Introducing Our

Space Security
Programme#UNIDIRSpaceSecurity

Overview

Our Impact•

Digital tools for transparency and accessibility:•Established in 2022, UNIDIR’s Space
Security Programme contributes to themaintenance of peace and security inspace by building knowledge and awarenessof challenges and global security implications
relating to the space environment.
Our research develops capacity, contributes
to building trust in the international sphere,
promotes common understanding on space
security challenges and how to address them,and informs multilateral processes as theygrapple with the complex legal, technologicaland security issues at play in this arena.

Key Issues We Cover• A Lexicon for Space Security: a global reference
point available in all six UN languages, enablingcommon understanding of key topics and terms.
• Space Security Portal: a living resource mapping
the global space security governance landscape,with profiles on policies of States, intergovernmentalorganisations and multistakeholder initiatives.
Knowledge transfer: raising awareness of theimportance of space security and facilitating the crosssectoral exchange of ideas that can sustain it.
• Outer Space Security Conference: a key annual
forum to consider challenges and solutions in thisarea, attracting over 1,000 participants in 2023.

•Threats and challenges to spacesystems•

How international law applies to space•

Verification and monitoring•

Links between space security andspace sustainability

Support for international processes: briefing UN•

The space-nuclear nexus

providing substantive support to UN processes aiming•

Bridge building and cross-sector
dialogue with commercial actors,
academia and civil society

Recognized expertise: our researchers are established•

Gender and space security• Regional events (for ASEAN, LAC, Africa, SIDS):
bringing in local narratives and increasing thesaliency of space in regional disarmament debates.

Member States on space law and policy, as well as
to prevent an arms race in outer space (GGEs, OEWGs).

experts in their fields, publishing and presenting widely
on space security-related matters.

Background

What’s Next?

Humankind’s growing reliance on space services•

The importance of space security is onlymeans that the maintenance of peace and security

increasing, and UNIDIR will continue to assistin outer space has become an incresingly criticalthe international community in its efforts toissue for the international community.

prevent an arms race in outer space andfoster space security for all.

Space technology enables services that States,
companies and citizens alike rely on every day,•

The Space Security Programme will continue toincluding navigation, communications, commerce,develop tools to make space security moretransportation, financial transactions, environmental

accessible and transparent:monitoring and disaster relief.

» In 2024, we will launch an interactive

As space becomes more economically andversion of our Lexicon for Outer Spacestrategically important, there is growing concern that

Security and begin to develop informational

tensions between different actors are growing infactsheets for all topics and terms.

ways that could lead to conflict.

» Threats and Risks Mapping: UNIDIR willCounterspace capabilities that can destroy or damage

also start to develop a digital interactive map

space systems are developing and proliferating atof risks and threats to space systems to aid

pace, and some States have enacted national policies

States in understanding how best to addressthat deem space a warfighting domain or a potentialand mitigate them.

theatre for conflict. These changes demonstrate the» Space Security Verification andvery real threats that exist and highlight theMonitoring Toolbox: building on prior

importance of keeping space peaceful.

research in this area, UNIDIR will begin todevelop an interactive toolbox detailing themechanisms for ensuring space security thatare available to States and otherstakeholders and how these can be used.
•UNIDIR will also continue to provide thought
leadership on space security matters throughpublication of reports on key issues,organization of events such as the flagship
Outer Space Security Conference and provisionof substantive support to UN processes (suchas the OEWG on Space Threats, pictured left).

Partners

Find Out More•unidir.org/space

Over the last two years, we have been supported by:Australia, the Centre for International Governance
Innovation, China, France, the Foundation for Strategic
Research, the Holy See, Japan, Norway, the RussianFederation, the Republic of Korea, the Secure WorldFoundation, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, theUnited Kingdom and the United States.

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1211 Geneva, Switzerland© UNIDIR, 2024
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Last update: 12 April 2024