meeting under the chairmanship of Mr. Leopold Samrer of Austria, in line with the agreement reached at the 63rd session of the subcommittee this year, as reflected in its report A/AC.105/1346, Annex 3, paragraph 10. Furthermore, the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation, known as ATAC, will meet on Thursday morning, 16 June, and Wednesday morning, 17 June. under the lead of its co-chair, Mr. Hassan Abbas of Pakistan and Ms. Ulpia Elena Botezatu of Romania, in line with the agreement reached during this year's session of the Legal Subcommittee, as reflected in its report A/AC105/137. Speaker 25 [1:00:47]: Thank you. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [1:00:50]: Annex 3, paragraph 10. ATRAC will also hold informational— informal consultation, and the schedule of those informal meetings is available from the webpage of the present session of the committee. I also would like to draw your attention that in line with the agreement reached during this year's Legal Subcommittees, as reflected in its report AAC 105/137, 4, Annex 1, paragraph 12, the Chair of the Legal Subcommittees Working Group on the Status and Application of the 5 United Nations Treaties in Outer Space, Ms. Franziska Knoll will hold consultation with the permanent observers and other stakeholders on the topic of information sharing on space activities and implementation of Article 11 of the OST. This consultation, open to interested member states, Will be held on 11 June during the lunchtime. Distinguished delegates, pursuant to the General Assembly Resolution 3271 of 1977, the conference resources made available to the committee are indicated on the webpage of the present session. I should also like to inform you of the exceptional arrangements made for this session in view of the liquidity crisis measures as applied to the Committee. The Committee took actions on the implementation of liquidity crisis measures on the Conference Service resources. The Committee decided to shorten the current session by one day, to be held from 10 to 18 June, as announced during and through the information circular dated 20 May 2026, OOSA/2026/48. Subsequently, to ensure that deliberation under all the agenda items be accommodated within the shortened session, the committee decided to undertake measures to adjust the organization of this work— of its work during the present session on an exceptional basis, as announced also through the same information circular. Dated 20 May 2026, and the measures to be undertaken at this session are as it follows. First, statements to be made under general exchange of views, please, should be limited to a maximum of 4 minutes. Statements to be made under the other agenda items items should be, please, limited to a maximum of 3 minutes. Distinguished delegates, I would like to inform you about the impact of the shortening of this session caused by the liquidity crisis on the preparation of the draft report. The Secretariat informed me that the scheduling of of the draft report for processing had to be advanced because of limited capacities of document processing unit and under reduced word limits. In session processing capacities remain limited. I therefore urge the delegation to focus their statement on important updates and major developments. Furthermore, and if there is no objection, it is the intention of the Chair to share with the delegation an advanced edited version of a draft report in English. As soon as it becomes available, so as to have some additional— through August— time to identify and resolve issues, if any. Is there any objection to sharing an advanced draft version of the report In English to shorten the time as soon as it becomes available. Any objection? Let me use my glasses. I don't see objections, so I shall proceed accordingly. Thank you. Then now we can move to item 5 of the agenda, which is the general exchange of views. In order to enable the committee to commence its consideration of Thank you, Mr. President. In order to cover all items of the provisional agenda in a timely and balanced manner, the item entitled General Exchange of Views and Introduction of Reports Submitted on National Activities has been scheduled over a longer period of time during the session. The number of statements to be made under this item at each meeting may be limited as necessary in order to allow sufficient time for other agenda items to be considered and as planned for each meeting. Let me remind again that statements should be strictly limited to 4 minutes in length for general exchange of views and 3 minutes in length for the other agenda items, as announced through the information circular already mentioned and dated 20 May 2026. Please note that the countdown of the minutes will be shown on the screen, and once 4 minutes has passed for the general exchange of view and 3 minutes As for the other agenda items, the speaker will also hear a signal indicating the end of your allocated time. Can we test the signal, Secretariat? It's a little bit loud here, but anyway, we are good here. UNOOSA · Secretariat [1:08:34]: Thank you. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [1:08:35]: I would like also to remind delegates that, as stressed by the Secretariat and the brief— on the briefing on last 28 May, as a matter of principle, the draft report will be reflecting the statement verbally made at the formal meetings. Thus, delegates who wish to have any matters be reflected in the report, please be kindly reminded that those matters should be verbally expressed at the plenary meetings or during the formal meetings of the working group. Before I open the floor for the statements by delegation, if there are no objections, I would like to give the floor to the Director Director of the Office for Outer Space Affairs, Ms. Arti Holomaini, to address the committee and provide a brief overview of the activities of the office. I don't see any objection, so I will give the floor to Ms. Holomaini. Thank you. UNOOSA · Director · Arti Holomaini [1:09:49]: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, on behalf of Deputy Director Driss El Hadani and I, it is my pleasure to welcome you all to the 69th session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. My congratulations to the elected Bureau for 2026-2027, and a special welcome to the 6 newest members of COPUSS. Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Honduras, The Maldives, Malta, and Zimbabwe. Distinguished delegates, in presenting the UNUSA strategy to you back in February of 2024, I noted the need to ensure that all UN member states have a voice in this esteemed forum. Accordingly, you have seen new applications being received. Year on year, and I'm pleased to note that new applications have been received for this session as well from the Bahamas, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, and Uganda, bringing the total number of new member applications since our arrival in 2023 to 12. We will continue our efforts to further increase the membership of COPUS. Over the same period, the Committee has also significantly advanced its work. Yesterday, during the annual general meeting of the Space Data Association, a permanent observer to this Committee, satellite operators who once took very little interest in this body commented that COPUOS is clearly the place to be. Distinguished delegates, this is a testimony to your achievements in the last 2 years. This committee continues to make steady progress on space resources, space situational awareness, information sharing, and lunar coordination. This work directly responds to urgent current and future operational priorities, while also being essential to preserving the peaceful uses of outer space. It must continue to progress with the same momentum that we have seen during the last 12 months. This is why UNUSA supports the chairmanship of Italy in its efforts to secure a decision to hold Unispace 4 in 2027. Unispace 4 will help to supercharge the work streams of the committee, to focus all our minds on timely outcomes that are critical for the space community. And will elevate both COPUSS and UNUSA, reminding the international community that this is the body and the office that assures space for the 21st century and for generations to come. Distinguished delegates, during the 2025 session, this committee was positive towards organizing a UNISPACE 4, but not positive enough to take a definitive decision. Consultations since then have revealed a need for greater clarity around deliverables and funding. Given the visible progress on multiple work streams, Unispace 4 presents you with a unique opportunity to capitalise on this progress and secure outcomes backed by much-needed high-level political support. Concerning funding, UNUSA is confident that a decision to convene UNISPACE 4 can be successfully operationalized through dedicated extra-budgetary contributions. I therefore thank Austria as host country for providing a leading example by contributing €400,000 towards the organization of a UNISPACE 4 in 2027. And I thank Italy for providing a junior professional officer to the office. Distinguished delegates, in addition to providing you with trusted secretariat services, this office is operating at a strategic level to make sure that space technology, UNUSA, and COPUSS all play their rightful role on the global stage. Our work is proactive, and responsive to the diverse demands placed upon us. Being a gateway between the increasing capabilities of space and the needs of member states, we can clearly see the urgent need to bridge the gap between demand and supply. Valuable data, for example, from Copernicus or Landsat satellites, is often available at little or no cost but the capacity and the knowledge to use it is lacking. Multiple partners wish to offer more opportunities to developing countries to launch payloads into space through UNOOSA's Access to Space for All program. Again, we see the supply and we see the demand, but we lack the capacity to bridge it. Despite our limited resources, UNOOSA nonetheless continues to deliver very relevant impact. Allow me to share some examples. Our UN SPIDER programme is now a recognised operational partner within the UN humanitarian system in collaboration with UN OCHA. Next week, together with the Commonwealth Secretariat and with industry, we will launch the Space for Resilience initiative to support Small Island Developing States in particular in building resilience in the face of sea level rise, leveraging our space and AI-powered digital twin solutions. We have developed a Space Solutions Gateway with over 1,000 solutions and needs in its beta platform that have the potential to drive the uptake of space applications in the service of member state needs. This valuable tool will also require resources for maintenance. El Salvador and Thailand are the latest winners under UNOOSA's Access to Space for All initiative and will deploy satellites from the Japanese module of the International Space Station. We continue to service key international mechanisms for information sharing and cooperation, which find their roots in UNISPACE-3: the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems, which is currently working on lunar positioning, navigation, and timing to support safe lunar missions; the International Asteroid Warning Network and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, which will launch a hypothetical asteroid impact exercise this August, and which are spearheading the RAMSES mission to study asteroid Apophis in 2029. To be more effective in responding to member state requests, requests, we have established a dedicated space sustainability section that will focus on implementation support and advisory services for member states on space law and policy, space traffic coordination, and space sustainability more generally. We are also stepping up to provide critical tools to support safe space operations in line with discussions within the expert group on space situational awareness. To enable coordination of in-orbit operational activities under, under LTS Guideline B1, we have created a UN Satellite Operator Contact Hub to facilitate the exchange of point of contact details for satellite operators. This tool will also require resources to maintain going forward, but it is essential for emergency coordination between operators to avoid collisions and the potential loss of valuable space assets that today comprise critical