Agenda Item 15: Space2030 Agenda
As delivered by Head of Delegation David Turner
64th Session of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
Thank you, Mr. Chair and distinguished delegates.
As access to space expands and human space exploration reaches new heights, the international community must come together to ensure a collaborative and peaceful future in outer space. During the celebration of UNISPACE+50 in 2018, UNCOPUOS set out to develop a “Space2030” agenda and implementation plan. This document aimed to highlight the importance of space in addressing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to help guide the Committee through 2030. Since then, Member States have come together to work through their differences and towards a unifying document that emphasizes the benefits of space for all nations.
The United States would like to thank the chairs and vice chairs of this working group for their tireless efforts in pushing this work forward. Their patience and willingness to find areas of compromise were instrumental in the establishment of this agenda. I have no doubt this process would have been far more difficult without their guidance.
The United States has been committed to this process from the very beginning and has enjoyed working with other delegations to further the important cause of sustainably developing outer space. Some of these positive interactions have been with long-time partners, and others with new players on the scene. This ability to work together and find common ground is what UNCOPUOS truly embodies.
The United States is optimistic that the ambitious Space2030 agenda will move ahead and urges the members of this Committee to put aside politics and brinkmanship for the benefit of the sustainable development and exploration of outer space. Many delegates here are all too familiar with the “Vienna spirit,” the guiding principle that encourages Member States to embrace compromise and advance the benefits of outer space for all. I hope that we can continue to channel that spirit during this session and produce a Space2030 agenda that works for all nations.
The United States looks forward to continued opportunities to engage with the international community on outer space issues and would like to underscore the vital role that UNCOPUOS plays in this process.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.