Space Technology Applications Section
Section Calendar Staff For more information... ESCAP Last updated 26/2/1998	CONCEPT PAPER ON PREPARATION FOR THE MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON SPACE APPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC, NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1999

I. Introduction

1. ESCAP organized its first ever Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Development in Asia and the Pacific from 19 to 24 September 1994 at Beijing. The Conference was attended by nearly 300 delegates headed by 36 ministers from 32 members and associated members of the Commission as well as representatives from 24 international and regional organizations. The Conference, after deliberation on issues critical to space technology development and applications, adopted the Beijing Declaration on Space Technology Applications for Environmentally Sound and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, which endorsed the Strategy for Regional Cooperation in Space Applications for Sustainable Development and the Action Plan on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific. The Conference launched the Regional Space Applications Programme for Sustainable Development (RESAP) for realizing the goals set forth in the Strategy and Action Plan. The Commission, through its resolution 51/11 of May 1995, endorsed the Beijing Declaration and the recommendations of the Ministerial Conference.

2. The Strategy provides a general policy instrument for cooperation and coordination on space applications at both the national and regional levels. It outlines the national and regional mechanisms for building up the capacities of the members and associated members of ESCAP in using space technology in addressing several of the urgent problems confronting them, including those identified in Agenda 21. The Strategy also provides policy guidelines for the implementation of RESAP. The Action Plan identifies national and regional activities to promote space technology applications for natural resource accounting, environment management, disaster monitoring, poverty alleviation and sustainable development planning. It lays down a framework for execution of RESAP through a regional approach. RESAP, a generic programme covering major areas of space applications that reflect the common interest of the member countries, serves as a vehicle for realizing the goals set forth in the Strategy and Action Plan.

3. The region has made steadfast progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the Ministerial Conference and the Commission resolution since the Ministerial Conference. The donors, both traditional and non-traditional, provided approximately US$ 3.5 million to ESCAP for the implementation of the Regional Strategy and Action Plan. In addition, the participating countries also provided in-kind contributions amounting to at least US$ 2.1 million in support of RESAP. 0The activities commissioned under RESAP since its inception encompass complementary actions at both the national and regional levels, ranging from policy initiatives, institutional mechanisms, to operational technical cooperative programmes. The achievements on the implementation of the recommendations of the Ministerial Conference have been impressive and the impacts are strong and tangible to the members and associated members of the Commission. The benefits for social and economic development in the region by the Ministerial Conference are being increasingly recognized.

4. At its fifty-third session, the Commission unanimously recognized the need to further prepare the region for expanded and effective practical uses of space technologies for the twenty-first century and requested the secretariat to take necessary measures to initiate early preparation for the Second Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, to be convened in 1999. The Commission stressed that the Second Ministerial Conference should be prepared with a fresh new vision, taking into account the technological trends, opportunities and challenges of the new millennium.

5. At the global level, the General Assembly, through its resolution 51/123 of 10 February 1997 on International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, emphasized the need to increase the benefits of space technology and its applications and to contribute to an orderly growth of space activities favourable to sustained economic growth and sustainable development in all countries, particularly in the developing countries; it also emphasized the urgency and importance of implementing fully the recommendations of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, in particular those relating to the promoting of the establishment and strengthening of regional mechanisms of cooperation through the United Nations system; and it invited all governments within the organizations of the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations working in the field of outer space or on space-related matters to take effective action for the implementation of the recommendations of the Conference.

6. The General Assembly also decided to hold the Third United Nations Conference on Peaceful Uses and Exploration of Outer Space from 19 to 30 July 1999 and called upon international organizations and concerned agencies to organize preparatory activities or follow-up of UNISPACE III. The preparation and organization of the Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific by ESCAP will be an immediate follow-up of the global event, taking into account of the recommendations of UNISPACE-III. It will bring the impact of the global event into the regional arena and help the region develop a programme and an implementation strategy suitable for the regional conditions to benefit from space development in the new millennium.

7. Against these backdrops, it is proposed that the Second Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific be held from Wednesday, xx November/xx December 1999 to Tuesday, xx November/xx December 1999, subject to the decision of the Commission at its fifty-fourth session in April 1998. The Ministerial segment will be two days, preceded by a four-day Preparatory Meeting of Senior Officials.

II. Needs for Second Ministerial Conference on Space Applications?

8. Space applications cover a wide spectrum of activities in social, economic, cultural, scientific and technological development. Space technology has become an enabling and empowering tool indispensable to sustainable development. Today, thousands of orbiting satellites, along with their associated ground-based applications infrastructures, are being developed, launched and operated worldwide. These include remote sensing satellites, global satellite-based positioning systems, environmental satellites, disaster monitoring satellites, navigation satellites, communications and TV broadcast satellites and their associated ground-based infrastructure such as receiving stations and tracking, telemetry and control, as well as spatial data infrastructure, e.g. networking of geographic databases and interoperability of geographic information systems. The technologies are changing the ways people live, and their benefits to humanity are multifarious. The uses of space science and technology applications has already offered essential solutions for problems in various sectors such as environment and disaster monitoring, ecological studies, energy, mineral and water resource management, agricultural and land use planning, and regional and urban development planning. The technology applications also open many new horizons to directly address issues in economic growth, cultural and social development, including human development through distance education, family planning, precision farming, poverty alleviation and improvement of the quality of life.

