The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, MBRSC, will host the United Nations-United Arab Emirates high-level forum, 'Space as a Driver for Socio-Economic Sustainable Development', which will be jointly organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, UNOOSA, and the UAE Space Agency, from 6th to 9th November at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai.

This forum will be the second of the three preliminary high-level forums for UNISPACE+50, which will be held in Vienna in June 2018. It will mark the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Under UNOOSA’s leadership, the first high-level forum that was organised last year delivered the 'Dubai Declaration'. It urges all parties to further utilise the space sector as a driver for economic and social development, emphasising that strengthening socio-economic development will require an integrated approach among the space industry and other sectors to understand and meet the needs of users and society at large.

Dubai Declaration asserts that space exploration is a long-term driver for innovation and for strengthening international co-operation. It also affirmed the need to strengthen youth and women's involvement in the space industry. In addition, the forum’s participants declared that space economy, space society, space accessibility and space diplomacy constitute the main pillars of Space 2030, the global space agenda that will emerge from UNISPACE+50.

Dr. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director-General of the UAE Space Agency, said, "Hosting the UN-UAE high-level forum, leading up to the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, UNISPACE+50, in Dubai, is a recognition of the importance of the UAE’s national space programme and its vision and plans for the space industry. It is also an acknowledgment of the success of our efforts in developing our relations with international bodies and organisations, especially with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

"The results of these forums will play an essential role in shaping the future trends of the space sector on a global level, and hosting the forums in the UAE will allow us to be an integral part of these international efforts to emphasise the importance of space as a driver for socio-economic sustainable development."

Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director-General of MBRSC, said, "Hosting this international forum in the UAE for the second time strengthens the country’s pioneer position in the global space industry. The UN-UAE high-level forum will deliver recommendations leading to a sustainable growth of all aspects of space development. The international space community shares this vision aiming to respond to the future needs of the sector."

"The development of space exploration and peaceful use of outer space has countless social and economic benefits for humanity," Al Shaibani explained, adding, "The Dubai Declaration holds various perspectives and creates new opportunities that foster integrated directions and practices, which support the sustainability of the space sector."

"The UAE has taken solid steps in developing, regulating and reinforcing the space industry research and technology, in accordance with an aspiring strategy relying on building capabilities, establishing world-class infrastructure and launching space programmes, which further actuates international cooperation and serves mankind," Al Shaibani concluded.