View source for United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

{{Short description|United Nations committee}}
{{Infobox United Nations
| image         = Emblem of the United Nations.svg
| image_size    = 120px
| name          = United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
| map           =
| map_size      =
| map_caption   =
| type          =
| abbreviation  = COPUOS
| leader_title  = Head
| leader_name   = Chairperson <br /> Marius-Ioan Piso
| status        = Active
| formation     = {{Start date and age|1959|12|12|df=yes|p=y}}
| headquarters  = [[Vienna]], Austria
| website       = [https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/index.html www.unoosa.org/<br>oosa/en/ourwork/<br>copuos/index.html]
| parent_organization = [[United Nations General Assembly]]
| subsidiaries  =
| footnotes     = {{portal-inline|Politics|size=tiny}}
}}
The '''United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space''' ('''COPUOS''') is a [[United Nations]] committee whose main task is to review and foster international cooperation in the peaceful uses of [[outer space]], as well as to consider legal issues arising from the [[Space exploration|exploration of outer space]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lála |first1=Petr |date=November–December 1996 |title=The role of the United Nations in promoting international cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576597000465 |journal=Acta Astronautica |volume=39 |issue=9–12 |pages=647–655 |doi=10.1016/S0094-5765(97)00046-5 |bibcode=1996AcAau..39..647L |access-date=18 February 2021}}</ref><ref name="Handbook">{{cite journal |editor1-last=Manhire |editor1-first=Vanessa |date=2019 |title=United Nations Handbook 2019–2020 |journal=United Nations Handbook:: An Annual Guide for Those Working within the United Nations |url=https://www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/Peace-Rights-and-Security/Our-work-with-the-UN/UN-Handbook-2019-20.pdf |edition=57th |location=Wellington |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand |pages=58–60 |issn=0110-1951}}</ref>
The committee currently has 102 members who meet annually in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]] at the [[Vienna International Centre]] in June. Additionally, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee tends to meet in February, while the Legal Subcommittee usually meets in April.<ref name="Handbook"/>
[[File:United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Members.svg|thumb|right|260px|Member States of the committee, as of 2022.]]
== History ==
The UN's interest in the peaceful uses of outer space was first expressed in 1957, soon after the launching of the first [[Sputnik]]. Its main concern was that space should be used for peaceful purposes and that the benefits from space activities be shared by all nations. Thus, on 13 December 1958, the [[United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]] created an ''ad hoc'' Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space composed of 18 members who were tasked with reporting to the Assembly about the activities and resources of the UN, its specialized agencies and other international bodies relating to the peaceful uses of outer space.<ref name="A/RES/1348">{{UN doc |docid=A/RES/1348(XIII) |body=A |session=13 |type=R |resolution_number=1348 |title=Question of the peaceful use of outer space |date=13 December 1958 |accessdate=18 February 2021}}</ref>
The next year, on 12 December 1959, the ''ad hoc'' committee was established as a permanent body by the General Assembly with its membership being further increased to 24. It retained the same mission as its predecessor – to review international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.<ref>{{UN doc |docid=A/RES/1472(XIV)) |body=A |session=14 |type=R |resolution_number=1472 |title=International co-operation in the peaceful uses of outer space |date=12 December 1959 |accessdate=18 February 2021}}</ref>
As the subsequent [[Space Race]] between the United States and the Soviet Union heightened, the international community quickly became concerned that space could be used for military purposes. As a result of disagreements between the US and the USSR, the committee did not meet again until March 1962 after the General Assembly compelled it to via [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1721|Resolution 1721 (XVI)]].<ref name="Simsarian">{{cite journal |last1=Simsarian |first1=James |date=October 1963 |title=Outer Space Co-Operation in the United Nations |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2196339 |journal=American Journal of International Law |volume=57 |issue=4 |pages=854–867 |doi=10.2307/2196339 |jstor=2196339 |s2cid=147604205 |access-date=19 February 2021}}</ref><ref name="RES 1721">{{UN doc |docid=A/RES/1721(XVI) |body=A |session=16 |type=R |resolution_number=1721 |title=International co-operation in the peaceful uses of outer space |date=20 December 1961 |accessdate=19 February 2021}}</ref> The committee's two subcommittees also met in May and June to discuss scientific, technical and legal questions. These subcommittees were in unanimity with respect to various scientific and technical questions while failing to come to an agreement on legal questions.<ref name="Simsarian"/>
