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United Nations Office For Outer Space Affairs: Annual Report 2018

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World
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OOSA
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FOREWORD

The year 2018 was an outstanding period for the Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), with UNISPACE+50 being one of many highlights among a number of exciting developments.

Under the Access to Space 4 All initiative, launched at the High-level Forum in November 2018, we are enabling communities from all over the world to use and benefit from space technologies and applications. Building on the partnerships that we have established over the years, projects covering everything from microgravity, basic space science and data, disaster risk reduction, space law to even orbital opportunities have been introduced.

In 2018, through our cooperation with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on the KiboCube project, we have taken these capacity-building efforts to another level by breaking records through the launch of the first cube satellite under the auspices of the United Nations to make Kenya an emerging space nation, while additionally sparking the creation of Kenya’s own national space agency.

This bridging function of UNOOSA has been a great success and offering the full package of access to space to countries and their citizens from all corners of the globe ultimately benefits the whole of humanity. We will be further expanding this initiative in the coming years.

Furthermore, as highlighted in the 2018 UNOOSA/ European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) pioneering report, the use of space applications delivers direct benefits to almost 40 per cent of the 169 targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Consequently, the Office is working on a broad set of initiatives and projects and is constantly expanding its portfolio to support SDG implementation through the unique angle space can provide.

With more than 800 participants, over 30 space agencies present and over 100 delegations and Member States, including representatives at ministerial and vice-ministerial level and numerous high-level delegates and observers, as well as over 40 exhibitors attending the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, UNISPACE+50 truly exemplified the unique role of UNOOSA as a convener of the international space community. Being able to welcome such a diverse and extensive group of participants to Vienna can be considered as one of the highlights of the activities of the Office for Outer Space Affairs in 2018.

With numerous panel discussions, side-events and receptions, during June 2018 the Vienna International Centre indeed became the hub of international space activity and I would like to thank all delegations, participants, contributors and sponsors for their great support in making UNISPACE+50 a unique and exceptional event.

Through our innovative partnerships, and capacity-building, awareness-raising and outreach efforts, all highlighted in this annual report, we are confident that our work can make a real difference to the future of peaceful uses of outer space. We are living in exciting, ground-breaking times in the outer space arena, and the Office, together with its stakeholders and partners, will do its best to keep bringing the benefits of space to everyone, everywhere.

Ms. Simonetta Di Pippo Director, Office for Outer Space Affairs