9. The organization of the first Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Development in Asia and the Pacific in September 1994 by ESCAP has opened a new chapter for promoting space science and technology development and applications in the region. The implementation of the Beijing Declaration on Space Technology Applications for Environmentally Sound and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, the Strategy for Regional Cooperation in Space Applications for Sustainable Development, and the Action Plan on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific has created a tangible impact on social and economic development in the region. The achievements of RESAP have been measurable and have contributed to a substantial progress in space technology development and applications in the ESCAP region. The Ministerial Conference has also helped lift the status of the region as an exemplary dynamic one in using space technology for sustainable development.

10. Statistics show that some countries in the region now invest between US$4 to 5 billion annually in space technology applications and development, excluding the development of communication satellites, which has already entered into a stage of commercial operation. In the field of Earth observation, there are some 30 national remote sensing programmes or centers in the region with more than 20,000 remote sensing specialists working on some 2,000 natural resource and environmental management projects. In recent years, over ten thousand geographic information systems have been established in various sectors, ranging from government planning offices to environmental agencies. Several countries with large territories have invested more than US$ 100 million each in the development of spatial information infrastructure. At least three regional members have developed comprehensive end-to-end space programmes. Nine members have embarked upon small satellite programmes directed towards environment and natural resource management. Meanwhile, 11 remote sensing satellite ground stations are running in parallel with numerous meteorological satellite ground stations for operational acquisition of environmental data in some 30 countries. Furthermore, the region can easily access some 40 communication satellites providing over 1,000 transponders for telecommunications and TV broadcasting. Space technology and applications are part of the vibrant economic development in the region, becoming an integral part of national social, economic and science and technology development programmes in many members and associated members of the Commission.

11. However, despite the developments in the technological field and achievements in the diversified aspects of technology applications, members and associate members of the Commission cannot ignore various problems and challenges ahead, or the fact that these issues and challenges remain as serious as they were before the first Ministerial Conference. As a matter of fact, the following issues remain in large measure a regional common concern and require a more effective strategy.

12. One perplexing problem in the region is that it still harbors over 800 million men, women and children who are living in poverty, despite the continued success and impressive record in economic performance. The economic growth and science and technology development are still unable to bring adequate progress in alleviating poverty, reducing illiteracy and improving the standard of life in many parts of the region. Rapid population growth remains a major issue in the developing members and associated members of the Commission, aggravating wide-ranging problems from education and health to housing, unemployment and poverty. Noticeably, more than 70 per cent of the population in the region are relying on the agricultural sector, and many of them still depend on the primitive traditional farming practice. Degradation of the physical environment, deforestation and desertification continue to be serious problems. Air, land and water pollution are impinging the quality of life throughout the region. Furthermore, natural disasters, such as earthquakes, forest fires, droughts, typhoons and floods, continue to be major threats to the sustainable development in the region.

13. The major concern over the issue is how to collectively address these thorny problems with the support of expanded and extended use of space technology and applications. To bring space benefits to humanity, and in a quest for better solutions to the problems, an increasing number of countries have embarked upon satellite communications, Earth observation, environmental monitoring, global change studies and information networking, as well as other space-related programmes. Regrettably, the lack of genuine regional planning and coordination across the boundaries of various space sectors has unavoidably resulted in unnecessary duplication and waste of limited resources at both national and regional levels. At a time when a reasonable space information infrastructure is being developed by the members and associated members in the region, there is a clear concern over the challenge to harmonize the various activities in order to effectively use space technology development and applications in addressing the problems confronted in sustainable development. The lack of an effective coordination mechanism at both national and regional levels for space development and applications has been considered the major bottleneck for resolving the problems. Furthermore, since the technology is developing rapidly and new generations of technology keep emerging, there is also a growing concern over the ability of many of the developing members to absorb the advanced technology and harness its applications. Therefore, it is believed that a viable and sustained regional cooperation mechanism is necessary to help narrow the gap between the haves and have-nots and bringing social and economic benefits of space applications to developingcountries, for many of them are anxiously to access space technology applications in their national development but are unable to work individually on any meaningful space programmes.

14. There is a general consensus that, to harness space technology development for environment and sustainable development, there is a continued need to further strengthen promotional efforts at both the regional and national levels. Moreover, to deepen and widen the use of space technology in various sectors of social and economic development, it is essential to adopt a regional approach to prepare the region for opportunities provided by the new and emerging space technologies and their applications.

