Closing Statement by N. Jasentuliyana
Executive Secretary UNISPACE III Conference

Mr. President,
Distinguished delegates and friends,

It gives me great satisfaction and happiness to address all of you at the closing of UNISPACE Ill. After a hectic agenda, spread over two weeks, and intense deliberations and discussions, we have reached the close of the Conference. On behalf of the United Nations, I take this opportunity to commend and congratulate each one of you  the delegates, the experts in the Technical Forum, the participants in the Space Generation Forum, the exhibitors and other distinguished invitees  for having partaken in this last of the United Nations global conferences of the century, which I hope will go down as a momentous Conference defining the humankind's rendevouz with space for many years to come

UNISPACE Ill has been attended by over 2,000 participants, constituting the delegations, experts in the Technical Forum, young professionals in the Space Generation Forum, and exhibitors, the Conference addressed key agenda items leading to the adoption of the Vienna Declaration today. As you all know, the Conference was organized through a plenary, which mainly discussed the aspirations and statements of recommendations from Member States, two technical Committees to incorporate the technical proposals and recommendations into the report of the Conference. Parallely, 40 technical workshops, seminars and round-table discussions, which were held as part of the Conference's Technical Forum activities, provided a forum for professionals and technical experts to intensely interact on various technical issues related to space science and technology. Thus, UNISPACE III has been unique in addressing --- both technical and policy level issues of relevance to the individual delegations, in particular, and to society as a whole. A wellattended Space Exhibition show-cased some of the world's best technological efforts in the field of space.

UNISPACE Ill has been unique and innovative in many ways. Like many other United Nations conferences, it brought together a number of professionals from government and intergovernmental agencies, NGOs, academia and industry. Even more interesting and satisfying, through the Space Generation Forum, it also had participation from an active and involved group of young professionals and students, who bring with them zeal, energy and a vision for the future. UNISPACE has had the benefit of a thorough background effort, through four years of careful planning and coordination by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) acting as its Preparatory Committee for the Conference, under the able guidance of our distinguished Chairman Prof. U.R. Rao, who also served as the President of this historic Conference, and four regional preparatory conferences in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe.

The report this Conference, which has just been adopted, is itself a magnificent achievement. This report is not only a product of cooperation among all Member States interested in space activities, but also a product of collective wisdom and will of all members of the global society who believe in the benefits of space science and technology. I am here referring to contributions by all participants of the Technical Forum. No United Nations conference in the past has recognized, and thus benefitted from, the visions and ideas expressed by actors of civil society as much as UNISPACE 111. It is also the first time that the United Nations Conference included in its report the work accomplished by young people. This should set an excellent precedence for the participation of civil society --- NGOs and industry, in particular as important partners of the United Nations in pursuing the goals and objectives of the Organization.

To me, it has been an honour and privilege to be serving the Conference as its Executive Secretary. I thank all of you for your support leading up to the Conference and during the past 10 days. It is because all of you wanted this successful outcome of the Conference that we have achieved it. Organizing a Conference of this magnitude, particularly without a specific budget, requires intense coordination and support, and I must confess here that I found the courage from the small, but dynamic and, above all else, dedicated staff of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, who ably bore the burdens to support me. Their support was complimented by the colleagues in Conference Services, and the Austria Centre, who put up with consistently changing demands. Special tribute is due to Ms. Monika Riedmann in Wachermayr who will be retiring today having served well UNISPACE 1, 11 and 111. The constant encouragement by Member States, particularly of COPUOS, a number of industry and professional bodies and many eminent personalities around the world has been inspiring for us to ensue the success of the Conference.

Vienna, my home for many years, has provided the perfect backdrop to the Conference and the financial and other support and hospitality extended by this great nation, particularly the keen interest of the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the City of Vienna, and the host country committee led by Ambassador Dr. Peter Jankowitsch, has provided a congenial platform for the Conference. I hope all of you take back with you sweet memories of your short and memorable stay in this historic and culturally rich city of Vienna.

