Space Trust, the non-partisan and non-profit initiative launched in Monaco, has presented an innovative forum on Capitol Hill: “ZeroG [0G] Summit, Space Diplomacy in the Age of NewSpace” which featured Congressman Jim Bridenstine and Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna, as the Guest of Honour.
The event, co-hosted by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, saw an impressive turnout and engaged leading stakeholders from the US space industry, architects of space policy, decision makers from the Hill and government agencies to utilise space as a sustainable tool for conflict resolution and peace making on Earth.
“At the height of potential conflict, America’s first communications satellite conveyed a message in the voice of President Eisenhower to the entire world: ‘Through this unique means I convey to you and to all mankind America’s wish for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men everywhere.’ Today space still represents a vision of peace, cooperation and trust. Space Trust is continuing this legacy,” said Congressman Bridenstine.
The event on the Hill was a precursor to the annual 0G Summits on Earth which will be launched in September 2017, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, to engage world leaders, peace makers, space actors, civil society and youth to find innovative solutions for a peaceful world.
Together, these efforts are strategically aligned toward “0G Summit 2030”—the First Peace Summit in Orbit—in support of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and more specifically, the work of the United Nations “Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space” (COPUOS).
“Space technology and applications are invaluable tools for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. UNOOSA is committed to working with partners around the world to promote and facilitate space to solve humankind’s greatest challenges, and I appreciate Space Trust’s dedication to this work,” said Ms Di Pippo, Director of UNOOSA.
Namira Salim, Founder & Executive Chairperson of Space Trust, said: “I believe such a monumental peace initiative has the potential to galvanise our common humanity from space. I invite the US as a leading spacefaring nation, to join the international community in supporting the high level inaugural 0G Summit in September toward 0G Summit 2030 in Orbit.”
Space Trust was launched in Monaco in 2015 in the presence of HSH Prince Albert and in partnership with leading space agencies.