15. At the waning of the twentieth century, it is of paramount importance for the region that renewed and enhanced efforts are injected at both the national and regional levels, in order to bring into focus the promotion of applications of space technology in depth and breadth and pave the way for operationalization and industrialization of space technology applications and services in the new era. In search for solutions, there is a general recognition that, to intensify regional cooperation and mobilize stronger political will, as well as to invigorate genuine commitment and partnership in the region, a high- level political forum to collectively address a range of issues in space development and applications would be essential. Hence, the Second Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific is indispensable.

16. As the major outputs, the Ministerial Conference would provide a unique forum for policy planners and decision makers to exchange perspectives and information, develop fresh new policy scenarios, map out a blueprint for regional space development, and decide upon a result-driven and action-oriented regional programme as phase-2 of RESAP, through review of progress and failures at both national and regional levels, as well as developments in the implementation of the Regional Strategy and Action Plan, including RESAP, launched by the first Ministerial Conference. The 1999 Ministerial Conference will be a milestone for preparing the region for the space age in the third millennium, in which space information technology would play a part in all walks of life. It is anticipated that the Conference would facilitate developing a basic concept on a regional space agency for interested parties. It will help create a level playing field for the region, so that no members or associate members of ESCAP should be neglected and left behind in the space information age in the Twenty-first Century.

17. All salient issues that concern the bottlenecks for space technology development and applications at both the national and regional levels need to be carefully analysed and addressed by the Ministerial Conference. Such analysis needs be carried out taking stock of the progress made and difficulties encountered since the first Ministerial Conference held in September 1994.

18. It appears that at the national level, although the priorities and approaches may vary from country to country, there is a common need for governments to address the following issues and assess their existing action plans and strategies, in order to effectively and efficiently harness the existing and emerging space technologies. The major issues include, inter alia, the lack of a strong commitment in many members and associate members in space technology and applications -- hence the absence of long-term policies and programmes as well as viable implementation strategies, including sustainable mechanisms for finance and investment. Other issues also emerge as crucial to further space development: how to adopt national policies enabling the reorientation of space activities from technology-push to applications-driven; how to create an environment conducive to partnership between the government research and development organisations, education institutions and the industrial sector; how to prevent national segmentation among agencies through better coordination; as well as how to promote integration of space applications with development planning. In most of the members and associated members, the lack of sufficient human resources in various areas of space technology development and applications, including the scarcity of experienced managers for large-scale programmes, continues to be a critical barrier for higher-end space development programmes. By and large, it may take the region another 10 to 15 years before a competitive reservoir of human resources in broad areas of space technology development and applications can be developed and harnessed.

19. Introduction of policies conducive to the involvement of the private sector, and partnership between the government and industrial sectors, presents both opportunity and challenge in the region, where most of the space programmes have so far remained government funded and operated. On the global scenario, space activities are becoming increasingly commercialized, which have provided more and more job opportunities and markets, not necessarily confined to the space-faring nations. These activities have covered a wide spectrum, including building and launching satellites, operating satellite constellations, communications, mobile phone services, information networking, tele-medicine and distance education and commercial broadcasting, navigation and positioning, acquisition and processing of information related to Earth resources and environment, and provision of value-added information and consultancy services, just to mention a few. Lucrative markets are being created all over the world, including in particular Asia and the Pacific region, which is expected to continue to champion the fastest economic growth and the most dynamic development in space activities even with current economic difficulties in some of its member countries.

20. The trend of market economy also creates a noticable impact on space technology development and applications in the region. Many space agencies and space-related government organizations are becoming aware of the development trends and have started to consider devolving to, or developing partnerships with, commercial enterprises for the delivery and operation of some elements of a space infrastructure, or entire infrastructures, which were traditionally provided by the governments. The issues of how the commercial drives will impact government funded activities, modulate information flow and technology transfer, and even alter traditional patterns of bilateral cooperation will be squarely placed before government planners and decision makers, who will be forced to adjust and develop necessary national policies in a quest to adapt to this new trend of development. It will become essential for most of the governments to develop a national capability flexible enough to adapt to the new environment and to address diverse problems in space applications, technology development, industry, trade and commerce. The creation of a national mechanism for the partnership between the public and private sector has become necessary.

21. Across the region, although there has been a growing realization that regional cooperation can provide more for less in this particular field of technology applications, and hence a growing interest in regionalization, there is still missing a genuine regional partnership arrangement by the interested governments in space technology development missions and in integrated operational space applications programmes. On the subject of regional partnership, much more is being discussed than is being done, partially owing to the complex nature of the issue, and partially to the lack of a sense of urgency and a programmatic approach to translating the political willingness demonstrated at the last Ministerial Conference into deeds and actions. Without exaggeration, the region may soon observe the negative impact of the fragmentation in space activities, particularly under the more competitive global economy in the beginning of the new millennium. To meet the challenge, time is opportune for exploring a bold regional institutional mechanism, such as a regional space agency through which the limited resources may be pooled together by the interested parties for cost-effective joint space programmes in the region.