Resolution 1721 also further cemented the committee's role in preserving space for peaceful purposes. It stated that [[international law]] and the [[UN Charter]] applied in outer space and directed the committee to study and report on legal problems arising from space exploration. It directed all states to inform the committee of all launches into space for the UN's public registry. It directed the committee to keep close contact with governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with space matters, as well as to act as an exchange of information relating to space activities. Finally, it directed the committee to review reports of the [[World Meteorological Organization]] and the [[International Telecommunication Union]] in regard to outer space activities relating to weather research and analysis and telecommunication and to submit its comments and recommendations on these reports to the [[United Nations Economic and Social Council|Economic and Social Council]] and the General Assembly.<ref name="RES 1721"/><ref name="France">{{cite web |url=https://onu-vienne.delegfrance.org/The-Committee-in-the-Peaceful-Uses-of-Outer-Space-COPUOS |title=UNOOSA and COPUOS |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=25 March 2020 |website=Permanent Mission of France to the UN and the international organisations in Vienna |publisher=Republic of France |access-date=19 February 2021}}</ref> Thus the committee aimed to prevent space from becoming a new frontier for conflict. This gave the committee the unique position of acting as a platform for maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes at the international level.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/history.html |title=COPUOS History |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=UN Office for Outer Space Affairs |publisher=UN |access-date=18 February 2021}}</ref>
The [[United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs]] (UNOOSA) has acted as the secretariat to the committee since its creation in 1958. It also provides secretariat services to the committee's subcommittees.<ref name="France"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/aboutus/history/index.html |title=History |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=UN Office for Outer Space Affairs |publisher=UN |access-date=19 February 2021}}</ref> All documents related to the committee and its subcommittees are published by UNOOSA.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/past-sessions.html |title=Past Sessions of the Committee and its Subcommittees |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=UN Office for Outer Space Affairs |publisher=UN |access-date=19 February 2021}}</ref>
==Treaties and agreements==
COPUOS oversees{{clarify|with respect to what?  the UN?  other nation states?  private actors now building and sending space flights to the Moon? |date=February 2019}} the implementation of five UN [[treaties]] and agreements relating to activities in outer space:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/index.html|title = COPUOS}}</ref>
* "[[Outer Space Treaty]]" – The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
* "[[Rescue Agreement]]" – The Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space
* "[[Liability Convention]]" – The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects
* "[[Registration Convention]]" – The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space
* "[[Moon Treaty]]" – The Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
COPUOS also keeps track of the following other international agreements relating to activities in outer space:<ref>[http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/pdf/limited/c2/AC105_C2_2012_CRP03E.pdf Status of International Agreements relating to activities in outer space as at 1 January 2012]</ref>
;General
* [[Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water]] (NTB)
* [[Convention Relating to the Distribution of Programme–Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite]] (BRS)
;Institutions
* Agreement relating to the [[International Telecommunications Satellite Organization]] (ITSO)
* Agreement on the establishment of the [[Intersputnik|International System and Organization of Space Communications]] (INTERSPUTNIK)
* Convention for the establishment of a [[European Space Agency]] (ESA)
* Agreement of the [[Arab Corporation for Space Communications]] (ARABSAT)
* [[Interkosmos|Agreement on Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes]] (INTERCOSMOS)
* Convention on the [[International Mobile Satellite Organization]] (IMSO)
* Convention establishing the [[European Telecommunications Satellite Organization]] (EUTELSAT)
