COPUOS Legal Subcommittee holding its 48th session this week and next

The 48th session of the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) opened on March 23, 2009 at the Vienna International Center and will last until April 2. The Secure World Foundation, which has permanent observer status at COPUOS, will be represented by consultant Agnieszka Lukaszczyk. She will also be representing an SWF partner, the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), as she is an executive officer with that organization.

The objective of this session, according to the COPUOS website, is to address the status and application of the five United Nations treaties on outer space, review and possible revision of the principles relevant to the use of nuclear power sources in outer space, definition and delimitation of outer space, matters relating to the character and use of the geostationary orbit, and capacity-building in space law. International organizations have been invited to report on their activities related to space law.

The agenda for this session consists of the following:

- General exchange of information on national mechanisms relating to space debris mitigation measures
- Status and application of the five United Nations treaties on outer space
- Registering property interests in space assets
- Capacity-building in space law
- General exchange of information on national legislation relevant to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space
- Membership (currently at 69 Member States)

For further information, please contact:

Jamshid Gaziyev
Associate Programme Officer, UNOOSA
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-4958
Email: jamshid.gaziyev@unoosa.org