22. Another issue of common concern in the region is the lack of a viable, secure and predictable funding mechanism to support regional cooperation programmes. Core funding support for some basic space application programmes that are initiated jointly by the participating countries, particular those of the least developed, landlocked and small island developing nations, will continue to be essential. This issue may, in particular, seriously jeopardize the harnessing of space technology applications in many of the members whose space activities are under development. Therefore, a closer examination of the issue will be useful and a cohesive approach will be necessary.

23. The remaining years before and the begining period of the third millennium will be critical in paying a way for an expanded and effective use of space applications for sustainable development. The members and associated members of the Commission need to realign and re-reconcile themselves to collectively prepare for a more competitive era. It is of paramount importance that the region should have a sense of urgency and pressure. In particular, the major regional space players should recognize the need for and therefore be willing to take the lead in contributing to the development of a more efficient and effective regional mechanism to harmonize and promote substantive cooperation on space development and applications in the twenty-first century. To that effect, a number of barriers critical to the solution of the issues need to be carefully analysed and removed through a genuine dialogue and a cohesive regional approach. A stronger political will and renewed commitments by the governments in the region through a high-level conference such as the Ministerial Conference appear to be the most coherent response of the region to these development problems and emerging issues.

IV. Major Areas Calling for Prioritization

24. Through the Ministerial Conference, the members and associated members of the Commission should be able to agreed on a result-oriented framework programme and a mission-specific strategy for implementation, as a continuation of the Regional Space Applications Programme for Sustainable Development launched by the first Ministerial Conference. The ultimate goals and objectives of the framework programme should aim at enhancing national capacity building and strengthening regional capability in space technology development and applications for sustainable development. In specific terms, the framework programme should contribute to the integration of space technology applications with sustainable development, facilitate the operationalization of space technology applications to natural resources and environment management, and create an enabling environment for the development of space applications services and related high technology industries into a solid sector of the economy. In addition, it will also provide a level playing field for all less-advanced members and associated members to nurture human resources in high technology and incubate space technology applications in the new millennium.

25. In general, the mandate and generic areas of the ESCAP Regional Space Applications Programme that was launched by the Ministerial Conference in September 1994 and endorsed by the Commission through resolution 51/11 of 1 May 1995 should be fully implemented with an unabated effort at both the regional and national levels through enhanced commitments by the members and associated members of the Commission. In particular, the generic mandate of RESAP should be continued with a necessary amendment.

26. Because many environment and development problems persist, and because new issues in technology development and applications continue to emerge -- also considering the changing priorities of the member countries and the evolving regional cooperation scenario -- efforts towards regional cooperation through the end of this century and the beginning of the new millennium may focus on such a framework programme that would emphasize the region's own imperatives. The framework programme may prioritize the following Minimum Common Programme areas.

A. Integrated Earth observation systems for sustainable environment and natural resource development.

27. Thanks to the rapid technology development, satellite remote sensing, geographic information systems and satellite-based positioning systems are together forming an integrated Earth observation system. The new generation of Earth observation satellites has started to provide fine-resolution data up to one metre or higher, meeting much- needed planimetric accuracy in natural resource management and regional development planning. The cluster of meteorological satellites is able to provide environmental monitoring data with high frequent coverage for the entire globe. The access to the American Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), as well as the planned European/Inmarsat-sponsored Global Navigation Satellite System, will open a new era for precision positioning measurement and controlling. Geographic information systems, which is an enabling technology for handling social, economic and spatial information at various levels in various temporal and spatial domains, will become more user-friendly in its operation while offering more sophisticated technical capabilities. The combined uses of these technological systems represent a trend of technological integration in the near future, which will become an indispensable operational tool for natural resources assessment, environment management, disaster mitigation, global monitoring and urban and rural development planning. Promotion of regional cooperation in the development of integrated Earth observation systems -- in particular their practical applications in priotiry areas such as disaster monitoring, food security and water, coastal zone, forest and agricultural resource assessment and management in the region -- will significantly contribute to the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Agenda for Development as well as poverty alleviation programmes in the region.

