UNIS/OS/390
4 December 2009
African Leadership Conference to Discuss Space Tools and Regional Space Partnerships
VIENNA, 4 December (UN Information Service) - The role of space science and technology in addressing the challenges to and opportunities for Africa's sustainable development will be the main topic of the third African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development, to be held from 7 to 9 December 2009, in Algiers, Algeria. The third African Leadership Conference will convene under the patronage of the President of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, and is organized by the Algerian Space Agency and co-sponsored by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
The bi-annual African Leadership Conference will take place under the theme of "Building African partnerships in space" and consider such items as space tools for Africa's development and global climate change; space-based technologies in support of disaster management; capacity-building in space law and policy; and the promotion of regional and inter-regional cooperation. During the Conference, UNOOSA will present the report "Space Benefits for Africa: Contribution of the United Nations System" and, following the keynote address by President Bouteflika, UNOOSA is expected to sign a cooperation agreement with the Algerian Space Agency on the establishment of a regional support office in Algeria for the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER), a programme established by the General Assembly of the United Nations and implemented by UNOOSA.
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For further information, please contact:
Jamshid
Gaziyev
Associate Programme Officer, UNOOSA
Telephone: (+43-699) 1459-7251
Email:
jamshid.gaziyev@unoosa.org
Internet:
www.unoosa.org