* Convention for the establishment of a [[EUMETSAT|European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites]] (EUMETSAT)
* [[International Telecommunication Union#Legal framework|International Telecommunication Constitution and Convention]] (ITU)
==Near-Earth object deflection and disaster response ==
{{Main|Impact events|Asteroid impact avoidance|B612 Foundation}}
The [[Association of Space Explorers]] (ASE), working in conjunction with [[B612 Foundation]] members, helped obtain UN oversight of [[near-Earth object]] (NEO) tracking and deflection missions through COPUOS along with its Action Team 14 (AT-14) expert group. Several members of B612 and ASE have worked with COPUOS since 2001 to establish international involvement for both impact disaster responses, and on deflection, missions to prevent impact events.<ref name="Earth & Sky-2013.10.28">[http://earthsky.org/science-wire/astronauts-and-cosmonauts-call-for-global-effort-on-asteroid-threat Astronauts and Cosmonauts Call for Global Cooperation on Asteroid Threat], ''[[Earth & Sky]]'' website, October 28, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2014.</ref> As explained by B612 Foundation ''Chair Emeritus'' [[Rusty Schweickart]] in 2013, "No government in the world today has explicitly assigned the responsibility for planetary protection to any of its agencies".<ref name="Discovery.com-2013.10.28">O'Neill, Ian. [http://news.discovery.com/space/asteroids-meteors-meteorites/united-nations-to-spearhead-asteroid-deflection-plan-131028.htm United Nations to Spearhead Asteroid Deflection Plan], [[Discovery.com]] website, October 28, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2014.</ref>
In October 2013, the UN committee approved several measures to deal with terrestrial asteroid impacts, including the creation of an [[International Asteroid Warning Network]] (IAWN) to act as a clearinghouse for shared information on dangerous asteroids and for any future terrestrial impact events that are identified. A UN [[Space Missions Planning Advisory Group]] (SMPAG) will also coordinate joint studies of the technologies for deflection missions, and as well provide oversight of actual missions. This is due to deflection missions typically involving a progressive movement of an asteroid's predicted impact point across the surface of the Earth (and also across the territories of uninvolved countries) until the NEO has been deflected either ahead of, or behind the planet at the point their orbits intersect.<ref name="New Scientist-2013.10.28">Aron, Jacob. [https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24478-un-sets-up-asteroid-peacekeepers-to-defend-earth.html#.U999lGPCeKJ  UN Sets Up Asteroid Peacekeepers to Defend Earth], ''[[New Scientist]]'' website, October 28, 2013.  Retrieved August 4, 2014.</ref> Schweickart states that an initial framework of international cooperation at the UN is needed to guide the policymakers of its member nations on several important NEO-related aspects.<ref name="LA Times-2013.10.28">Netburn, Deborah. [http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-un-asteroid-defense-plan-20131028-story.html#axzz2j5WHIgR1 UN Aims to Fight Asteroids, Creates a Global Warning Network], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', October 28, 2013.  Retrieved August 4, 2014.</ref><ref name="New York Times-2013.11.06">Chang, Kenneth. [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/science/space/more-large-asteroid-strikes-are-likely-scientists-find.html More Asteroid Strikes Are Likely, Scientists Say],   ''[[The New York Times]]'' website, November 6, 2013, and in print on November 7, 2013, p. A12 of the New York edition. Retrieved June 26, 2014.</ref>
At about the same time (Oct 2013) of the UN's policy adoption in New York City, Schweickart and four other ASE members, including B612 head [[Ed Lu]] and strategic advisers [[Dumitru Prunariu]] and [[Thomas David Jones|Tom Jones]], participated at a public forum moderated by [[Neil deGrasse Tyson]] not far from the UN's headquarters, urging the global community to adopt further important steps towards planetary defence against the threat of NEO impacts. Their recommendations included:<ref name="Earth & Sky-2013.10.28" /><ref name="LA Times-2013.10.28" />
* UN delegates briefing their home countries' policymakers on the UN's newest roles,
* having each country's government create defined asteroid disaster response plans, assigning fiscal resources to deal with asteroid impacts, and delegating a lead agency to handle its disaster response in order to create clear lines of communication from the IAWN to the affected countries,
* having their governments support the ASE's and B612's efforts to identify "city-killer" NEOs capable of impacting Earth, estimated at a million,<ref name="Discovery.com-2013.10.28" /> by deploying a [[Space observatory|space-based asteroid telescope]], and
* committing member states to launch an international test deflection mission within 10 years.
