David Turner
OES/SA Deputy Director
New York, New York
October 25, 2021
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Madame Chair and distinguished delegates. The United States is pleased to join as a cosponsor to Agenda Item 30’s resolution, “The “Space2030 Agenda”: space as a driver of sustainable development.” This resolution is the culmination of several years of tireless work by many individuals and truly embodies the spirit of compromise and international cooperation.
The United States would like to thank the chairs and vice chairs of this working group for their persistent efforts in pushing this work forward. Their patience and willingness to find areas of compromise were instrumental in the establishment of this agenda. I have no doubt this process would have been far more difficult without their guidance.
The United States has been committed to this process from the very beginning, and has enjoyed working with other delegations to further the important cause of sustainably developing outer space. This ability to work together and find common ground is what COPUOS truly embodies, and indeed the UN system itself.
We are pleased that this effort was not in vain, and the Committee was able to put aside politics and brinkmanship to produce a substantive, ambitious document for the safe and sustainable exploration and development of outer space. This process has highlighted the “Vienna spirit” and has showcased that even in the darkest of times, as many of us have experienced the past one and a half years, the international community can come together and work towards a common goal.
The United States looks forward to continued opportunities to engage with the international community on outer space issues and would like to underscore the vital role that the United Nations plays in this process.
Thank you Madame Chair.
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