ESPI/SWF Evening Event “UN COPUOS and ITU regimes: synergies and best practices?”

Join the European Space Policy Institute and Secure World Foundation for an evening event designated to facilitate an open exchange of views on the best practices that could be taken forward to enhance effectiveness of the UN COPUOS and ITU respective regimes.

Both spectrum and orbits are two increasingly used and increasingly scarce natural resources. The raising use of space has led not only to a higher congestion of Earth orbits, but also of a growing demand for access to spectrum frequency bands for satellite applications, reflecting the advent of new “spectrum-hungry” connectivity concepts. The current situation is overburdening national and international bodies that deals with, on the one hand,  providing an overview of registered space objects and, on the other hand, filing of spectrum frequencies and (for GEO) related orbits.

In this context, two ongoing & related phenomena can be highlighted. Firstly, the problem of orbit and spectrum reservation without actual use, and the phenomenon of spectrum warehousing and overfilling with so-called paper satellites. Secondly, the lack of filings, required under the Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, as well as a lack of representation in the Online Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space of the status of active space objects in orbit.

The ESPI/SWF Evening event aims to demonstrate that while UN COPUOS and the ITU will continue to operate under different mandates and in different institutional setups, some best practices could be taken forward to enhance effectiveness of the two respective regimes, especially in view of a dealing with the above-described related challenges.

Refreshments at the event are kindly offered by ESPI.

A detailed event agenda will be provided prior to the event.

Please note this is an in-person event. Participation is open to all delegates to the 66^th session of UN COPUOS without registration. Limited number of seats with mandaory registration at https://forms.office.com/e/wX15qwQsbQ is available to broader public on a first-come, first-served basis.