The first meetings of IAWN and SMPAG were held in 2014.<ref>[http://spacenews.com/op-ed-building-international-infrastructure-for-planetary-defense/ ''Building International Infrastructure for Planetary Defense'' July 2015]</ref>
==Member states==
The committee was first established by the General Assembly in its resolution 1348 (XIII) of 13 December 1958 and was originally composed of 18 members. It has grown to include 92 members {{as of|2019|lc=on}}, and is subsequently one of the largest committees of the General Assembly of the United Nations. The evolution of the composition of the committee is as follows:<ref name="A/RES/1348"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/members/evolution.html |title=Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space: Membership Evolution |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs |publisher=United Nations |access-date=15 May 2019}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Number of members !! Members !! Notes
|-
|1958 || {{center|18}} || {{flagcountry|Argentina}}, {{flagcountry|Australia}}, {{flagcountry|Belgium}}, {{flagcountry|Brazil}}, {{flagcountry|Canada|1957}}, {{flagcountry|Czechoslovakia}}, {{flagcountry|France}}, {{flagcountry|India}}, {{flagcountry|Iran|1925}}, {{flagcountry|Italy}}, {{flagcountry|Egypt}},{{flagcountry|Japan}}, {{flagcountry|Mexico}}, {{flagcountry|Poland|1928}}, {{flagcountry|Sweden}}, {{flagcountry|USSR}}, {{flagcountry|United Arab Republic}}, {{flagcountry|UK}}, {{flagcountry|USA}} || {{efn|After Czechoslovakia's break up, its seat was taken up by the [[Czech Republic]]. Slovakia would later re-join in 2001.}} {{efn|After the Soviet Union's break up, its seat was taken up by the [[Russian Federation]]. Kazakhstan and Ukraine would later re-join in 1994. Azerbaijan would re-join in 2011. Armenia would re-join in 2012. Belarus would re-join in 2013.}} {{efn|After the United Arab Republic's break up, its seat was taken up by [[Egypt]]. Syria would re-join in 1980}} {{efn|After the [[Iranian Revolution]], Iran's seat was taken up by the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]].}}
|-
|1959 || {{center|24}} || {{flagcountry|Albania|1946}}, {{flagcountry|Austria}}, {{flagcountry|Bulgaria|1971}}, {{flagcountry|Hungary}}, {{flagcountry|Lebanon}}, {{flagcountry|Romania|1952}} ||
|-
|1961 || {{center|28}} || {{flagcountry|Chad}}, {{flagcountry|Mongolia|1945}}, {{flagcountry|Morocco}}, {{flagcountry|Sierra Leone}} ||
|-
|1973 || {{center|37}} || {{flagcountry|Chile}}, {{flagcountry|West Germany}}, {{flagcountry|East Germany}}, {{flagcountry|Indonesia}}, {{flagcountry|Kenya}}, {{flagcountry|Nigeria}}, {{flagcountry|Pakistan}}, {{flagcountry|Sudan}}, {{flagcountry|Venezuela|1954}} || {{efn|The [[Germany|German seat]] was combined after German reunification.}} {{efn|After Sudan's break up, [[South Sudan]] left the committee.}}
|-
|1977 || {{center|47}} || {{flagcountry|Benin|1975}}, {{flagcountry|Cameroon}}, {{flagcountry|Colombia}}, {{flagcountry|Ecuador|1900}}, {{flagcountry|Iraq|1963}}, {{flagcountry|Netherlands}}, {{flagcountry|Niger}}, {{flagcountry|Philippines}}, {{flagcountry|Turkey}}, {{flagcountry|Yugoslavia}} || {{efn|Since Yugoslavia's break up, none of its successor states have joined the committee.}}
|-
|1980 || {{center|53}} || {{flagcountry|China}}, {{flagcountry|Greece}}, {{flagcountry|Spain|1977}}, {{flagcountry|Syria|name=Syria}}, {{flagcountry|Upper Volta}}, {{flagcountry|Uruguay}}, {{flagcountry|Vietnam}} || {{efn|Upper Volta would later become [[Burkina Faso]].}}
|-
|1994 || {{center|61}} || {{flagcountry|Cuba}}, {{flagcountry|Kazakhstan}}, {{flagcountry|Malaysia}}, {{flagcountry|Nicaragua}}, {{flagcountry|Peru}}, {{flagcountry|South Korea}}, {{flagcountry|Senegal}}, {{flagcountry|South Africa}}, {{flagcountry|Ukraine}} ||
|-
|2001 || {{center|64}} || {{flagcountry|Saudi Arabia}}, {{flagcountry|Slovakia}} ||
|-
|2002 || {{center|65}} || {{flagcountry|Algeria}} ||
|-
|2004 || {{center|67}} || {{flagcountry|Libyan Arab Jamahiriya}}, {{flagcountry|Thailand}} || {{efn|After the fall of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, its seat was taken over by the [[State of Libya]].}}