infrastructure. I invite you all to review our 2025 annual report, Pulling Back the Curtain, for more information on these activities and more. Distinguished delegates, many of the vital initiatives I have highlighted are entirely dependent on extra-budgetary contributions. While we are grateful to those member states who make so many of these achievements possible, we cannot deliver the benefits of today and secure the space environment of tomorrow on precarious balance sheets driven by unstable and short-term funding. While space activities and related regulatory issues have dramatically scaled up, our resources continue to be disproportionately inadequate. Let me give you one example. In 2022, a time when forecasts projected 3,300 operational satellites in orbit by 2026, member states approved a P3 position for registration. In reality, 27,000 satellites have been launched, and around 16,000 of them are operational today, a far cry from the predicted 3,300. Conservative projections now point to 100,000 satellites in orbit by 2030, while less conservative ones suggest several hundred thousand and possibly even a million across multiple megaconstellations. You saved this one position from the latest budget cuts But even with it, we will still be far behind what we need to address the current and future volumes of space object registrations. I do not need to remind you that this is a fundamental treaty obligation. This lack of resources is not just a financial issue. It has real implications on our ability to deliver critical functions for the safety and sustainability of space activities. In 2025, we received more than 2,600 registration requests. Already by end April 2026, we had received more than 2,400 in just 4 months, and we are well on course to reach between 7,000 or 7,500 this year alone. This has generated a processing backlog currently standing at 4 months, and without additional resources, it will increase to 12 months by 2030 and even exceed a year if constellations deploy faster. This backlog creates legal and operational risks for member states. The lack of registration undermines crucial transparency obligations. It complicates liability attribution in the event of collision. No registration also complicates the identification of space debris at a time in which every year more and more member states request UNUSA assistance when debris lands on their territory, a trend that will increase and accelerate as congestion increases. Further, as space activities increase in number and complexity, so does the need for our involvement in several areas required to implement our already vast mandate, and I want to give you 3 concrete examples. While I believe you will understand how detrimental it would be to both UNRWA and COPUS if we did not engage in these processes, I hope you also realize that responsibility on us to deliver despite the absence of appropriate resources stretches us incredibly thin, and we are coming dangerously close to breaking point. The first example is due to the dramatically rising cadence of space launches, which is causing the aviation community to become increasingly unsettled as airspace operations are more frequently disrupted. ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Authority, brought their concerns to UNUSA with the request to cooperate to ensure a safe and balanced coexistence between aviation and space activities. ICAO has established a task force to examine this issue, and UNUSA has been requested by multiple space regulators to participate in it and ensure that space interests are protected. The first meeting of this task force will take place next week on Tuesday in Vienna. Tuesday and Wednesday here at the Vienna International Center, and we welcome delegates to attend if they wish to observe the proceedings. The second example concerns the increasing number of space object reentries and the potential chemical changes on the various layers of the atmosphere, which is causing concern within the environmental community and member state delegations who engage with the United Nations Environmental Programme. UNEP brought these concerns to UNUSA, given our expertise and our mandate, and together we hosted a small workshop to better inform ourselves of these emerging issues. We concluded that this is an area that requires further studies around which we will further cooperate. The third example comes from overlaps and grey areas in mandates. Across Geneva and Vienna. Specifically, during 2025 and again in 2026, UNUSA has been requested by numerous organizations, including UNIDIR, UNODA, and various regional organizations, to brief member state delegations in Geneva on developments in the committee. This has contributed to breaking down silos, promoting transparency, and even increase COPUS membership applications. UNOOSA also continues to contribute to the work of ITU-R Working Party 4A, dealing with aspects of satellite services, to sensitize telecoms regulators to COPUS's work, of which they are largely unaware. You will appreciate how critical this engagement is to safeguard the mandate of COPUOS concerning disposal and deorbit of space objects. Finally, responding to requests of various space agencies, UNOOSA also became a founding member of the Space for Ocean Alliance, launched at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in 2025. The Alliance convenes over 31 space-related entities, including 16 space agencies And it works to systematically embed the use of space-based solutions for marine and coastal challenges. In its role as chair, UNUSA has fostered connections with the UN Ocean Decade and UN Oceans, the UN interagency coordination mechanism. UNUSA will assume the secretariat of the alliance during its global steering committee meeting taking place later this week, and interested member states. delegates are invited to attend an open session with industry on the morning of the 12th of June in M6. Distinguished delegates, let me be frank. The time to act is now and UNUSA is stepping up. But when UNUSA is asked to deliver more than what our resources allow, and when issues compel us to go above and beyond in order to preserve your mandate in this Committee and our very existence. This puts UNUSA in an impossible situation over which you, the member states, ultimately have full control. Whether UNUSA makes it or breaks up trying is entirely in your hands, and I urge you to take this responsibility seriously and translate your words of support into meaningful action. UNRWA is committed, it is highly efficient, and it is incredibly impactful for a staff of only 30 people. When I look at my office, I cannot possibly conceive what more we can do. Either our resources grow to match our mandate and responsibilities, or it will be humanly impossible for us to keep delivering on them and support you in delivering on yours. I therefore urge all of you in this committee, in your capitals, and with your colleagues in New York to ensure that the work that you value here in Vienna is matched by the means to sustain it. Thank you for your attention. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [1:27:00]: I thank Mr. Olamaini for his statement on behalf of the Office. And distinguished delegates, we actually have a dense agenda before us and would like to appeal to you all that we proceed as usual in a constructive and cooperative manner. Let me once again for the last time. Remind delegation that the statements should be limited strictly to 4 minutes. Please also note that, as per practice, for all agenda items, representatives of groups of states deliver the statements first, followed by representatives of the member states, and then is the floor given to representatives of both organization. Kindly be reminded that the list of speakers is published on the webpage of this session of the committee ahead for— of each meeting. I now turn to the list of speakers, and the first speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of India on behalf of G27 and China. Please, the floor is yours. India · G77 + China [1:28:28]: Thank you, Chairman. At the outset, I'd like to, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, thank Professor Rafiq Akram of Morocco for successful chairmanship of the 68th session. and congratulate you, Professor Valente, on your election as Chair for this session. We also thank UNOSA for all the preparations. Mr. Chair, considering the time constraints, the Group wishes to make the following remarks, which should be considered applicable to all agenda items and working groups. The Group reiterates its strict adherence to the principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space, including those in the Outer Space Treaty and as outlined in relevant UNGA resolutions. The group is of the view that all outer space activities should fully respect international law, including the UN Charter. The group underscores the imperative of fully implementing the Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, for the benefit and in the interest of all states, taking into account the needs of developing countries. It is crucial that developing countries are not left behind or unfairly disadvantaged by exploration, exploitation, and peaceful uses of outer space. Consequently, space technology applications must translate into concrete benefits for developing countries, including transfer of technology, on favorable terms and capacity building. The Group welcomes ongoing consultations on the proposal to hold UNISPACE 4 in 2027 and underscores that it must be action-oriented and an opportunity to consolidate the interests of developing countries. In this regard, the Group stresses the need to incorporate the interests of developing countries in the outcome of the planned UNISPACE 4 As reflected in the objectives and scope identified in Annex 2 of the Report of the 68th Session of COPOS on this matter, including on International Cooperation and Space for Development, which is an important output of the Plan Conference that addresses the interests of developing countries, the Group noted with appreciation the continued work of ATLAC and requests to reintroduce in its work plan and work streams the topic of international cooperation and capacity building, including sharing of scientific findings and knowledge, particularly for the interests of developing countries. The group notes discussions on the proposal on the legal and policy aspects of space traffic and takes into account the interests of developing countries therein. The group underscores that the deployment of megaconstellations, if not carried out sustainably and equitably, pose the risk of congestion of the low Earth orbit, which would be a significant disadvantage in the use and exploration of space by developing countries. Therefore, the group reiterates that the principle of equitable access to outer space, in particular in the low Earth orbit, needs to be observed more than ever and calls for practical and more effective measures to ensure its implementation and responsibility of all space actors as per Article 6 of the Outer Space Treaty. The group urges states to refrain from promulgating, adopting, and applying any unilateral economic, financial, and trade measures and related actions contrary to international law and the UN Charter, mindful that they hamper or impede access to space and space activities, particularly in developing countries. The group joins other calls to further support UNOSA amid the current financial constraints and stresses that the current situation should not impact the principle of equitable geographical representation in the Secretariat, nor the capacity-building activities for developing countries. The group requests that UNOSA continue as per its mandate to promote the peaceful uses of outer space for sustainable development, advance international cooperation, and strengthen the capacity of developing countries in utilizing space applications. Finally, the group looks forward to the adoption of a consensus report of this session that avoids matters exceeding the mandate of COPOS. I thank you, Mr. Chair. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [1:32:53]: Thank you so much. Now, the second speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Saudi Arabia · Asia-Pacific Group [1:33:11]: Distinguished delegates, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Group. The Asia-Pacific Group congratulates Professor Togero Valenti on assuming the chairmanship of the Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space for the period 2026-2027. The group wishes him every success in leading the work of the committee and assures him of its full support and constructive cooperation during his term. The group also expresses its appreciation to Mr. Rafiq Akram for his leadership and contribution to the work of the committee during the previous period. The group also takes this opportunity to express its appreciation to the Director of the Office of Outer Space Affairs, Ms. Arti, and the Secretariat for the preparation made for this session. The group reiterates its support for the Office and its activities, taking into account in particular the needs and priorities of the developing countries. Mr. Chair, Asia-Pacific Group reaffirmed the importance of maintaining the Committee's role as the principal intergovernmental platform for international cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space and underscored the value of continued engagement among all regional groups in support of the Committee's effective and inclusive work. The group also reaffirmed the importance of space— of the Space 2030 Agenda, peace as a driver of sustainable development, as long-term framework for strengthening the contribution of With space science, technology, and application to sustainable development, disaster risk reduction, climate action, and other global priorities. Therefore, the group underscored the importance of addressing the growing challenges of space debris, given the implication of the safety, sustainability, and long-term accessibility of outer space activities. The group recognized the need for continued international cooperation, capacity building, and inclusive dialogue to support responsible and sustainable space operation for the benefit of all countries. Mr. Chair, the Asia-Pacific Group is pleased to announce its endorsement of the candidature of Engineer Mreyeh Alshahrani of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the position of the First Vice Chair of the Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space for the period 2028 to 2029, in line with the established practice governing the composition of the Bureau. The group would like to appreciate that this endorsement to be duly reflected in the report of the Committee in accordance with established practice. The Asia-Pacific Group remains committed to supporting the work of the COPAS and to working productively with all regional groups and member states and advancing the peaceful, responsible, and sustainable use of outer space through cooperation, inclusiveness, and shared responsibility. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [1:37:05]: Thank you. Thank you to the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia and on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Group also for observing the 4-minute time limit. The next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of the European Union. Please. EU · EU [1:37:29]: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chair, Excellencies, Madam Director of UNOSA, distinguished delegates. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states. The following countries align themselves with this statement: Albania, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Chair, We express our appreciation to Mr. Rafiq Akram of Morocco for his successful mandate as Chair of the 68th Session of COPOS. We congratulate you, Professor Teodora Valento of Italy, on your appointment to Chair the 69th and 70th Sessions, and Ambassador Melita Župevč of Slovenia for her appointment as the First Vice-Chair. We thank UNOSA for its excellent work and its Director, Arti Holomainen, for her able leadership. COPOS and its subcommittees remain unique platforms for international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space and for developing international space law, norms, transparency, and confidence-building measures. We must ensure COPOS remains able to deliver. The UN Pact for the Future promotes the safe and sustainable use of space for all and encourages COPUOS to further consult on the proposal for a 4th UN Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, UNISPACE IV, in 2027. The European Union supports convening the conference to address space sustainability, space traffic management and coordination, space debris and space resources, as well as international cooperation, and to invite the private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders. As responsible space actors, the European Union and its member states are committed to promoting the universalization and implementation of international instruments on outer space, in particular the Outer Space Treaty. We encourage all states to ratify it and fully implement its provisions. The European Union recalls the successful EU Space Days held in Nicosia, Cyprus, from 26th to 27th May 2026, highlighting the benefits of the EU space program for society and industry. The European Union looks forward to the European Space Forum in Brussels from the 30th of June to the 1st of July, 2026, which will further strengthen cooperation in space policy, security, and international partnerships. Mr. Chairman, the European Space Programme continues to focus on Earth observation, satellite navigation, connectivity, and space research and innovation. Components such as Galileo, EGNOS, and Copernicus benefit millions of users within the European Union and in third countries. And IRIS² aims to provide secure telecommunications services. The EU and its member states remain committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and the Space 2030 agenda. The European Union recognizes that space technologies support the SDGs and carries out capacity building and other activities under the EU's Global Gateway accordingly. We appreciate UNOSA's efforts in visualizing contributions to the Space 2030 Agenda Midterm Review and follow with interest the gap analysis under the Space for Development Initiative. Space traffic and space debris mitigation remain key issues for COPOS to ensure long-term orbital sustainability. We encourage the Working Group on the Long-Term Sustainability to further advance discussions on implementing the LTS guidelines, the space debris mitigation guidelines, capacity building, and on new challenges. This work should continue beyond 2026 within Corpus's mandate. Since 2016, EU Space Surveillance and Tracking has provided collision avoidance services to protect satellites and reentry prediction services to help protect populations and critical infrastructure on Earth. Including for non-European users. The European Union welcomes the UAE-led expert group on space situational awareness and supports further discussions on the legal aspects of space traffic, including potential new mechanisms such as a dedicated working group. We welcome progress by the Action Team on Lunar Activities consultations under the co-chairmanship of Romania and Pakistan as an important forum for advancing dialogue on the safe, sustainable, and coordinated exploration and use of the Moon. Mr. Chairman, and in conclusion, the EU and its member states strongly support the international law-based international order within— with the United Nations at its core and a multilateral approach to international affairs. The EU remains gravely concerned about the current international context affecting multilateral work, including cooperation on outer space issues. Violations of the UN Charter undermine the whole UN system. We strongly condemn Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the DPRK's illegal actions in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions, including its satellite launches using ballistic missile technology. The full version will be published. I thank you. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [1:43:08]: Thank you so much to the distinguished representative of the European Union. The next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Morocco. Please. Morocco [1:43:23]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Professor Theodor Valenti, on your election as Chair of the 69th session of COPPEOS and assure you the full support of the Moroccan delegation. I also express express our sincere appreciation to Dr. Rafiq Akram for his successful leadership of the Committee during the Moroccan chairmanship of the 68th session. My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the G77 and would like to make the following remarks in its national capacity. Chair, During its chairmanship of the 68th session of COPUS, Morocco endeavoured to foster dialogue and build consensus. Despite a challenging context marked by divergent perspectives on shared commitments, our shared commitments enabled tangible progress, including the adoption of the ATLAS Work Plan, the extension of the Mid-Term Review of the Space Agenda 2020, 30, and agreement on the key elements concerning the future of the UNISPACE IV Conference. These achievements reaffirm a fundamental truth: multilateralism remains not merely a method of cooperation, but an indispensable expression of our common responsibility. Morocco firmly believes that safeguarding national interests and advancing collective goals are not contradictory objectives, but complementary pillars of an effective international order. Mr. Chair, as we enter an era of unprecedented transformation in space activities, we are reminded that humanity's journey into outer space is not only a scientific or technological endeavor, but also a collective responsibility. The new space era offers a remarkable opportunity for innovation, sustainable development, and international cooperation. At the same time, it presents new challenges related to the sustainability, security, governance, and of outer space activities. Morocco believes that the future of outer space space should be guided by a vision rooted in multilateralism, inclusivity, and shared responsibility. Space must remain a domain of peaceful cooperation, where scientific progress serves the common good— the common goal— where all nations, irrespective of their level of development, can benefit from its opportunities. In this regard, the principles that have guided COPUS for decades remain relevant and valid than ever: dialogue over division, cooperation over competition, and solidarity over exclusion. Chair, Morocco continues to attach great importance to international cooperation as a key driver of capacity building, technology transfer, and sustainable development. In this spirit, Morocco formally joined the Artemis Accord in April 2026. Becoming the 64th signatory to this international framework. This important step reflects the commitment to the peaceful, transparent, and responsible exploration and use of outer space. Morocco also recently— has recently joined the International Charter on Space and Measures to Disaster as an authorized user, strengthening its ability to integrate space-based technology into disaster risk reduction and emergency response efforts. These initiatives reflect Morocco's conviction that space technology should ultimately serve humanity by addressing pressing global challenges, including climate change, natural disasters, water scarcity, and sustainable resource management. Chair, Morocco also believes that regional cooperation is an essential pillar of advancing peaceful uses for outer space, particularly in Africa. Through the Centre Royal for Remote Sensing and the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for French-speaking countries, Morocco remains committed to strengthening scientific capacity, promoting knowledge sharing, and supporting the development of future generations of African space professionals. In this same spirit of partnership and knowledge sharing, my delegation is pleased to invite all the delegation tomorrow morning to a side event organized in cooperation with United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This event will highlight the contribution of United Nations-affiliated Regional Center for Space Science and Technology hosted by Morocco and Jordan and their role in promoting capacity building, scientific cooperation, and peaceful use of outer space. Chair, allow me to conclude with a simple reflection. While outer space may appear limitless, our responsibility towards it is not. The exploitation of space should reflect not only the extent of our technological capabilities, but also the depth of our collective wisdom and the commitment to future generations. Morocco remains fully committed to working with all delegations in a spirit of dialogue, consensus, and mutual respect to ensure that outer space continues to serve the interests of humanity. And let me just close by also by a paragraph regarding UNISPACE Fort. We believe that UNISPACE Fort would constitute an important milestone in strengthening international cooperation, and ensuring that outer space continues to be a source of progress, innovation, and hope for all humankind. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [1:49:33]: Thank you to the distinguished representative of Morocco. Next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of China, please. China [1:49:46]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Chinese delegation congratulates you on your election as Chair of the 69th Session and assures you of our full support. We also appreciate the effective effort of the outgoing Chair from Morocco over the past year and thank the Director of UNOSA, Ms. Hola Mani, and the Secretariat for the preparations made. China aligns itself with the statement made by India on behalf of the G77 and China. At the present, the global governance of outer space stands at a critical crossroads. While the revolution in space science and technology and the transformation of the space industry are empowering space exploration, they've also given rise to numerous governance challenges, such as increasing new types of outer space activities and accelerated development and utilization of space resources. In parallel, technology divides constrain equitable participation, and the call for— from developing countries for participation have become increasingly urgent. China stands ready to continue making greater efforts to improve space governance so that the benefits of peaceful uses of outer space may better serve the well-being of all humans. In this regard, China wishes to share the following views. First, we must commit to original aspiration of peaceful use. The exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes constitute one of the most fundamental principles all countries should uphold. Second, we must uphold multilateralism. We must firmly oppose unilateralism and exclusive small circles and safeguard the central role of UN corpus. Third, we must cooperate our mutual— we must cooperate for mutual benefits. Promoting international cooperation is an important purpose of the UN Charter and the only way towards improving outer space governance. Fourth, we must strengthen the rule of law. We must uphold international space law with the Outer Space Treaty as its cornerstone. The advance The governance challenges brought about by new technologies first raise questions regarding the interpretation and application of existing rules in new areas. Meanwhile, to effectively address new issues and challenges, the development of new norms should be— can also be explored. Speaker 40 [1:52:26]: Thank you. China [1:52:27]: Chair, in the area of cooperation, China agreed to lend lunar samples from Chang'e 5 mission to 3 research institutions in France, the UK, and Turkey. A Pakistani astronaut will soon arrive at the China Space Station. The International Lunar Research Station has received an active response with 17 countries and international organizations and more than 50 international research institutions joining the cooperation. The Beidou Global Navigation Satellite System continues to operate in a stable and reliable manner with further enhanced services performance, providing global users with all-weather, all-time, high-precision positioning, navigation, and timing services. China welcomes interested states, international organizations, and partners to participate in the above-mentioned cooperation projects. China is also actively promoting development of its commercial space sector. The first launch site operated by a commercial entity, Launch Pad Number 1 of the Hainan Commercial Space Launch— Space Launch Site, has entered into operation. Speaker 42 [1:53:45]: Thank you. China [1:53:45]: As of May this year, 15 launches were carried out, all of which were successful. The growth of China's commercial space sector will provide the world with accessible, available, and affordable public space services. During this session of the committee, China will host an exhibition to mark the 70th anniversary of China's space program. We warmly welcome all delegations to visit our exhibition. We look forward to— we can explore the sky together. Outer space is the common province of all mankind, and space exploration is a shared endeavor for all nations. China stands ready to work with all parties to deepen our international cooperation and enhance the effectiveness of our collective action and advance the well-being of all humanity. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [1:54:43]: Thank you so much. The next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Czech Republic, please. Czechia [1:54:54]: Dear Mr. Chair, on behalf of the delegation of the Czech Republic, allow me first to congratulate you on your election as a chair of the committee. We wish you every success in your endeavors and deliberations. We would also like to thank UNOSSA Director Arti Holomaini and all staff from the Office of Outer Space Affairs for their ongoing excellent work in support of this committee. The Czech Republic aligns itself with the statement made by the European Union, and we would like to make a following statement in our national capacity. Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, the Czech government has decided to send the first Czech astronaut Mr. Alex Vogoda, to space, and he has been also selected for reserve astronaut team in the European Space Agency. During the stay at the ISS in 2027, he will perform 13 experiments. For example, one experiment aims to study the behavior of the immune system and viral reactivation, contributing to groundbreaking cancer research. Another project involves testing an innovative wristwatch-style dosimeter designed to enhance astronaut safety by providing precise real-time monitoring of radiation exposure, an essential step for advancing future space missions. The flight of the Czech astronaut to the ISS is part of the national project Czech Space Journey, which focuses on the use of space activities to motivate the younger generation in STEM studies and increase their interest in high-value technologies. A significant aspect aspect of this project also focuses on the use of space activities for the economic development of the Czech Republic. Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, the Czech Republic reiterates its support for the work of the COPUOS and its subcommittees, which remains a key forum for fostering dialogue, collaboration, and mutual understanding among, among states and other stakeholders involved in the outer space activities. The Czech Republic reaffirms its commitment to international law and values the continued efforts of the Legal Subcommittee to develop rules and norms to seek to promote responsible behavior in outer space. The Czech Republic wishes to express its full support for the work of the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resources Activities. We encourage all states to demonstrate the flexibility necessary to achieve a consensus on the draft set of initial recommended principles for space resource activities and ensure the successful fulfillment of the working group's mandate. The Czech Republic commends the work by the scientific, scientific and technical subcommittee. We appreciate the establishment of the expert group on space situational awareness chaired by the United Arab Emirates under the working group on the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, and we look forward to actively contribute to this discussion. In this regard, the Czech Republic was pleased to co-sponsor the conference room paper Assessing Legal and Policy Aspects of Space Traffic and Forging Consensus on the Way Forward presented by Germany, and welcomes the opportunity for a constructive dialogue on the legal and policy dimensions of the space traffic. Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, the Czech Republic wishes to reiterate that our memberships in the European Agency and the European Union remain the main pillars of the development of our space activities and participation in space-related projects. The Czech government's financial contributions to space programs in the European Space Agency exceeded €67 million annually. The main interests of our national space activities lie in the fields of Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications, launchers, space science and exploration, and space safety. Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, we are deeply concerned by the United Nations' persistent liquidity crisis, driven by the insufficient and unpredictable cash flow, which risks undermining the organization's credibility and capacity to deliver the mandated priorities. It is therefore essential that all member states meet their assessed contributions payments in full, on time, and without conditions. At the same time, the Czech Republic supports an ambitious project approach to UN reform under the UN80 initiative aimed to enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, and institutional resilience. We are equally open to supporting closer engagement with representatives of business and academia in COPOS discussions on current issues or their expertise can meaningfully contribute to more informed and forward-looking deliberations. Only modernized and reformed United Nations will be better equipped to respond to the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. Mr. Chair, we would like to reiterate our full solidarity with Ukraine. The Czech Republic condemns in the strongest possible terms the unprovoked and unjustified military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In conclusion, let me assure you that the Czech Republic remains committed to international cooperation in outer space at all levels and reiterates its strong support for the work and the mission of the UN COPUOS and its subcommittees. Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, I thank you for attention. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:00:08]: Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative Of Panama, please. Panama [2:00:19]: Señor presidente, Chair, allow me to begin by congratulating you upon your election to the chairmanship of this committee and reassure you of the full support and cooperation of my delegation to contribute where we can to the success of the work of this body. We also wish to voice our gratitude to Professor Rafiq Akram for his very able leadership of the 68th session, and similar thanks also go to the United Nations Office. Office for Outer Space Affairs, UNOSA, for the work that has gone into the preparation of this, the 69th session. My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the G77 and China. In our national capacity, we'd like to make the following points for your consideration. International cooperation continues to be vital in order to guarantee that the benefits derived from space activities effectively reach all states. In particular developing countries with limited space capacity. In that understanding, we wish to reiterate our commitment to the principles enshrined in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and with the Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for the Benefit and in the Interest of All States adopted by the vehicle of General Assembly Resolution 51/1. 