B. Spatial data infrastructure development and applications for sustainable development planning, and decision-making

28. As a result of the development of integrated Earth observation systems and communication technology, spatial data infrastructure will be most essential for sharing environmental information and for mapping sustainable development. It therefore will be a regionally imperative necessity to establish a regional information infrastructure as an integral part of the emerging global information infrastructure in support of implementation of Agenda 21 and the Agenda for Development. Such an information infrastructure will network spatial databases of various hierarchies -- local, national and regional -- and integrate natural resource and environmental data as well as socio-economic and demographic data of various level. It will facilitate the on-line geographic information systems for addressing transboundary issues in an efficient and timely manner, through sharing geospatial information in the network for environment monitoring, disaster mitigation, regional assessment and planning and global change studies. The ESCAP initiative on the Earth Space Information Network for Asia and the Pacific (ESINAP), the Regional GIS Information Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific and the bilateral arrangement of the United States-Japan Global Observations Information Network (GOIN) are under way to demonstrate the applicability and capability of a spatial data infrastructure for disaster management applications and global change studies. Some of the successful arrangements under these projects are exemplary for region-wide efforts. To obtain a maximum efficiency, the region needs to jointly identify priority areas and develop a regional spatial data framework through a systematic planning and a clear division of institutional responsibilities to be committed by various participating members. Furthermore, to facilitate the network development and applications, related policies and institutional issues need to be studied and resolved through a regional approach. The major subjects calling for regional attention would be: among others, technical stands and standardization, system interoperability, and data classification, data pricing and distribution policies, as well as legal framework for information security and protection of intellectual property.

C. Space communications applications for human development and poverty alleviation

29. Space communications is a part of information technology that has been considered the next engine of growth in the developed world. As the manufacturing sector rapidly reaches a plateau, many members of the region, particularly those industrialized and newly industrializing economies, have come to recognize the fact that information technology will be a strategic engine for sustainable social, economic and cultural development in the region. Accordingly, many countries have already started to design their own information development plan to ensure economic growth and to prepare themselves to compete globally in the new millennium. Space communications, including satellite communications and broadcasting systems and mobile satellite communications, together with fibre optic technology and multimedia technology and services, will be amalgamated and play an essential role in information society. Through regional or sub-regional arrangements, some test-bed projects -- involving the use of satellite-based communications, Internet, multimedia technology for distance education, and information networking for exchanging and sharing of environment and natural resource information -- will enable the member countries to gain neccessary experience and acquire basic expertise to pave the way for uplifting their national capability. Operational application projects using the information superhighway may be initiated through regional or subregional arrangement for carrying out distance education -- formal, non-formal and informal education as well as skill training on better farming practices, including precision farming, and on family welfare -- and carrying out tele-medicine, as well as for emergency responses. The projects should be able to create substantive impacts on communities in remote, poor and isolated rural and inaccessible mountainous areas, contributing directly to knowledge-building, human development and community participation in development process in the region, which is still held back by 800 million poverty-stricken men, women and children, who will be carried over to the new millennium. The use of space communications will in no doubt significantly help wipe out poverty among these 800 million poor by 2020, as targeted by UNDP.

D. Preparing regional capability for emerging space technology development and applications

30. The technologies for Earth observation, navigation and positioning, space communications, and space science research advance continuously and rapidly. New areas of technology applications keep emerging, with the only limitation being that of the human imagination. Several trends in space-related technology development are almost surely going to create strong impacts on technological policies and regional cooperation mechanisms in the region, and subsequently bring about impacts on social and economic development. These include, for example, high-resolution sensors, hyper-spectrum imaging spectrometers and three-dimensional imaging technologies in the field of remote sensing. In particular the small/mini/micro - or even nano-satellite technology may offer a unique opportunity for a wide range of space applications. At the global level, low-cost, low-risk and high-flexibility small satellite systems for integrated space applications have already emerged and will soon be operational. In the region, there are at least nine small satellite programmes proposed and even being developed. Hence, pooling resources to jointly develop small satellites would provide a good level playing field for interested parties, particularly for those newcomers in the field of space technology. Through better orbit planning and coordination, the region would have a constellation of small satellites or mini-satellites operating for a better coverage of the Earth for the purpose of either environmental monitoring or information communications, or both. The region should stand ready to explore the opportunity for joint development, operation and utilization of small, micro- or nano-satellites. Efforts should be devoted in the region to establishing linkages for individual small satellite programmes to form a regional constellation, which will be the most viable solution to minimize the cost and maximize the benefit of space development. ICC on RESAP and several regional initiatives have already identified small satellite development and applications as a priority area for regional cooperation. To help this cooperation materialize, there is a need to substantiate practical and feasible ways and means for effective implementation of technology research and development, including the mechanism for enhancing academic exchange and human resources development in this field.

E. Education and training in space sciences and technology development, application and management

31. Education holds the keys for future space technology development and application; hence education will become essential in the more competitive world. A quick glance at the regional picture shows that human resource development is a critical bottleneck in space development. Several countries have recognised that the lack of an adequate number of specialists for implementation of national space programmes has become a major concern. Most countries have yet to possess the critical mass of space scientists, technologists and engineers, as well as project managers, to embark upon comprehensive space programmes. In some cases, such as China and India, there is also evidence of lack of international marketing personnel to help in promoting their fledgling space business. It is predicted that these problems will become more acute as space programmes gain more attention and support in the region in the beginning of the new century. It is becoming more pressing that regional cooperation be pursued to give an impetus to the investment in education and training in space technology development, application and management. Taking China and India as examples, each country has provided at least 100,000 employment opportunities for space-related specialists through about 30 years of continuous effort. Accordingly, the region as a whole may need to produce at least 10,000 experts annually to meet the needs in various space-related fields. Apparently, concrete policies will be required for the improvement and development of national-level education programmes on space technology and applications. To supplement the national effort, a regional network on space education and training based on the existing centres of excellence for sharing of expertise and facilities would bring enormous benefits on the sustained human resource development in the region. Continuous efforts in promoting regional education network building would have far-reaching impacts in national capacity building in the region.

