The new UN working group on the long-term sustainability of the use of outer space, which is currently under formation, will likely focus on tackling the issue of space debris, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), tasked with promoting international cooperation on the peaceful use of space, told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th May, 2020) The new UN working group on the long-term sustainability of the use of outer space, which is currently under formation, will likely focus on tackling the issue of space debris, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), tasked with promoting international cooperation on the peaceful use of space, told Sputnik.
Earlier in the year, UNOOSA told Sputnik that it was forming a working group on the sustainable use of space after 10 years of work dedicated to the formalization of guidelines on the long-term sustainability of space activities.
"The working group has not yet developed its terms of reference, methods of work or workplan, but it is expected that its members will be representatives of states members of the Committee [on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space] and it is likely that this working group will address topics related to space debris," Niklas Hedman, the chief of the Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section at UNOOSA, said in an interview.
The UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) was expected to consider matters related to the working group during a session this year, but the session was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the official.
"Plans are now proposed to hold 'administrative' meetings of both Legal Subcommittee and COPUOS as extraordinary measures under their respective sessions in September 2020. Such meetings will likely be 1-2 days long and cover 'housekeeping' matters to secure business continuity of COPUOS and its Subcommittees for 2021," Hedman added.
UNOOSA may also hold consultations in late August on the development of the "Space2030" agenda, which might be agreed upon at the COPUOS meeting in September, the official noted.
The agency has been seeking to ensure that the "Space2030" agenda, envisaging space as a driving force in sustainable development, plays a role in achieving the corresponding goals that the UN looks to achieve in 10 years.