|-
|2007 || {{center|69}} || {{flagcountry|Bolivia|name=Bolivia}}, {{flagcountry|Switzerland}} ||
|-
|2010 || {{center|70}} || {{flagcountry|Tunisia}} ||
|-
|2011 || {{center|71}} || {{flagcountry|Azerbaijan}} ||
|-
|2012 || {{center|74}} || {{flagcountry|Armenia}}, {{flagcountry|Costa Rica}}, {{flagcountry|Jordan}} ||
|-
|2013 || {{center|76}} || {{flagcountry|Belarus}}, {{flagcountry|Ghana}} ||
|-
|2014 || {{center|77}} || {{flagcountry|Luxembourg}} ||
|-
|2015 || {{center|83}} || {{flagcountry|El Salvador}}, {{flagcountry|Israel}}, {{flagcountry|Oman}}, {{flagcountry|Qatar}}, {{flagcountry|Sri Lanka}}, {{flagcountry|United Arab Emirates}} ||
|-
|2016 || {{center|84}} || {{flagcountry|New Zealand}} ||
|-
|2017 || {{center|87}} || {{flagcountry|Bahrain}}, {{flagcountry|Denmark}}, {{flagcountry|Norway}} ||
|-
|2018 || {{center|92}} || {{flagcountry|Cyprus}}, {{flagcountry|Ethiopia}}, {{flagcountry|Finland}}, {{flagcountry|Mauritius}}, {{flagcountry|Paraguay}} ||
|-
|2019 || {{center|95}} || {{flagcountry|Dominican Republic}}, {{flagcountry|Rwanda}}, {{flagcountry|Singapore}} ||
|-
|2021 || {{center|100}} || {{flagcountry|Angola}}, {{flagcountry|Bangladesh}}, {{flagcountry|Kuwait}}, {{flagcountry|Panama}}, {{flagcountry|Slovenia}} ||
|-
|2022 || {{center|102}} || {{flagcountry|Guatemala}}, {{flagcountry|Uzbekistan}} ||
|-
|}
{{notelist}}
== Permanent observers ==
In addition to the committee's member states, a number of international organizations, including both intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, have observer status with COPUOS and its subcommittees. The following is a list of the committee's observers, with the year they were granted that status:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/members/copuos-observers.html |title=Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space: Observer Organizations |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=n.d. |website=United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs |publisher=United Nations |access-date=15 May 2019}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Members
|-
| 1962 ||
* [[Committee on Space Research|Committee on Space Research (COSPAR)]]
|-
| 1972 ||
* [[European Space Agency|European Space Agency (ESA)]]
|-
| 1976 ||
* [[International Astronautical Federation|International Astronautical Federation (IAF)]]
|-
| 1985 ||
* [[Intersputnik|International Organization of Space Communications (INTERSPUTNIK)]]
* [[International Telecommunications Satellite Organization|International Telecommunication Satellite Organization (ITSO)]]
|-
| 1986 ||
* [[International Mobile Satellite Organization|International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)]]
|-
| 1990 ||
* [[International Law Association|International Law Association (ILA)]]
* [[International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing |International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS)]]
|-
| 1993 ||
* [[Association of Space Explorers|Association of Space Explorers (ASE)]]
|-
| 1995 ||
* [[International Academy of Astronautics|International Academy of Astronautics (IAA)]]
* [[International Astronomical Union|International Astronomical Union (IAU)]]
|-
| 1996 ||
* [[The Planetary Society|The Planetary Society (TPS)]]
|-
| 1997 ||
* [[International Space University|International Space University (ISU)]]
|-
| 2001 ||
* European Association for the International Space Year (EURISY)
* [[Space Generation Advisory Council|Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)]]
* [[National Space Society|National Space Society (NSS)]]
|-
| 2002 ||
* [[Committee on Earth Observation Satellites]] (CEOS)
* World Space Week Association (WSWA)
|-
| 2003 ||
* Centre Regional de teledetection des Etats de l'Afrique duNord (CRTEAN)
* [[International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis|International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)]]
|-
| 2005 ||
* European Space Policy Institute (ESPI)
|-
| 2007 ||
* African Organization of Cartography and Remote Sensing (AOCRS)
