Office for Outer Space Affairs

The Office for Outer Space Affairs is the United Nations office responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. The Office forms part of the United Nations Office at Vienna and serves as the Secretariat for the General Assembly's only committee dealing exclusively with those issues: the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The Committee has two subcommittees: the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and the Legal Subcommittee.

The Office for Outer Space Affairs implements the United Nations Programme on Space Applications (PSA) and works to improve the use of space science and technology for the economic and social development of all countries, particularly developing countries. Under the Programme, the Office conducts training courses, workshops, seminars and other activities in subject areas such as remote sensing, communications, satellite meteorology, search and rescue, basic space science and satellite navigation.

On behalf of the Secretary-General, the Office for Outer Space Affairs maintains the Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space and disseminates via its website that information recorded in the Register. The Office also prepares and distributes documents, reports, studies and publications on various aspects of space science and technology applications and international space law. The documents and reports are available in all official languages of the United Nations on the Office's website.

The Office for Outer Space Affairs provided secretariat services for the three United Nations conferences on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space and participates in the implementation of the recommendations adopted in the Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III), held in Vienna in July 1999.