F. Development of the space-related industry and service sector to promote economic growth

32. It has been envisaged that the shifting the world's economic centre to Asia and the Pacific region will lead to a booming development in space-related industries and service industries, which, in turn, will contribute to dynamic economic growth in the region. The needs of business in the space sector are common with others: customers, products, financing and a continuous flow of new technology. With a population of more than 3 billion, diverse cultures and history, as well as immense environmental problems, the demands for space technology to meet the diversified needs and to address operationally the common issues are expanding. This has provided a great opportunity for the surge of space industry and economy of scale in the region, although in the region the business is only fledgling at present.

33. One major space industry is satellite communications, which has already become a lucrative market. In Europe, for example, there is a market of about US$ 11 billion for building 173 satellites during the period of 1990 to 2000. The telecom sector will account for 7 per cent of GDP in the European Community by the end of the century. The European Investment Bank has annually processed the lending of 1.3 billion ECU to the satellite communication sector early in this decade. The next potential area for the development of the space industry and service sector is Earth observation technology, including inexpensive ground receiving stations and data processing systems. Already there are at least 15 to 20 private companies planning to develop, launch and operate Earth observation satellites on a commercial basis. There are also increasing numbers of businesses involved in the value-added information service industry. Manufacturing satellites and providing launching services will be another highly profitable business in the region, although the business opportunity may not be evenly distributed due to rigid, high-capital and long-term human resource investments in infrastructure. Several countries in the region have planned to develop and launch about 20 satellites, including small satellites, in the next decade, mainly for Earth observation and environmental monitoring. The annual budget of over US$ 2 billion for space development by the Government of Japan has helped nurture a strong space industry in Japan and has already brought noticeable economic returns.

34. Space manufacturing industry and its spin-off would perhaps in the next century emerge as a high priority in the industrial sector, as working in the zero gravity environment of space offers progressing opportunities to improve life on Earth. Space science experiments have proved that it is possible to manufacture large crystals of exceptional purity, which will enable the computer industry to make strides towards producing larger, faster computers at a much reduced cost. According to NASA?s experiments, lifesaving medicines can be manufactured in space with four times the purity of the same medicines on Earth, and 400 times more rapidly. Experiments also shown that plant seeds breeding in space environment is an interesting area that could be beneficial to agricultural development. The region should continue to monitor and plan with a vision to take advantage of the new and emerging space industries that cover vibrant space technology development, application fields and the service sector in a competitive, globalizing world economy.

V. The Implementation Strategy

35. In generic terms, the Minimum Common Programme to be identified by the Second Ministerial Conference should continue to be implemented under the framework of RESAP launched by the first Ministerial Conference, with necessary shift or re-orientation of priorities along with the development of a suitable and bold implementation strategy.

36. In principle, the strategies should provide a policy instrument that would enable the region to adopt an application-driven and market-oriented approach, promote mutual understanding through information exchange, and enhance scientific and technological cooperation on R and D, which begets genuine teaming and partnership in joint ventures and eventually promote technology transfer.

37. The region should gradually shift from the current project-level cooperation to joint actions under a well defined programme framework -- the Minimum Common Programme. One of the long-term objectives of the Programme should aim at establishing a viable regional institution such as a regional space agency to provide an avenue for further promoting space technology development and applications among the interested members and associated members of ESCAP as well as interested entities. ESCAP may be requested to assist interested countries/entities in conducting studies and developing concept for the regional space agnecy.

38. Towards that end, the successful ESCAP/RESAP three-level network mechanism, with ICC as its nucleus, reconstituted following the first Ministerial Conference, should be further enhanced and strengthened to assume its leading role in the implementation of the Minimum Common Programme, in close cooperation with other regional or subregional organisations/arrangements which should also be encouraged to take active part in the implementation of various components of the Minimum Common Programme at various levels.

39. Specifically, there is a need to fully operationalize the ICC on RESAP and its four subsidiary regional working groups, i.e. the Regional Working Group on Remote Sensing, GIS and Satellite-based Positioning the Regional Working Group on Satellite Communication Applications the Regional Working Group on Meteorological Satellite Applications and Disaster Monitoring and the Regional Working Group on Space Science and Technology Development. To reach that objectives, the member governments of ICC should be requested to nominate an appropriate level of representatives as the national focal points of ICC if they have not done so. They are also requested to send the senior level of representatives to the annual ICC sessions, since it has been mandated to provide policy input to the formulation and implementation of RESAP. There is also a need for those countries that have not done so to identify suitable agencies and representatives as the national contact points for the four regional working groups and to regularly attend their annual meetings, which are mandated for jointly formulating and implementing projects, as have been so far successfully carried out since their establishment after the first Ministerial Conference. ICC and its subsidiary regional working groups, as well as the Regional Information Service/Education and Training network, which form a three-level mechanism, will continue to be the major instrument for implementing the Minimum Common Programmes of RESAP at the regional level.

