[UN SPIDER] The Third African Leadership Conference Launches Two Regional Space Partnerships

[UN SPIDER]

UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE VIENNA (UNIS)
For information only - not an official document
UNIS/OS/391
7 December 2009
The Third African Leadership Conference Launches Two Regional Space
Partnerships

VIENNA, 7 December (UN Information Service) – The third African Leadership
Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development
opened today, on 7 December 2009, in Algiers with a signing ceremony of two
regional space partnerships. Hosted by the Algerian Space Agency and
co-sponsored by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
the Conference will promote the use of space tools towards achieving
Africa’s sustainable development.
To support African efforts in disaster management by means of space-based
technologies, the Algerian Space Agency and UNOOSA signed a cooperation
agreement to establish a regional support office for the United Nations
Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency
Response (UN-SPIDER), a programme implemented by UNOOSA. Space tools have
been vital in mitigating the loss of lives and property in times of
disaster. In that context, the head of UNOOSA’s delegation, Niklas Hedman,
told conference participants that “today a large number of global and
regional mechanisms and initiatives exist to support Member States in
implementing the use of space tools and solutions.” With regard to
UN-SPIDER’s work in forming a network of regional support offices in
Africa, he noted that “UN-SPIDER already has a productive working
relationship with the Algerian Space Agency”, the most recent example of
which was the provision of expert services by the Agency for a UN-SPIDER
technical advisory mission to Burkina Faso.

Another regional space partnership was sealed today among the Governments
of Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, who signed an agreement on
African Resources Management satellite constellation, a regional initiative
that aims to develop a network of satellites to make space technology more
accessible to end-users in areas such as food security, environmental
monitoring, land use, water management and public health. The Algerian
Minister for Post and Information Technologies and Communication, Hamid
Bessalah, described the all-African satellite constellation as “a great
cooperation” between the four countries, which “will facilitate space data
for African countries”.
The third African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for
Sustainable Development will continue its deliberations on increasing space
benefits for Africa’s sustainable development until Wednesday, 9 December
2009.

For further information, please contact:
Jamshid Gaziyev
Associate Programme Officer, UNOOSA
Telephone: (+43-699) 1459-7251
Email: jamshid.gaziyev at unoosa.org
Internet: www.unoosa.org

Link to press release on UNIS website:
http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2009/unisos391.html
For more information on UN-SPIDER, please visit: http://www.un-spider.org