To me the purpose of UNISPACE III was very clear and unambiguous right from the time I have been involved in the efforts to plan and organize it. All of you will agree with me that UNISPACE III has achieved the aim and goals that all of us set out for it. The intense discussions and deliberations that all of you had over the past 10 days has seen the culmination of programmes and activities for promoting the effective means of using space solutions to address problems of regional or global significance; strengthening the capabilities of Member States, especially developing nations, to use the results of space research for economic and cultural development and enhance international cooperation in space science and technology and its applications. The Conference has addressed specific issues of developing country opportunities and expanding the scope of utilizing space for a sustainable development. At this Conference, we have also discussed the status of space science and technology and their applications: what is available and what are their practical benefits; why we need to pursue advances in space; what the social and economic impacts of space science are; what we need to benefit in space science and technology; how space activities stimulate the economy; what is good about space commercialization; what we need to make international space law stimulate space activities; how we promote international cooperation; what the United Nations system does and what the United Nations needs to do more in space activities.

As each of you have debated and discussed, we all agree that Space has been critical tool and Space will continue to enable society to achieve higher goals in the new millenium, as has been envisioned in the Vienna Declaration. Space technology, with its already proven ability to transform the life-style on this planet, by providing food and economic security through sustainable integrated development; communications for everyone and the realization of the "global village"; optimal management of natural resources; support to disaster management and environmental monitoring and provision of navigation, education and health services holds the best promise for improving the quality of life of even remote rural population in the least developed countries on earth. With the agenda of the Vienna Declaration, it is for all of us, through effective programmes and projects, to endeavor to provide opportunities to every individual to benefit from space-based services and products -- that would be the true success of this Conference. Towards this end, each one of the delegations will have to be the most willing partner and cooperate with United Nations and other agencies in making this into a reality. This must be our pledge and commitment to humanity in the 2000s.

On behalf of the United Nations, I must express happiness that the Conference has arrived at policies and strategies and a plan of action that will help transition the space technology and applications into the new millenium, so as to ensure appropriate benefits for each nation, small or big, developed or developing. With the cooperation of the Member States, the United Nations will endeavor to undertake the implementation of the Vienna Declaration, which will help to reduce --- and even eliminate, over time the gross inequalities within and between nations. Ultimately, this is the surest recipe for peace, happiness and the progress of humankind.

The report of the Conference is available with all of you, along with the Vienna Declaration which prolhesies a space millenium. and when we look at it carefully, we will find that implementing it would be equally challenging as has been drafting it over the past 10 days, and indeed over the last two-and-ahalf years. The deliberations and the results of UNISPACE III, if effectively implemented, will have a lasting impact on the lives of millions and their ability to benefit and improve their qualities of life. The specific plans of action where space science and technology can serve as tools for local, regional and global developmental activities have been identified and in the coming years it can serve as a navigational beacon for activities for each Member State and the United Nations to follow. These recommendation, though small steps, are important ones for a global effort of the international community to come together and undertake an effective assimilation of national and international space technology and application programmes.

Yet for all, the possibilities enshrined in the report of the Conference and the Vienna Declaration are still a dream for many, particularly in the developing world. I speak of those deprived in a world where 84% of all mobile cellular subscribers, 9 1 % of all ammes fax machines, and 97% of all Internet host computers are located in the developed world. I speak of the people in a world where three families have more wealth than the 48 least developing countries combined. To them in the developing world, do all what we achieved here have relevance? The good news is that a whole host of projects we have identified in our report indicates that it does.

When we can make a visible change in the quality of life of those people, to enable them to benefit from space science and technology, we can finally say UNISPACE III was a success and we are ready for the "Space Millenium".

The ultimate ideal of space activity, indeed of all development, must be as Mahatma Gandhi said --to "wipe every tear from every eye".

Thank you and good bye.