40. The ESCAP secretariat should further strengthen its infrastructure and capability in space technology applications, in order to be able to rise to the emerging challenges and to assume a greater role in regional coordination and collaboration in space technology development and applications in the new millennium. The Commission should continue to assign a high priority to space application programmes and provide increased core resource support to this new field of space technology applications..

41. Meanwhile, a subregional approach should be adopted wherever it is necessary and feasible to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of programme implementation. For example, ESCAP should offer its support to the works of subregional groups. ESCAP should strengthen its interactions with other successful regional initiatives and international organizations such as Committee on Earth Observation Satellites(CEOS) , as well as non-governmental organisations such as the Asian Association on Remote Sensing(AARS) on implementation of various regional projects.

42. Owing to the uneven development in space technology and applications and the differences in economic status in the region, there is a continued need for support to most of the developing members to enable them to expand benefits by participating in cooperative space technology application programmes. A special funding mechanism needs to be explored to enable the participation of the least developed, landlocked, and small island nations in regional cooperation activities. Such a mechanism could be supported by both the traditional donors and non traditional donors, including industries, NGOs, foundations, individuals or even from proceeds generated from some space programmes.

43. One of the important strategies instrumental in successful implementation of the Minimum Common Programme would be to encourage and involve the private sector in the implementation of projects. The programme should provide support to countries to develop incentives, adopt policies and create programmes conducive to genuine partnership between the public R&D organisations, universities and the private sector, and twinning of institutions both within a country or between countries. The Strategy may also provide an instrument to act as a facilitator for developing a framework of Asia-Pacific Association for sectorial Space Industries with a slim and self-sustaining secretariat to promote their participation in regional cooperation and representation access to trade and industrial development.

44. At the national level, comprehensive space technology development and application policies, programmes and national coordination mechanisms need to be further developed thorough an in-depth review and revision whenever it is necessary. The exercise should take into account the national needs, technological trends, industrial opportunities, managerial constraints and other direct and indirect challenges that may impinge upon any individual country in the new millennium. Two phenomena would almost produce changes while providing opportunities for the region, i.e. the operationalization and commercialization of space technology from the technical point of view, and the regionalization and globalization from the institutional perspective. Both of these development trends will certainly have significant impacts on policy consideration and national programme formulation, whether felt locally desirable or not.

45. For the national governments, there is a need to look for an effective and efficient mechanism for space development. The impacts of operationalization and commercialization of the technology and the impact of regionalization and globalization will push the space sector, including both technology development and application, to further improve its products and services by adopting a new approach. The primary measure for the success of any space programme will be the cost/benefit ratio, depending on how well a programme can maximize its benefits and contribute to social and economic development. With all these pressures, which the national space programmes have so far not been used to, a change of concept and the adoption of an open approach will be unavoidable.

46. There is also a pressing need for a strategic vision of the national governments on the development of regional cooperative mechanisms. The importance and urgency of creating a cohesive and coordinated regional mechanism or institution to pool resources for space development by interested countries still needs to be recognized by the national governments. Eventually, a well-designed regional institutional arrangement on space cooperation should be able to benefit all parties concerned. Such an institutional arrangement could be in the form of an intergovernmental entity, or in the form of an industrial conglomerate, or even a mixed arrangement between the public sector and the private sector in the region. A strategy should be developed to advise the interested governments and the private sector to establish a good dialogue, with the objective of developing an Asian and Pacific space development and applications agency/centre, based on the existing mechanisms, including the Regional Dialogue Forum for Harmonization of Various Space Initiatives.

Where, When and Who Will Be Doing What

A. Venue and date

Venue: To be decided by the Commission at its fifty-fourth session.

Date: November or December 1999 for a duration of six working days.

B. Participants

All members and associate members of ESCAP will be invited to attend the Conference. It is anticipated that the minister/head of the government ministry responsible for coordinating national space application policies, programmes, and technology development will lead the national delegation at the Conference. United Nations agencies and initiatives, as well as international or intergovernmental organizations, that are interested in space-related activities in the region, such as Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Environment Programme, World Metereological Organization, International Telecommunication Union, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, INMARSAT, International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Civil Aviation Organization, European Union( DG-1 and DG-12), European Space Agency and Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, will be invited to attend the Conference. Interested intergovernmental programmes, professional associations and members of the industrial sector, such as International Council of Scientific Unions, Global Climate Observing System, Global Ocean Observing System, Global Terrestrial Observing System, International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Asian Association of Remote Sensing, EOSAT, SPOT Image, Radarsat Inc. and others, will also be invited to attend the Conference as observers.

