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EU Statement on Space for Sustainable Development at COPUOS 63rd Session of the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee, 2 January 2026

02.02.2026
Vienna
Press and information team of the Delegation to UN and OSCE in Vienna

Chair, 

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. Albania and Ukraine also align themselves with this statement.

Chair,

The EU supports the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, as a cornerstone of the United Nations, and contributes to the implementation of the Space2030 Agenda via the Global Gateway and the EU Space Programme’s components Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus and GOVSATCOM. The EU has shared significant insights on its activities supporting the “Space2030” Agenda as part of the mid-term review. Allow me to highlight a few concrete examples. 

In Latin America, the EU established fruitful partnerships under the Copernicus LAC initiative, notably with Panama and Chile. These collaborations enhance the specialized use of Copernicus data, focusing on disaster risk reduction, land management, and marine services. By leveraging Copernicus data, Panama and Chile serve as regional hubs, fostering innovation, business development, digitalization, and resilience. 

Similarly, the CopPhil initiative in the Philippines, is promoting the uptake of free and open Copernicus data through the CopPhil Centre. This effort aims to harness digital resources and space technology to support sustainable development and drive innovation in research and business. The CoPhil Centre plays a vital role in enhancing the Philippines’ capacity to address climate vulnerability, biodiversity, and improve hazard management and resilience.

The Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme also holds particular importance. With an initial investment of EUR 45 million, this programme fosters space technologies, services, and applications, utilizing advanced systems such as Copernicus for Earth observation and Galileo and EGNOS for satellite navigation. This alliance addresses critical societal challenges, including climate change monitoring and disaster resilience, and enhances private sector capacity and skills, stimulates growth in the space industry, and expands the data economy.           

Thank you.