DFA, PHILSA Conduct Webinar on International Space Cooperation

PASAY CITY 19 October 2020 – The Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Office of Treaties and Legal Affairs (OTLA), the Office of United Nations and International Organizations (UNIO), the Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations (OUIER), and the Philippine Embassy and Mission in Vienna (Vienna PE/PM), in partnership with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), conducted a one-day webinar on International Space Cooperation and the Philippines on 02 October 2020.

The webinar brought together over 300 participants from across the globe and featured speakers who discussed the Philippine Space Agency and the Philippine Space agenda, space diplomacy, science diplomacy and the national agenda, the Philippine treaty making process and international space cooperation.

In recent years, the Philippines has made significant achievements in space exploration and development such as the launching of Filipino-made microsatellites and participation in international cooperation on space-related activities. The Philippines is a state party to the Moon Agreement while it has signed but yet to ratify the Outer Space Treaty, the Rescue Agreement and the Liability Convention.

The creation of the Philippine Space Agency through the Philippine Space Act, or Republic Act No. 11363 in 2019 further cemented the Philippines’ priorities in harnessing outer space as a driver of sustainable development.

“Space is yet another country where we might find more means to improve our lives down here on earth in our own place. For us the race is to exploit what outer space offers,” Secretary Locsin declared in his message of support, noting that space science and technology (SST) applications are already present in everyday settings – from heart monitors to satellite based communications playing an important role in disaster management, health, climate change, and weather forecasting.

Meanwhile, PHILSA’s first Director General Joel Joseph Marciano highlighted the relevance of space science and technology (SST) to the Philippines, especially in responding to the global pandemic.

For its part, the DFA, as a member of the Philippine Space Council (PSC), has been steadfast in promoting science and space diplomacy through closely working with the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) as well as with other space-faring nations. END

AM Speakers: Clockwise from Left: Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Treaties and Legal Affairs (OTLA) Igor G. Bailen, Undersecretary for Administration J. Eduardo Malaya, UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Director Simonetta Di Pippo, Philippine Ambassador to Austria Maria Cleofe Natividad, and Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Director General Joel Joseph Marciano.

PM Speakers: Clockwise from Left: Prof. Guoyu Wang (Beijing Institute of Technology), Prof. David Koplow (Georgetown University Law), Mr. Niklas Hedman (UNOOSA), Prof. Steven Freeland (Western Sydney University), and Prof. Kazuto Suzuki (Tokyo University).