UNIS/MA/358
19 June 2025
VIENNA, 19 June (UN Information Service) – The 68th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) will open on Wednesday, 25 June 2025 at 10:00 a.m. and will run through Wednesday, 2 July 2025, at the Vienna International Centre, Austria.
The session will bring together diplomats and space leaders from 104 Member States as well as representatives from United Nations entities, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and other key players in the global space community.
The space sector is undergoing unprecedented growth, driven by technological innovation, rising private investment, and broader international participation, including an increasing number of emerging spacefaring nations. This rapidly evolving landscape underscores the importance of multilateral dialogue and cooperation in ensuring the peaceful, safe, and sustainable use of outer space.
This year’s COPUOS session will see States finalize the objectives of an Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation (ATLAC), which would develop international recommendations on lunar cooperation, and address the establishment of new mechanisms to enhance global cooperation on space traffic and encourage active debris removal. States will also consider a proposal to convene UNISPACE IV, a major UN space conference, in Vienna in 2027, which would mark a once in a quarter century opportunity and a renewed push by States to underpin global space governance and the coming decades of space activities.
The session webpage, including links to the live webcast on UN WebTV, can be found here.
A number of side events will take place during COPUOS, hosted by UNOOSA, international organizations and Member States. They are also listed on the session homepage.
The plenary session of COPUOS and side events are open to accredited media. Please note that meetings of the inter-governmental working groups, informal meetings of States, and bilateral meeting rooms are closed to observers or the media.
Media accreditation
Media representatives who wish to cover the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and who are not already accredited to the Vienna International Centre should write to press.vienna[at]un.org to register.
Join the conversation on Sustainable Lunar Activities and COPUOS on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and Facebook using the hashtag #COPUOS2025 and follow @UNOOSA.
About COPUOS
The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) was established in 1959 by the United Nations General Assembly to govern the exploration and use of space for the benefit of all humanity. With a current membership of 104 countries, COPUOS is the largest international forum for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of outer space.
The Committee works through two subcommittees—the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and the Legal Subcommittee—to develop frameworks that ensure space remains a safe and sustainable environment. COPUOS has played a key role in shaping international space law, including by drafting the Outer Space Treaty, and continues to address emerging issues such as space debris, space traffic, and space sustainability.
The work of COPUOS is supported by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), which serves as the Secretariat and helps implement the Committee’s decisions and capacity-building initiatives around the world.
For more information, visit: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/copuos/index.html
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For further information please contact:
Andrew Marchetti and Jennifer Dev
External Relations Officer and Acting Public Information Officer, UNOOSA
Email: oosa[at]un.org
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