SWF Statement – UN COPUOS STSC, Agenda LTS: Draft Guidelines and TCBMs for Space Sustainability (February 2014)

This statement acknowledges the historic and collaborative progress of the UN COPUOS STSC in developing the draft Long-Term Sustainability (LTS) Guidelines. SWF commends the global nature of the process, involving over 30 nations and numerous international organizations, culminating in 33 preliminary guidelines. It emphasizes the importance of consensus to turn these drafts into actionable voluntary best practices for governments, organizations, and private entities.

SWF links the importance of LTS to broader global challenges such as climate change, disaster management, and economic development, drawing on insights from the World Economic Forum’s publication Bringing Space Down to Earth. The statement also highlights alignment with the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures (TCBMs), suggesting several LTS guidelines could support or overlap with GGE recommendations. SWF encourages further integration between the COPUOS and GGE processes to strengthen the governance and sustainability of outer space activities.