Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the sixty-eighth session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, in Vienna today:
Let me begin with a simple truth: every phone call you made to get here, every global positioning system (GPS) route that guided your journey, every weather forecast that helped you pack — all of it depended on space.
Space is not the final frontier. It is the foundation of our present. Without satellites orbiting overhead right now, global food systems would collapse within weeks. Emergency responders would lose their lifelines. Climate scientists would be flying blind. And our hopes of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would be out of reach.
This is why your work matters. This is why the work of this Committee — COPUOS — is not just important, but urgent. For over six decades, through shifting geopolitics and changing priorities, this Committee has consistently delivered.
Five space treaties. Space sustainability guidelines. The Space 2030 Agenda. You don’t just talk about space governance — you create it. But today, we need to shift our focus to scale.
The United Nations has identified six critical areas for SDG acceleration: food systems, energy transitions, digital connectivity, education and skills, environmental action, and jobs and social protection.
Every single one depends on space technologies. This is a paradox when you consider that less than half of UN Member States have a satellite in orbit, yet all 8 billion people on Earth benefit from space services daily.
Through your work, and through the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), we can close this divide — not by putting a satellite in every nation’s hands, but by ensuring that the benefits of space technologies reach every community on our planet.
I’m just coming from the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, where the message was crystal clear: in an era of constrained investment, we must align capital with high-impact solutions.
Space is one of them. But impact happens at every level — and I would like to share what I’ve seen.
At the local level, UNOOSA’s programs are building the next generation of inclusive space leaders. They’re ensuring equal access for youth and women in developing countries, where small investments create enormous change. Through these programs, we’re enabling the next Carmen Chaidez, the next Kitaw Ejigu.
At the national level, UNOOSA helps countries build their space capabilities from the ground up. Through space law workshops and direct support for emerging programs, nations develop the expertise they need to harness space for their own development priorities.
The United Nations Platform for Space‑based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) shows what this looks like in practice. In Tonga, Tobago, and Ghana, satellite data is being used to create detailed digital models of entire cities. When disaster strikes, these virtual twins allow Governments to see exactly where help is needed most, deploy resources much faster, and ultimately save more lives.
Through innovative partnerships, UNOOSA has helped Kenya, Guatemala, [Republic of] Moldova, and Mauritius launch their first satellites. Each event was a catalyst — for new space agencies, developing robust legislation, and promoting gender equality in the space sector.
Finally, at the international level, as reinforced by the Pact for the Future, we must work together to ensure COPUOS delivers the governance our rapidly evolving space environment demands of us.
Here’s what’s happening right now: low-Earth orbit satellites are multiplying exponentially. Humanity is preparing to return to the Moon. We’re exploring beyond like never before. And your work has never been more vital and urgent.
We stand at the threshold of potentially historic decision: the fourth United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE IV) in 2027. This isn’t just another conference. This could be the milestone that shapes the next sixty years of global space governance. And so I encourage us all to aim high. And aim even higher.
The pressing space issues before us — traffic, debris, resources — each present both risk and opportunity for achieving the SDGs. Each requires the kind of multilateral cooperation that this Committee has proven it can deliver. We need a strong UNOOSA and a strong COPUOS to lead us into UNISPACE IV and beyond.
But strength isn’t about institutions — it’s about the people within them and the systems that we run. As a practical next step, I encourage you to champion the implementation of the UNOOSA Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit for the Space Sector launched last year. Because when we leave talent on the sidelines, we will all lose.
Let me leave you with one final message. The view from space shows no countries, no borders — only one shared planet, our common home. Let that aspect guide you as you build the governance frameworks for space exploration and use. Let us ensure that outer space remains safe and sustainable for everyone. Let us make space a catalyst for achieving our 2030 Goals with 5 years to go. And let us build governance frameworks that serve not just us, but generations to come.