SWF Contributes to the Policy Symposium on Future of Space Governance

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

SWF Chief Program Officer Dr. Brian Weeden and Director of Space Applications Programs Ms. Krystal Azelton both contributed to the virtual Policy Symposium jointly organized by the Portuguese Space Agency and the United Nations  Office of Outer Space Affairs from March 11-15, 2024. The Policy Symposium was part of a broader set of activities looking at the current and future management and sustainability of outer space activities, which is tied to the "Our Common Agenda" policy brief and the United Nations Summit of the Future. 

The Policy Symposium brought together international experts from industry, academia, governments, and civil society to discus the policy aspects of three key topics related to space governance: space debris, space traffic management, and space resources. Dr. Weeden participated in a virtual panel discussion that focused on the need to develop a practical framework for coordinating space situational awareness, space object maneuvers, and space events. Dr. Weeden emphasized the complexity of the STM challenge, especially given the polycentric nature of space governance, the need for both national regulatory frameworks and international agreement on standard "rules", and urged the community to not let pursuit of the ideal solution get in the way of making incremental progress. A recording of his panel can be found below:

Ms. Azelton participated in the final session on Civil Society, which  convened a diverse array of civil society organizations to deliberate on their pivotal role in shaping Space Sustainability. She focused on the need for inclusive approaches for outer space governance that take into consideration the needs and concerns of all the relevant stakeholders, not just those of state actors. A recording of her panel can be found below:

The inputs provided at this Policy Forum will be combined with those at the previous Technical Symposium in November 2023 and summarized at an in-person conference in Lisbon, Portugal, May 14-15, 2024.