Secure World Foundation Expands Operations

The Secure World Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of an office in Vienna, Austria to expand its global interaction and involvement in the shaping of international space governance issues.

Establishing a Secure World Foundation (SWF) office outside of the United States exemplifies the growth of the organization and its involvement in international space activities, explained consultant Agnieszka Lukaszczyk, head of SWF’s Vienna operations. “This was an important step for SWF, as Europe and the United Nations have critical roles to play in all of the issues with which we deal,” added Dr. Ray Williamson, SWF’s Executive Director.

“Having most of the United Nations space-related entities here in Vienna, such as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, the establishment of a SWF presence in Vienna will allow us to focus not only on European space policy but also on various international endeavors related to space,” Lukaszczyk noted.

Emphasizing the importance of the new office in Vienna, Lukaszczyk noted SWF’s Permanent Observer Status with the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

“We can actively participate in discussions, meetings, and works of the committee and its subcommittees. During the upcoming session of the UN COPUOS, the Secure World Foundation will make a statement during the General Exchange of Views,” Lukaszczyk said. “We will also attend and actively contribute to the work of the Action Team 14 on Near Earth Objects, in which SWF has membership status. Most of all, we are organizing the first ever working lunch for all the UN COPUOS Permanent Observers to discuss our roles and duties in the committee,” she added.