68TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONAS COMMITTEE ON THE PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE (UN COPUOS)

From 25 June to 2 July 2025, the 68th Session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) convened in Vienna, Austria, uniting global stakeholders to address key issues in international space cooperation.

At this session, the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) delegation, led by Executive Director Christian Feichtinger, delivered a statement under the General Exchange of Views, highlighting the Federation’s recent initiatives and strategic vision. Christian Feichtinger announced that the 32nd edition of the IAF Workshop, supported by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) under the theme “Resilient Coasts, Resilient Earth: Innovative Space Solutions for Coastal Resilience and Emergency Management”, will take place from 26 to 28 September 2025 in conjunction with the IAC 2025 in Sydney, Australia. This year’s call attracted 274 applications from 75 countries, underscoring the commitment of both the IAFand UNOOSA to engage emerging space nations and promote space-based solutions for sustainable development.

In addition, the IAF announced the next IAF Global Space Conference on Climate Change (GLOC 2026), to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, 2 - 4 June 2026, and hosted by the Rwanda Space Agency. This event illustrates the Federation’s dedication to fostering inclusive global dialogue and addressing climate change challenges through space technologies.

On the occasion of the 68th UN COPUOS session, the IAF delegation also attended a reception at the Australian Ambassador’s Residence in Vienna, hosted by the Government of New South Wales and the Australian Space Agency aimed at warmly welcome international delegations ahead of the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2025) in Sydney.