C. Agendas

(a) Agenda for the Senior Official Meeting Preparatory to the Ministerial Segment:

(1) Opening of the Meeting.

(2) Election of officers.

(3) Adoption of the agenda.

(4) Review of the progress of implementation of the Beijing Declaration on Space Applications for Environmentally Sound and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, at both national and regional levels, including the implementation of the Regional Space Applications Programme for Sustainable Development (RESAP).

(5) Issues concerning operationalization of space technology applications for sustainable development and the regional coordination and cooperation: vision, opportunities and preparedness.

(6) Minimum Common Programme for regional cooperation within the framework of RESAP and its implementation strategy.

(7) Draft Ministerial Declaration on Preparing the ESCAP Region for the Space Information Age in the Twenty-first Century.

(8) Other matters.

(9) Adoption of the report.

(b) Agenda for the Ministerial Segment, which will follow immediately the Senior Official Meeting Preparatory to the Ministerial Conference:

(1) Opening of the Conference.

(2) Election of officers.

(3) Adoption of the agenda.

(4) Policies and perspectives on space technology development and applications, and preparedness of the region to meet challenges and opportunities in the twenty-first century.

(5) Consideration of the report of the senior official meeting preparatory to the Ministerial Conference:

*Implementation of RESAP

*Issues: Opportunities, challenge, preparedness and Space Vision 21

*Minimum Common Programme (RESAP-2) and implementation strategy

(6) Ministerial Declaration on Preparing the ESCAP Region for the Space Information Age in the Twenty-first Century.

(7) Other matters.

(8) Adoption of the report.

D. Parallel events

47. In parallel to the Ministerial Conference, an academic symposium and a technical exhibition will be organized to enable wider participation for interested professionals, scientists, engineers, application specialists, educationists, industrial executives, and other interested individuals. This arrangement would provide a unique opportunity for direct interaction between space specialists and government planners, the decision makers in the field of space technology development and applications.

E. Time frame for the preparation and organization of the Ministerial Conference

The major preparation for the second Ministerial Conference will include the following activities, which require coordinated efforts at both the national and regional levels.

(1) Organization of a brainstorming meeting to develop and finalize the concept for the Ministerial Conference with a fresh new vision (December 1997).

(2) Decision by the ESCAP Commission at its fifty-fourth session on venue and date of the Ministerial Conference (April 1998).

(3) Organization of the regional working group meetings to identify issues of common concern and priority areas of common interest, and develop mechanisms for regional cooperation (by June 1998).

(4) Conducting of survey and study on current status, identification of issues and preparation of database through compilation of a comprehensive compendium (by February 1999).

(5) Establishment of national coordinating mechanisms for preparatory activities at the national level, including providing input to ESCAP, identifying participating organizations and preparing national delegation composition (April 1999).

(6) Preparation of background documents, which would include: (a) Space Vision 21, (b) Review of implementation of RESAP, (c) Major issues in space development and applications and regional coordination and cooperation, (d) Minimum Common Programme within the framework of RESAP and implementation strategy (RESAP-2), and (e) Draft Ministerial Declaration on Preparing the ESCAP Region for the Space Information Age in the Twenty-first Century (by May 1999).

(7) Expanded ICC session to discuss, review and finally tune the draft background documents (June 1999).

(8) Preparation of formal invitation letters and issuance of the letters to all members and associated as well as all concerned organizations (July 1999).

(9) Formal editing the documents and ready for circulation to members and associate members (September 1999).

(10) Organization of the Senior Official Segment preparatory to the Ministerial segment to finalize the documents for consideration at the Ministerial segment, including Space Vision 21, review of implementation of RESAP, major issues in space development and appications and regional cooperation, the Minimum Common Programme and implementing strategy (RESAP-2), as well as the Ministerial Declaration.

(11) Organization of the Academic symposium and Expo Space 2000.

(12) Organization of the Ministerial Segment which will take place immediately before the Senior Official Segment, to review policy perspective, consider the Minimum Common Programme within the framework of RESAP and the implementation strategy (RESAP-2), as well as to launch the Ministerial Declaration.

F. Coordination and cooperation at both national and regional levels

48. Coordination and cooperation at both the national and regional levels for the preparation of the Ministerial Conference are essential. At the national level, it is anticipated that the national focal points of RESAP will be reinforced to assume full responsibilities to act under the concerned cabinet minister in undertaking all preparatory activities, while at the regional level, RESAP/Space Technology Applications Section (STAS), under the Director of the Environment and Natural Resources Management Division (ENRMD), will be charged with full responsibility for heading the team from STAS in discharging all related activities.

49. In view of the wide range of preparatory activities required for the Ministerial Conference, extra budget support would be required. The support, both cash and in-kind, including the support of experts, from donors and participating countries to the preparation of the Ministerial Conference would be essential and should be explored.

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