122. We believe that strengthening international cooperation, access to space data, and capacity building are vital building blocks in order to allow us to fully tap the potential of space technologies to promote sustainable development. Chair, as a country that is particularly vulnerable to the adverse impact of climate change, we duly acknowledge the strategic value of space technologies when it comes to strengthening sustainable management of natural resources, protecting ecosystems, and guiding the adoption of public policies based on scientific evidence. Via the institutions that make up the Panamanian Space Data Infrastructure Agency, we're able to tap into data drawn from international Earth observation programs, including Copernicus and Landsat and use that data to feed international mapping activities, the monitoring of mangroves and coastal ecosystems, the assessment of changes in land use and land coverage, and for monitoring urban expansion. Likewise, the Panamanian Ministry of the Environment uses high-resolution satellite imagery to strengthen its monitoring of the carbon footprint, the management of water resources, early detection of forest fires, and tracking of deforestation. We'd also like to draw your attention to the progress spearheaded by the National Authority for Government Innovation in terms of facilitating access to and broad distribution of satellite data drawn from the Copernicus programme. This initiative contributes to strengthening national and regional capacities and is a demonstration of how international cooperation can translate into tangible gains for sustainable development. The experience of our country underscores that timely access to geospatial information enhances public decision-making and contributes to more effective and efficient management of natural and environmental resources. Chair, we are keeping a keen eye on the preparations for the 4th United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes, Unispace 4. We are of the view that this process represents a golden opportunity to strengthen the development mention of the International Space Agenda, as well as a golden opportunity to reiterate the benefits of space activities and what they are, and the fact that they should be available to all countries, and this irrespective of their degree of development or of their space capacities. We take this opportunity further to reiterate our support for the Space 2030 Agenda and to acknowledge the important contribution made by space technology in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, as well as the contribution they make to strengthening disaster resilience and to international efforts to tackle climate change. Finally, we reiterate our commitment to the work of COPUOS and its subcommittees, and we will continue to support efforts aimed at bolstering international cooperation and ensuring that the exploration and use of outer space continues to be pursued exclusively for peaceful purposes And for the benefit of all humankind, thank you very much indeed. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:04:53]: Thank you very much. Next speaker is the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia, Asad Raees. Saudi Arabia [2:05:09]: Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia extends its sincere congratulations to you, Professor Teodor Valente of the Republic of Italy, on assuming the chairmanship of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space for the period 2026-2027. The Kingdom wishes you every success in guiding the work of the committee and reaffirms its support support for your efforts to strengthen its consensus-based approach and its inclusive role in advancing international cooperation in the field of space. We also appreciate the efforts of Ms. Arti Holla-Mäni, Director of United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, and the Secretariat in preparing for and facilitating this session. We reiterate our continued support for the Office and particularly those that contribute to expanding the benefits of space science and applications for developing countries and enhancing their participation in related international efforts. Mr. Chair, the Kingdom believes that the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space constitutes a fundamental pillar of international dialogue on the future of outer space. Space, and an indispensable platform for developing collective approaches that respond to the rapid evolution of space activities while balancing technological progress, sustainability requirements, and the principle of equitable access to the benefits of outer space. In this context, we welcomed endorsement by the Asia-Pacific Group of the candidate candidature of its representative for the position of First Vice Chair of the Committee for the period 2028-2029. We, uh, regard this endorsement as a responsibility that further encourages it to continue contributing constructively to the work of the Committee, supporting cooperation amongst member states and advancing efforts that serve the peaceful, responsible, and sustainable use of outer space. The Kingdom continues to develop a national space sector that goes beyond capacity building to establish scientific and technological contribution of international relevance. In this regard, the launch of the Saudi satellite Shams, developed by national talents and launched aboard Artemis II mission, marked an important milestone in advancing Saudi capabilities in sophisticated scientific missions and reflected the Kingdom's growing engagement in space programs of high research and knowledge value. Guided by its belief that the future of the space sector begins with the investment in people, the Kingdom continues to advance initiatives that connect education, research, and application while opening wider horizons for younger generations to engage in space science. Following the success of the first edition of the Madak competition, which attracted talented young inventors from across the Arab world and culminated in sending the winning experiments to the International Space Station, the Saudi Space Academy, affiliated with the Saudi Space Agency, launched the second edition of the competition. This edition enables students students to develop ideas and scientific experiments capable of implementation in the space environment. The winning entries will be sent to the International Space Station, thereby enhancing the initiative's impact in fostering scientific curiosity, encouraging other talent, and broadening participation in the future of the space sector. We also launched, launched the second edition of the SARI initiative, building on the success of its first edition. Which saw the participation of 480 student teams from 42 Saudi universities, concluded with the selection of 6 winning teams, achieved notable outcomes, most prominently the development and launch of 2 satellites through an integrated applied learning experience. The initiative represents a practical national pathway that enables male and female university students in the Kingdom to gain guided direct experience in the design and construction of satellites. It also reflects a deeper commitment to preparing national talent with applied skills capable of contributing to the future of the space sector through knowledge and hands-on experience. We place sustainability of the space environment among our priorities in international cooperation based on the conviction that orbital safety is no longer a narrowly technical matter but a shared challenge that affects the continuity of space-enabled services, security of infrastructure, and the ability of states to benefit from outer space over the long term. In this— in line with this approach, the Kingdom hosted in Riyadh the 2nd edition of the Space Debris Conference in 2026, which continued to consolidate its position as an international platform bringing together governments, international government organizations, private sector and the scientific community to address evolving challenges associated. We underscore the importance— together we can reflect the importance of cooperation between us and you. Thank you. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:10:48]: Thank you very much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of UK, United Kingdom. Please. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland [2:10:58]: Chair, distinguished delegates, the United Kingdom extends its sincere appreciation to Professor Rafik Akram of Morocco for his leadership as Chair of COPUOS and warmly welcomes Professor Teodoro Valente of Italy as he assumes the role of Chair. From Earth observation to connectivity, from space research to disaster response. Space capabilities are now absolutely fundamental and foundational to our 21st century way of life. And the United Kingdom remains committed to fostering growth within the space sector, to investing in emerging technologies, to prioritizing regulatory reform, and to supporting international collaboration. We are developing a new multi-mission licensing model to authorize and regulate multiple satellites under a single operator license to reduce duplication, to lower administrative burdens, to improve scalability of the regulatory regime, and to support growth. We're approaching the end of the procurement phase of our National Active Debris Removal mission demonstrating national capability to rendezvous with and deorbit 2 unprepared, uncooperative UK-licensed satellites. This mission aims to support both space debris mitigation and the development of the UK's in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, or ISAM sector, and of course its regulatory environment. We've been leading an innovative Rendezvous and Proximity Operations, or RPO, regulatory sandbox in order to stress test our regulatory framework, to improve our regulatory clarity, and to strengthen our capability to enable RPO missions. We're also developing an in-orbit demonstrator program that aims to test ISAM technology on orbit. A key area of work for the committee is space debris and more broadly the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, important to the United Kingdom to help foster growth and to safeguard national interests. Our chief engineer, Andrew Ratcliffe, has been deeply honored to chair the Interagency Space Debris Coordination Committee, IADC, which is a unique international Technical Committee consisting of 13 member space agencies and 3 associate members who coordinate research into space debris and use this to inform the development of approaches that seek to limit the impact of our space activities on the space environment. The IADC's annual meeting saw key progress made on a range of topics, from future recommendations for lunar debris mitigation to developing approaches to measure the long-term changes in the space environment. At the meeting's end, the role of chair of the IADC was passed to the China National Space Administration, and we look forward to working with the new chair in this critically important committee. In conclusion, Chair, distinguished delegates, the United Kingdom firmly believes that COPAUS remains the forum to discuss the peaceful uses of outer space and fully supports the Chair of the Working Group of the Whole and the Office for Outer Space Affairs in their efforts on COPUOS reform. It's imperative to modernize the committee to ensure that it is fit for purpose and to guarantee its longevity well into the future. Thank you, Chair. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:14:55]: Thank you so much. