Committee on Uses of Outer Space

Humanity stands at the dawn of a new era in space exploration. One defined not by the bilateral rivalries of the Cold War, but by a rapidly expanding constellation of state and commercial actors each pursuing ambitions that extend from low-Earth orbit to the lunar surface and beyond. Yet as activity in outer space accelerates, the international governance frameworks designed to steward this domain have struggled to keep pace. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, foundational as it remains, was not designed for a world of private launch providers, contested orbital resources, and sovereign lunar ambitions. This committee must confront a timely and consequential question of whether the United Nations serve as the nucleus of a unified, cooperative space mission that transcends national competition. Delegates must explore what a multilateral space program would look like in practice, how it would be financed, governed, and made accessible to nations without independent launch capabilities. As well as whether such a framework can foster scientific progress while preventing the militarization and inequitable commercialization of the final frontier.

Concurrently, the committee turns its attention to one of the most consequential humanitarian applications of space technology. The United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response, UN-SPIDER, exists to ensure that all nations, regardless of technical capacity, can access satellite data in times of crisis. As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of natural disasters, the role of space-based information in coordinating relief efforts has never been more critical. Yet significant disparities in access, technical training, and regional integration continue to limit the platform's reach. Delegates must assess how UN-SPIDER's mandate can be strengthened, better funded, and more deeply embedded within national and regional disaster response architectures.

The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space is entrusted with ensuring that the cosmos remains a domain of shared benefit rather than exclusive privilege. From grand cooperative missions to practical disaster response tools, delegates must affirm that the promise of space belongs to all of humanity and not merely those with the resources to reach it.