UAE participates in Working Group session on reducing space threats

The session, headed by HE Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Advanced Science and Technology, was focused on reducing space threats through norms, rules, and principles of responsible behaviours.

Held from 28 August to 1 September in Geneva, Switzerland, the session discussed the development of standards that guarantee the peaceful and responsible use of outer space.

The UAE’s participation stems from its commitment to adhering to international treaties, policies, and laws in the field of space, especially those to which the country is a party. This affirms the UAE’s position towards enabling space exploration and its use for peaceful purposes to serve humanity.

In his keynote speech, Sharaf, said: “The UAE is committed to achieving the objectives of the working group to harness space sciences and technologies to serve humanity, while adhering to the treaties regulating countries’ activities in space exploration and the use of outer space. This contributes to achieving global requirements for the sustainability of space and planet Earth.”

Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director-General of the UAE Space Agency, stressed the importance of equal and fair access to space, which is one of the main elements to be considered when defining the norms, rules, and principles for the responsible use of outer space.

During its participation in the fourth session, the UAE delegation presented a keynote speech emphasising a set of priorities that must be taken into account in the OEWG outcomes. These included strengthening trust and transparency between states in maintaining the peaceful uses, preventing an arms race in outer space for the long-term sustainability of space activities and the space environment, acknowledging the right of member states to develop their capabilities in space systems in a peaceful manner, encouraging member states to take necessary measures to account for the needs and capabilities of states with emerging space programs, and stressing the need to agree on a reference terminology document which will serve as a tool to accelerate the OEWG outcomes in the development of international standards and principles for the peaceful and responsible use of outer space.