Space Security
Celebrating the Space Age:
50 Years of Space Technology, 40 Years of the Outer Space Treaty
Conference - Palais des Nations - Geneva
April 2007
This was the most recent in a series of conferences held by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) with the support of The Simons Foundation on the issue of space security, the peaceful uses of outer space and the prevention of an arms race in outer space.
Participants at the conference reflected on the anniversaries celebrated in 2007 - the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 and the entry into force of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967 - and how the Space Age has shaped, and continues to shape, the world today. The necessity of making human use of outer space sustainable was a common theme, underlined by discussions of the challenges and threats faced by all states in this regard. Various understandings of and approaches to space security were put forward, as well as concrete proposals on how to guarantee that outer space is preserved as an environment to be used peacefully by humankind, for the good of humankind.
The conference report is now available from The Simons Foundation. Please contact Elaine Hynes at elaine_hynes@sfu.ca or at telephone number 778-782-7779 to obtain a copy.
Information on previous conferences in the series:
Building the Architecture for Sustainable Space Security
Conference - Palais des Nations - Geneva
March 2006
Safeguarding Space Security:
Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space
Conference - Palais des Nations - Geneva
March 2005
Safeguarding Space for All:
Security and Peaceful Uses
Conference - Palais des Nations - Geneva
March 2004
Outer Space and Global Security
Conference - Palais des Nations - Geneva
November 2002