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Italy. Italy [2:15:03]: Thank you, Chair. Italy aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and adds the following remarks in its national capacity. At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Chair Professor Valente, on the assumption of your duties and assure you of Italy's full support in carrying forward the work of this committee, mindful moreover of the trust placed in Italy for the biennium 2026-2027. I also wish to congratulate the 1st and 2nd Vice Chairs of Slovenia and Nigeria for the appointments and express our appreciation to Dr. Akram of Morocco for his chairmanship of the 68th session. We thank UNOSA and its Director for their continued dedication and count on the constructive engagement of all delegations to make these sessions a success. Italy remains firmly committed to ensuring that COPU serves as the central forum for international cooperation on the peaceful use of outer space, a strong platform for inclusive and effective multilateral dialogue. We believe that a stronger COPU should be a more representative one, With a broader participation in the committee, a wider adherence to the UN Treaties on Outer Space, and a greater focus on concrete deliverables. Our recently enacted national space law on space economy translates many of the principles discussed within this committee into national practice, promoting safety, sustainability, innovation, and investment in line with international space law. Another key feature of the Italian approach lies in supporting capacity-building initiatives, recognizing that access to space technology and their benefits remains uneven across regions. Italy strongly supports UNOSA's activities in education, training, and space law. Under the Mattei Plan for Africa, Italy has intensified collaboration with African partners in the space sector, including through the Third Africa Space Leader meeting held in Malindi, Kenya, and with UNOSA Plan and Technical Advisory Mission in the region. In the same spirit of equal partnership, we continue to develop close cooperative relationships with other regions from South America to Asia, building on our national and European experience. Italy's commitment to international cooperation is also reflected in the recently adopted strategic document of national space policy, which underscores the importance of engagement within innovative frameworks alongside partnerships with both established and emerging space actors. Our national programs reflect this global approach through Cosmos, SkyMed 2nd generation, and Iride. Italy contributes to Earth observation in support of climate monitoring, disaster management, and environmental protection. Italy also contributes to international space exploration through initiatives such as the Multipurpose Habitation Module, Argonaut, and Moonlight. Chair Italy attaches particular importance to the substantive work carried out within the committee and its subsidiary bodies on the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. We encourage the working group to achieve consensus this year on concrete deliverables related to the implementation of of the existing guidelines, capacity-building efforts, and enhanced international cooperation, including coordination with the Expert Group on Space Situational Awareness. We also support the continued work of the Action Team on Lunar Activities, consultation, and initiatives aimed at strengthening coherence across the United Nations system on issues related to the governance of outer space activities. Last but not least, together with Morocco, Italy has worked to advance the Unispace 4 proposal with the conviction that the conference should provide a forward-looking and action-oriented framework to address sustainability, international cooperation, and the governance of space activities. We believe that Unispace 4 should not be a commemorative exercise, but a focused and results-driven momentum. We look forward to engage with all member states in a constructive process process aimed at building broad consensus on the objectives and expected outcomes of the conference. In the spirit of dialogue, pragmatism, cooperation, Italy stands ready to work with all delegations to strengthen COPOS as an effective, credible, and inclusive forum for the benefit of present and future generations. On that note, we look forward to seeing many of you at the Italian chair's opening reception Thank you so much. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:19:47]: Next speaker is the distinguished representative of Colombia, please. Colombia [2:19:55]: Gracias. Thank you and good afternoon. Chair, as my first order of business, I'd like to congratulate you on your election to the chairmanship of this session and to thank the Secretariat for the that's gone into organizing this meeting. We align ourselves with the statement delivered on behalf of the G77 and China, and we'd like to make the following remarks in our national capacity. Colombia reaffirms the key role of this committee and its subcommittees, supported by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, UNOOSA, as the principal platforms for international governance on the use of outer space for peaceful purposes. Spurred by this belief, Colombia urges the Committee to continue coordinating efforts to strengthen the implementation of United Nations treaties and principles on outer space and also to play its role in fleshing out international space law. We also call upon the Committee to continue acting to extend the benefits of space and space technology to all humankind. Chair, Colombia wishes to voice its alarm in light of recent global trends which are divorced from the spirit of cooperation and multilateralism that should be the hallmark of any quest for the peaceful and consensus-based resolution or settlement of disputes. For this reason, Colombia issues an appeal for us to come together and work jointly for humankind without distinction of border, political system, religious belief, or any other factor. Outer space, with its almost limitless resources, represents enormous potential for the progress of humankind. For that reason, the exploration and peaceful use of space should serve to facilitate equitable access by all nations, irrespective of their level of technological development. Greater international cooperation that fosters peace and stability should serve as a beacon to inspire future generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers into ALIA. We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that in outer space, there's enough space for everyone. Chair, actively participating in the crafting of a multilateral space governance framework with an inclusive and sustainable focus, and one that is oriented towards collective well-being, is a priority for Colombia. In that understanding, we wish to underscore the importance of ensuring the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in space activities. It is vital to ensure that the development of the space sector is genuinely inclusive and genuinely reflects the diversity of views. This will be essential if we're to meet and overcome global challenges. Turning to another tack, via public tenders in the fields of research, innovation, and training, Colombia has financed initiatives that integrate the use of satellite imagery, geospatial technology, and remote platforms to tackle social, environmental, and productive output problems domestically. In this way, Colombia is seeking to connect the more remote regions of our country by the implementation of satellite communication technologies. We're also making use of Earth observation capacity for disaster prevention and for the protection of the environment. To conclude, Colombia wishes to reiterate that outer space needs to be preserved for future generations, and its use must be focused on benefits for all humankind without anybody being left behind. Thank you very much. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:23:50]: Thank you so much. Next speaker is the distinguished representative of Thailand. Thailand [2:24:00]: Mr. Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. First, we'd like to thank Professor Rafik Akram of Morocco for his successful chairmanship of the 68th session of COBUST and allow us to extend our congratulations to Professor Teodoro Valente on your election as the chair of the 69th session of the committee. Please be assured that Thailand is full support and cooperation on your work. Thailand is positioning ourselves as one of the most active contributors to the global and regional space community during the 2025 to 2026 period. Let me begin with our tireless effort to utilize space technologies to address common regional challenges, particularly transboundary issues such as haze and air pollution. These represent some of the most persistent environmental and public health challenges in Southeast Asia, requiring goodwill, cooperation, and synergy across the nations. In February and April of this year, we successfully organized 2 significant international workshops that foster a better understanding of the cause and characteristic of the regional haze pollution and establish a new regional roadmap for transboundary haze management. This workshop received the vital support from UNSCEAP and the NIER of the Republic of Korea. Furthermore, together with the Philippines-based agencies, We are promoting and raising awareness of space situation awareness and space traffic management among Southeast Asia countries. We co-established the ASEAN SSA STM Steering Committee and co-organized the inaugural meeting in March 2026. The committee and its meeting succeed in providing strategic guidance, oversight, and decision-making support to ensure the successful planning, implementation, and sustainability of ASEAN member states' activities related to the SSA-SA project. Mr. Chair, fundamentally, humankind's success— access to space has been driven by scientific endeavor, technical achievement, and adequate resources. For emerging space nations like Thailand, we continue to strive to be part of the space exploration programs despite current global challenges. In this regard, we welcome ongoing consultation of the proposal to hold the UNISPACE Forum in 2027. We believe that this conference will focus on the concrete action and serve as an opportunity to unify the priorities of all countries, ensuring that the exploration and utilization of outer space are conducted solely for peaceful purposes, benefiting all countries irrespective of their economic or scientific development. We encourage all members of the community to jointly prepare for the and make the most of the value of the historic conference. Thailand also encouraged closer coordination between the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and Legal Subcommittee to maximize the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the COPUS. Mr. Chair, Thailand remains committed to working closely with the committee and international organizations toward the peaceful use of Thank you so much. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:28:04]: Next speaker is the distinguished representative of Republic of Korea, please. Republic of Korea [2:28:13]: Thank you, Chair. The Republic of Korea wishes to extend its sincere congratulations to you on your leadership of this committee. We would like to express our appreciation to Ms. Arti Holomaini, Director of UNOSA, and her team for their dedicated efforts in preparing this 69th session. Our welcome also goes to the new members who have joined the Committee, and we look forward to the continued strengthening of COPUS as the principal global platform for international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Republic of Korea has pursued a comprehensive approach in promoting the peaceful uses of outer space, which is a shared domain for the prosperity of all humankind. This includes developing and utilizing its space assets, establishing robust national space governance framework, and expanding international cooperation. On November 27th last year, the 4th flight of our Korean Space Launch Vehicle, Nuri, was successfully carried out. The vehicle delivered 13 satellites as planned, including the next-generation mid-sized Satellite-3, significantly enhancing our Earth observation capabilities. This mission marked a major milestone as the Republic of Korea's first private sector-led launch, with Hanwha Aerospace serving as the system integrator. Building on these achievements, we will continue to enhance our launch capabilities as we prepare for the 5th flight of Nuri, scheduled for the 3rd quarter of this year. Such advances in Korean space technology are supported by solid space governance. We have elevated the chairmanship of the National Space Committee to the presidential level and established the Korea Aerospace Administration in 2024. Moreover, our science and exploration roadmap provides a clear vision serving as the basis for our development of next-generation launch vehicle, reusable rocket, and lunar landers. Speaker 60 [2:30:34]: Thank you. Republic of Korea [2:30:35]: Chair, space technology can best contribute to the benefit of all mankind when it is shared through international cooperation. In this vein, the Republic of Korea successfully completed a 3-dimensional map of the universe with NASA through the Spirex Space Telescope, as well as the flight of our domestically developed K-LAT Cube aboard Artemis II. Our participation in the Square Kilometer Array, together with these achievements, clearly enhanced comprehensive understanding of the universe and demonstrated new capabilities in space exploration. Furthermore, the Republic of Korea has been expanding its role in discussions and initiatives within the United Nations and across the international community. We successfully hosted the 19th meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems last October in Busan, demonstrating our active contribution to international cooperation in satellite navigation. Building on this, we will host the ROK-UN workshop on the International Space Weather Initiative in Seoul from 7th to 11th September this year, through which we intend to facilitate international communities' discussion in the field of space weather. Alongside efforts to foster dialogue on space issues within the international community, the Republic of Korea is actively participating in United Nations space application programs to ensure a safe, secure, and sustainable space environment. We will continue to support and engage in UN space activities and UNOOSA's Access to Space for All, Space for Youth, and Space for Women initiatives. In closing, the Republic of Korea remains fully committed to its continued cooperation in the work of this Committee, including the activities of the working groups, as well as the discussion of the 4th United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, UNISPACE IV, in Vienna in 2027, Space 2030 Agenda, and the Space for Development Initiative. I thank you, Chair. