Israel to become official member of UN Committee on Space Affairs

Israel's experts in the field will be able to participate in subcommittees and in innovative projects.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Updated: FEBRUARY 4, 2016 01:00
Israel from space 1 (photo credit: NASA/BARRY WILMORE)
Israel from space 1
(photo credit: NASA/BARRY WILMORE)
The UN Office of Space Affairs (UNOOSA) has invited the Israel Space Agency to cooperate on civilian space matters, the Science, Technology and Space Ministry announced on Wednesday.
The signature on the accord was part of Israel Space Week observances and carried out by UNOOSA head Prof. Simonetta Di Pippo and ISA director Menahem Kidron.
Israel will thus become an official member of the UN Committee on Space Affairs, and its experts in the field will be able to participate in subcommittees and in innovative projects that have global influence. Among the specific fields are using satellites to deal with catastrophes in real time to help rescue teams.
Daniel Brook, an ISA adviser on international cooperation, said the signing “constitutes an additional milestone in strengthening ties between Israel and UNOOSA. Israel will be able to contribute more of our knowhow and abilities for peace and pave the way for expanding international cooperation in space. We will be in the small circle of countries that influence world priorities in the field.”
The UN office promotes cooperation among nations in the use of space and technology for good, including space research, coping with space garbage, global planning, protection from asteroids, regulation of sending satellites and setting ethical rules for countries’ behavior in space.