SWF Statement – UN COPUOS, Exchange of Views: Space Security, LTS, and RF Interference (June 2015)

This statement summarizes Secure World Foundation’s global engagement in support of COPUOS priorities over the first half of 2015. Highlights include:

• Space Security and Legal Dialogues:
  SWF co-organized three high-level events in March 2015:
  • A Wilton Park workshop on linking space activities with international security and stability.
  • A Washington, DC roundtable on international law and military activities in space.
  • A Geneva dialogue with UNIDIR exploring the principle of self-defense in outer space .
• LTS Capacity Building in Latin America:
  SWF led a regional workshop in Costa Rica with ACAE and the Costa Rican MFA to discuss COPUOS LTS guidelines with 11 GRULAC states. This was followed by participation in a GEO working group meeting in Mexico City planning for GEO’s 2015 Ministerial Conference.
• Disaster Response and Earth Observation:
  SWF sponsored two regional flood modeling workshops using high-resolution SRTM data in Mexico (with CRECTEALC) and South Africa (with SANSA), advancing satellite applications for disaster risk reduction.
• UN-SPIDER and Sustainable Development:
  The Foundation co-sponsored the UN/Germany conference on “Global Solutions for the Challenges of Sustainable Development in Societies at Risk”, further linking EO tools to development goals.
• Handbook for New Actors in Space:
  Progress continued on this flagship project, which aims to guide emerging space actors in aligning with international norms and best practices. The handbook will be available freely in multiple formats and is being peer-reviewed by international experts.
• Space Policy Education and Outreach:
  SWF promoted its expanding Fact Sheet program on key space policy topics, and raised a growing civil society concern about radio frequency interference (RFI) from terrestrial services threatening satellite-based operations. The statement urges COPUOS to complement ITU and other fora by addressing this issue within the LTS guideline framework.