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:33:07]: Thank you so much. The next speaker is a distinguished representative Ukraine [2:33:15]: Thank you, Mr. Chair. The delegation of Ukraine warmly welcomes you, Mr. Chair, on your assumption of this important position. It expresses our full support to you and the Secretariat ensuring the comprehensive and efficient work of our session. Ukraine aligns itself with the statement delivered by the delegation of the European Union and I would like to make remarks in my national capacity. Currently, the committee operates in an environment where humanity is experiencing the most profound transformation in the history of space exploration and use. The exponential deployment of satellite constellations in low Earth orbit, the active integration of artificial intelligence and automation in space system management, the development of commercial spaceflight, and practical preparations for the utilization of space resources on the Moon and other celestial bodies. All of these provide unique tools to address global challenges on Earth, from climate change to the digital divide. Yet these very positive trends generate unprecedented challenges and systematic risks that evolve much faster than the existing international legal framework. Ukraine stands firm on the position that outer space represents the future of all humankind. We must not allow terrestrial disputes to be projected into orbit. Any activity in outer space must be based on the principles of justice, transparency, predictability, the strict adherence to the UN Charter and the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. Modern realities and the technological complexity of space projects require us to look beyond purely technical or commercial regulations. The ethical dimension of space activities must become an integral and foundational part of the international political and legal discourse. Ukraine consistently advocates, advocates for the systematic integration of ethical principles into the future international legal framework governing outer space activity. In this regard, we continue to support the important role played by the UN-affiliated regional centers for space science and technology education. At the same time, Ukraine reiterates its longstanding position that the so-called Center for Space Science and Technology Education in the Eurasian region hosted in the Russian Federation Federation should remain non-affiliated with the United Nations. Affiliation with the UN presupposes the respect for the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, which the Russian Federation continues to violate through its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. Mr. Chair, we cannot engage in discussions about sustainable development, legal progress, and ethics in space while turning a blind eye to real threats to international security here on Earth. The unprovoked and unjustified full-scale war of aggression that the Russian Federation has been waging against Ukraine since February 2022 has clearly demonstrated the most dangerous precedent of modern times: the destruction of the international legal order on Earth is instantly projected into the space domain, shattering the fundamental principles of trust. Today we observe a cynical trend whereby civilian technologies, satellite systems, and commercial infrastructure are responsibly weaponized by the aggressor state to sustain military operations and wage a war of conquest. The deliberate destruction of Ukraine's scientific, technological, and space potential, together with missile attacks against civil infrastructure, constitute direct violation of our state's right to equal access to the benefits of the space era. The aggressive abuse of missile technologies observed in recent years cause particular alarm. The territory of Ukraine has been transformed by the aggressor state into a testing ground for advanced weaponry, culminated in the cynical use of intermediate-range ballistic missiles against large and densely populated cities. Furthermore, the Russian Federation continues to expand the aggression through unlawful military-technical cooperation with UN-sanctioned states, including the import of ballistic missiles in direct violation of binding Security Council resolutions. Simultaneously, irresponsible statements continue to made by the Russian officials and media outlets regarding the possibility of targeting or destroying civilian and commercial space assets of other nations under the fabricated pretext of their alleged quasi-civilian status. In this context, any attempts by the aggressor state to promote manipulative initiatives on the Copernicus platform under the slogans of promoting peace, space science, free access to technologies represent the highest degree of political cynicism. Such initiatives are aimed solely at diverting attention from Russia's own violations, eroding the unique civilian mandate of COPUOS, and artificially duplicating the functions of the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. Peace in outer space cannot be built under the aegis of those who destroy peace on Earth. Every single day, trample upon the UN Charter, and serve as a source of hybrid threats to all humankind. Such initiatives should be firmly rejected by the international community as fundamentally incompatible with the principles of justice, accountability, and international law. Finally, Mr. Chair, Ukraine strongly believes that we must protect the unique mandate of COPOS from political manipulation, support progressive and inclusive initiatives aimed at modernizing space law and strengthening ethical governance in outer space, and continue to reject attempts to misuse the authority of the United Nations to conceal and legitimize aggressive and destructive policies. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:39:28]: Thank you so much. So the next speaker is the distinguished representative of France. France [2:39:36]: Thank you, Chair. Mr. Chair, dear colleagues, first and foremost, I would like to thank Professor Rafiq Akram of Morocco for his commitment during the previous session of COPUOS. I also congratulate Professor Teodoro Valente of Italy on his election to the chairmanship of our committee, and I'd like to assure you, Chair, that you have the full support of my delegation over the course of our work. My thanks also to the Director of the Office of Outer Space Affairs, Ms. Arti Oulamaini, and her teams for preparing our work. Mr. Chair, my delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the European Union, and we'd like to add the following elements in a national capacity. Since the 68th session of our committee, France has continued its commitment in outer space. In November 2025, it published its National Space Strategy, which sets the course and the ambition for France in this sector through 2040. This document makes international cooperation an essential pillar of our action in outer space. It reaffirms the fundamental importance that France gives to space multilateralism, with COPROS at its heart. As a responsible space power, France will continue to be involved constructively in multilateral fora. In addition, France continues its commitment to exploration and peaceful use of space for the benefit of all. Thus, on the 13th of February, 2026, the astronaut Sophie Ednaud set out for the International Space Station, where she's carrying out experiments in the areas of physiology and health, as well as carrying out educational activities. In addition, in February and April 2026, the European launcher Ariane 6 successfully took off from the Space Center in Guyana, the spaceport of Europe. 8 Ariane 6 launches are foreseen for 2026. Mr. Chair, given the unprecedented risk posed by the exponential increase in orbital traffic, France recalls our commitment to the full implementation of the treaties on space and our commitment to the standards that complement these treaties. The implementation of existing guidelines on long-term sustainability of space activities remain a central priority for my delegation. France also would like the committee to address new challenges that we need to face rapidly. In this regard, I'd like to welcome the extension of the LTS working group through 2026 in order to allow our work to progress on topics of considerable importance, such as space situational awareness or debris management. In this context, my delegation welcomes that the work of the Group of Experts on SSA will continue under the chairmanship of the UAE. The coordination of space traffic is not just a strong priority for France, it's also an imperative for all of us. I would add that any ambition in this area— pardon, says the speaker. I would add that any ambition, any concrete action in this area requires capacity and knowledge for space environment monitoring. This is essential to avoid risks of collision. That is why France is strongly involved in the EUSS partnership financed by the European Union. We are one of the main contributors to this program, and that's also why my delegation fully supports the initiative of the UNUSA and the expert group on SSA to exchange contact points of satellite operators. And we call on member states of COPLOS to support this project, which is a step in the right direction. In addition, my delegation encourages all the members of this committee to contribute concretely to this initiative by communicating the points of contact of their satellite operators to the office. In addition, we support the immediate establishment of an International Committee on Space Monitoring, the secretariat of which could be provided under the supervision of COPPOS within the Office of Outer Space Affairs. This committee would allow for coordination between existing SSA systems and future ones in the world. Finally, in Paris on the 9th and 10th of September, France will organize an International Space Summit. This summit will be based on the main themes of science and exploration, regulation of space activities, space economy, and security. This moment will allow us to leverage the work of our committee and to highlight the importance of space multilateralism in managing the challenges that we all face. Mr. Chair, to conclude, I'd like to reiterate the support of my delegation to the organization of a Unispace 4 conference. This will be an important step to give the committee clear direction and to identify concrete solutions in order to address the challenges that await us in terms of the long-term sustainability of space activity. delegation is prepared to engage actively and constructively with the other delegations so that this event can be a success. I thank you, Chair. