2010 UNIDIR Space Security Conference: From Foundations to Negotiations
When: Monday, March 29, 2010
to Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Where: Geneva, Switzerland
"Space Security 2010: From Foundations to Negotiations" is the ninth annual conference in a series held by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) on the issue of space security, the peaceful uses of outer space and the prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS).
The purpose of this conference series, in line with UNIDIR's mandate, is to promote informed participation by all states in disarmament efforts and to assist delegations to the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in preparation for possible substantive discussions on PAROS. Since the first conference was held in 2002, this series has received financial and material support from a number of Member States, foundations and nongovernmental organizations, demonstrating the broad political support for these discussions.
This year's conference sought to continue the legacy of the eight conferences that preceded it in broadening and deepening the debate on PAROS and in fostering space security for the future. There is a growing global appreciation of the importance of space-based assets to human security, and thus increasing concern about the need to protect the space environment from disasters and conflict. This year's conference reflected this new urgency, aiming to provide a strong foundation of knowledge on space security issues in order to better inform and facilitate negotiations on PAROS and on broader questions of space security. The conference was comprised of three main sessions:
• the unique characteristics of space;
• latest developments in space security; and
• negotiations of space security-lessons, models and directions.
The conference convened in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Palais des Nations on 29-30 March 2010. The meeting was organized by UNIDIR with the assistance of Secure World Foundation and was supported financially and materially by the Governments of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation, as well as by Secure World Foundation and The Simons Foundation. Conference participants included UN Member States, UN Observers, non-governmental organizations, and civil society from all over the world.
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