|-
| 2008 ||
* [[European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere|European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO)]]
* [[European Telecommunications Satellite Organization|European Telecommunications Satellite Organization (EUTELSAT-IGO)]]
* [[International Institute of Space Law|International Institute of Space Law (IISL)]]
* [[Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water|Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW)]]
* Secure World Foundation (SWF)
|-
| 2009 ||
* The Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO)
|-
| 2010 ||
* [[International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety|International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS)]]
|-
| 2011 ||
* Association of Remote Sensing Centres in the Arab World (ARSCAW)
|-
| 2012 ||
* Ibero-American Institute of Aeronautic and Space Law and Commercial Aviation
* Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP)
|-
| 2013 ||
* Inter Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology (ISNET)
|-
| 2014 ||
* African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE)
|-
| 2016 ||
* [[International Air Transport Association|International Air Transport Association (IATA)]]
|-
| 2017 ||
* [[European Science Foundation|European Science Foundation (ESF)]]
* University Space Engineering Consortium-Global (UNISEC-Global)
|-
| 2018 ||
* CANEUS-International
* [[European Union|European Union (EU)]]
* [[For All Moonkind]]
* [[International Organization of Standardization |International Organization of Standardization (ISO)]]
|-
|}
== Bureau ==
The following is the Bureau of the committee for its 65th Session, which ran from 1–10 June 2020. The Bureau was selected through formal written procedures after consultation with the [[United Nations Secretariat|Secretariat]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/2022/index.html |title=Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space: 2022 |date=n.d. |website=United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs |publisher=U.N. |access-date=23 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{UN doc |docid=A/AC.105/L.331 |body=A |session=AC.105 |type=Supplement |document_number=L.331 |title=Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Draft Report of the Sixty-fifth session. Chapter I |year=2022 |accessdate=23 August 2022}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Country !! Position
|-
| Omran Sharaf || {{flagcountry|United Arab Emirates}} || Chair
|-
| Jenni Tapio || {{flagcountry|Finland}}  || First Vice-Chair
|-
| Oleg Ventskovsky || {{flagcountry|Ukraine}}  || Second Vice-Chair and Rapporteur
|-
| Juan Francisco Facetti || {{flagcountry|Paraguay}}  || Chair of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee
|-
| Nomfuneko Majaja || {{flagcountry|South Africa}}  || Chair of the Legal Subcommittee
|-
|}
==See also==
* [[List of government space agencies]]
* [[Space law]]
* [[SEDS]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080726062445/http://www.iislweb.org/ International Institute of Space Law]}}
*[http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/COPUOS/copuos.html Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space] on the website of the [[United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs]], which serves as the [[wikt:secretariat|secretariat]] for the COPUOS
*[http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=17179 Press Release: Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Concludes 48th Session in Vienna], from June 20, 2005
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927190833/http://www.unoosa.org/pdf/sap/ihy/copuos-oosa.pdf Slideshow about COPUOS] and other organizations on the website of the [http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/SAP/bss/ihy2007/index.html United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI)]
{{Politics of outer space}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Organizations established in 1959]]
[[Category:Space organizations]]
[[Category:United Nations General Assembly subsidiary organs]]