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:44:56]: Thank you so much. Thank you so much. We have time for 2 more interventions. Please keep in mind the 4-minute limit. So now the next speaker is the distinguished representative of United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates [2:45:19]: Chair, the United Arab Emirates is delighted to be participating in the work of the 69th session of the Committee on the Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes, COPUAS. We thank the committee Committee and its Secretariat for the very able way that they have managed the work of this Committee when it comes to the peaceful use of outer space. Thanks and appreciation to Mr. Rafik Akan as outgoing Chair of the COPUOS at his 68th session. Very grateful to him for all of his hard work. Congratulations also to Professor Teodora Valente, will be chairing the committee at the 69th session. We wish you, Professor Valenti, every success in steering our work going forward. We are firmly persuaded that your experience and expertise will further bolster international consensus and will strengthen multilateral cooperation whilst further underscoring and underpinning the vital role of this committee. Chair, my country is pursuing the development of its space sector guided by a strategic strategic vision that is clear and transparent. We are pursuing that goal, ensuring that we can have a positive international impact, particularly in terms of economic and sustainable development. We have a National Strategy for the Space Sector 2031, which serves as a roadmap, a well-plotted roadmap. We seek to emerge as a hub for innovation and for space partnerships as well as investments. Said strategy is based on 3 pillars. One, setting up a more resilient space system that is more attractive to investors. Second pillar is to engage in leadership in space partnerships or to emerge as a leader in crafting space partnerships. And the third pillar is market access. We also seek as part of this drive to expand the scope of research and development and the scale thereof. Against the backdrop of that vision, we have launched a national program for space industry, the purpose of which is to strengthen the competitive positioning of our space sector via a raft of policies and initiatives— economic, financial, investment, and operational— which will contribute to the development of our society and the broader international society and expand markets while strengthening knowledge transfer and capacity building. We've also rolled out a corporate space cooperation program at the international level to the tune of 1 billion dirham, a program which encompasses strategic sectors and partners and which should serve to accelerate the development of new space technologies and techniques and should also transfer transform the fruits of innovation and research, making sure they can be directly applied. In the upcoming period, the UAE will pursue further quality projects, beginning with a project for lunar exploration and an asteroid project. Said projects should further serve to strengthen already developed techniques and expand national competence and private sector competence and bolster future scientific research. We'd like to reiterate, Chair, the importance that we in the UAE attach to sustainability of outer space activities. We also voice our support for international efforts in awareness raising surrounding outer space and the peaceful use and purposes thereof. And we welcome all member states and experts for their contribution to that broader public understanding. We look forward to the adoption of further recommendations to further strengthen that role during this session, because these recommendations adopted here at the 69th session will be a further building block to ensure the sustainability of space and outer space activities. By way of conclusion, my delegation would like to reiterate its commitment to the objectives and purposes of this committee, as well as to the principles of the peaceful and responsible use of outer space. We will look forward to working with all countries and with all international partners in the areas of space cooperation. Thank you very much indeed, Chair, for your very kind attention. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:49:46]: Thank you so much. So the next speaker is the distinguished representative of Germany. Germany [2:49:54]: Thank you, Chair. Chair, Germany fully aligns itself with the statement made by the European Union and wishes to add the following remarks in its national capacity. Chair, let me start by congratulating you on your election, and we wish you, your team, and all of us a constructive session and stand ready to support you wherever we can. We also want to thank Director Hollermeier and her team for the excellent preparation of this session. Speaker 70 [2:50:21]: Thank you. Germany [2:50:22]: Chair, colleagues, Germany is committed to advancing the peaceful, sustainable, and inclusive use of space to ensure that space continues to serve the benefit of all. Our delegation attaches great importance to maintaining the unique role of the committee and its subcommittees, and we look forward to collaborating with all of you to enable COPUS to deliver on its important mandate. Germany is pleased to have contributed 2 written submissions to the Space 2030 Agenda midterm review process that are highlighting activities for the benefit and in the interest of countries across regions, including for developing and emerging spacefaring nations. We are pleased to be partnering with the African Group, Brazil, Iraq, Jordan, Mexico, Pakistan, and Panama on the Space for Development Initiative. We cordially invite all members states to join the upcoming informal meetings, actively engage with this initiative, including in the gap analysis, and support the decision to continue the initiative in the coming year. We also invite all member states to join our cross-regional side events. On 12th of June, entitled Sharing Scientific Data from Space Cooperation, Access, and Capacity Building, hosted together with Canada. and on the 15th of June entitled Space for All: Interregional Dialogue to Advance Cooperation and Capacity: Steps to Fill the Gaps. Central element of these events will be reflected in dedicated CRPs. As requested by several delegations across regions, we encourage the committee to continue the information collection on the legal and policy aspects of space traffic. In the COPOS legal subcommittee, committee as agreed last year and to task the Secretariat with analyzing the contributions to identify appropriate next steps. Dear colleagues, we consider it's crucial that COPUS agrees on the new work plan on the LTS Working Group led by India and particularly welcome the expert-based working methods and elements to support capacity building and international cooperation in the current draft. In the expert group on SSA, Led by the UAE, we look forward to fruitful discussion on draft recommendations. On Unispace 4, it is important that the event highlights that COPUS can deliver. This is more important than ever before. Our delegation believes that the agreed text will help the conference achieve tangible outcomes while avoiding the duplication of existing efforts. Germany is ready to continue its constructive involvement in the upcoming informal meetings with the aim of reaching an agreement on concrete deliverables for Unispace 4. Dear colleagues, um, we look forward to constructive exchanges aiming to reach consensus on the important decisions to be made at the current session, and we express our gratitude to all contributing this common endeavor. Thank you for your kind attention. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [2:53:23]: Thank you, thank you very much, and thanks to all the distinguished representatives for their intervention. We will continue our consideration on agenda item number 5 this afternoon. Since I will now adjourn this meeting of the committee, before doing so, I would like to inform delegates of our schedule of work for this afternoon. We will meet promptly at 3:00 PM, and at that time we will continue our consideration on agenda item number 5, General Exchange of Views. As you may recall, at 66, section of the committee agreed that with the exception of the item on the General Exchange view, all agenda items of the committee and its subcommittees are being considered in sequential order, while the holding of working group meeting should not be precluded. In view of the above agreement, this committee will proceed and consider agenda items in sequential order, with the exception of the agenda item We will begin and hopefully conclude our consideration on Agenda Item 6, Ways and Means of Maintaining Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes. We will then adjourn the plenary meeting so that the Working Group of the Wall can hold its 4th meeting. 3 technical presentations are scheduled for this afternoon. Delegates are reminded that the A full schedule of technical presentations is available on the session webpage. I would also like to inform delegates that the informal meeting of the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation will be held in Conference Room M2 from 1:00 PM to 1:55 PM. The informal consultation will be held in a hybrid format via MS Teams with a wheelchair connection made available to ATAC members. The MS Teams links is provided in the information circular OOSA/2026/58 dispatched on the 4th of June 2026. I would also like to Delegates that informal consultation on Unispace 4 will be held from 2 to 2:55 PM in Conference Room M2. The informal consultation will be held in a hybrid format via Microsoft Teams, with a hybrid connection made available to member states. The Microsoft Teams link is. provided in the Information Circular OOSA/2026/53 dispatched on 8 June 2026. I would now like to give the floor to the Secretariat to provide information on side events as well as the issues relevant to the Office website and session documents. Thank you. UNOOSA · Secretariat [2:56:49]: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As we already got past like 1 PM, I'll just do it in English only. This is the announcement. Thank you. Distinguished delegates, today at lunchtime right now, there will be 5 side events, opening of exhibition, Intercosmos International Council of the USSR Academy of Sciences organized by the Russian Federation from 1 PM already at the rotunda on the ground floor of the C Building. A side event entitled Practices, Tools, and Coordination: Making Sustainability Work, co-organized by the Office for Outer Space Affairs and the European Space Agency, from also from 1 PM in Conference Room M3. Another side event entitled International Astronautical Congress 2026 in Antalya: The World Needs More Space, organized by Türkiye, from 1:30 PM in Conference Room M5. A side event entitled The Price of Progress: Space Debris and a Future of Sustainability, co-organized by the Office of Outer Space Affairs and Saudi Arabia, from 2 PM in Conference Room M3. And finally, a side event entitled Bridging Space Innovation and Sustainable Development: A Trilateral Cooperation Model for the Global South, organized by the UN SPIDER and Paraguayan Space Agency, from 2 PM in Conference Room M5. The schedule of these side events are available on our website. And finally, distinguished delegates, I would like to inform you that there is an ongoing issue with the United Nations Official Document System, ODS, which is maintained by the UN headquarters. Orders, and which has been non-operational as of Sunday, 7th of June. Well, despite all these problems, please be assured that to avoid any disruption of work for this session, the office will proactively ensure all documents relevant to this session are available on the session's webpage once this issue with ODS has been fixed. The secretariat will also inform the committee. And furthermore, Due to fundamental changes to the underlying IT infrastructure of the website of the office, the circumstances unexpectedly require the office to migrate the website to a new web content management system. Unfortunately, the changes have impacted all databases on the office's website, including searchable online index of objects launched into outer space, which are no longer fully functional. The Office notes that the registration documents comprising the United Nations Register of the Objects Launched into Outer Space and other treaty implementation documents are still accessible on the Office's website. The Office is presently working on providing an interim index to the registration documents, which will be made available on the main Space Object Register webpage in the near future. A replacement online Index compatible with the new system is presently in development, and the Office will be expediting its completion. Updates will be provided through the Office website. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Italy · Chair · Teodoro Valentini [3:00:01]: I thank the Secretariat for the information. Are there any questions or comments on this proposed schedule? Okay, I see none. So, distinguished delegates, the meeting is Resumed at 3 PM. And we'll lunch.