STATEMENT ON THE BY SOUTH AFRICA AT THE THIRD UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON THE EXPLORATION AND PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE (UNISPACE III).
Mr. Neo Moikangoa, Executive Vice President at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), addressed the plenary session of UNISPACE III on 22 July 1999 in Vienna, Austria.
Mr. Moikangoa reiterated South Africa's commitment, under the leadership of President Thabo Mbeki, to rally to the call of the African Renaissance and the call to overcome the legacy of apartheid in order to free South Africa to assume its rightful place in the community of African nations. He further stressed South Africa's commitment to participate in the unleashing of Africa's full potential and to contribute significantly to all facets of the universal and historic project to create a free, prosperous, enlightened and stable future for all humanity. This was the strategic perspective that framed South Africa's approach to the theme of Unispace III.
Over the years, South Africa has made significant strides in several areas of space applications where it now plays an increasingly significant role. These include:
- the ability to provide reliable launch and orbital support, from South African soil, for international space agencies and satellite operators,
- the compilation and maintenance of an up-to-date database of imagery spanning more than 25 years and covering the whole of Africa and neighbouring islands from 5 degrees South of the equator which is used for various applications, and
- the acquisition of a significant capability to use satellite based communications services, as well as the local development of communications applications.
Immediate priorities for South Africa include:
- building on the successful development, launch and operation of SUNSAT and optimising existing human capital and creativity and giving greater depth and broader scope to current training initiatives,
- giving further impetus to the investigation of the feasibility of a domestic communications satellite project which is currently under way, - making earth observation data accessible to users in Southern Africa and the rest of the African continent.
Mr. Moikangoa further commented that there were still many areas in which South Africa had yet to either deepen its capabilities or grow or acquire new and important learning. In order to make progress in this direction, it will be of utmost importance for South Africa to cooperate with and learn from leaders in the various fields of the exploration of space for peaceful purposes. South Africa would also, in the spirit of partnership with our sister countries and under appropriate circumstances, including adequate levels of the right kinds of support, make available its relative strengths and advantages in order to help leverage the diffusion of the requisite space science competencies and applications across our region and into other parts of the African continent.
This would be a logical extension of South Africa's commitment to working hand-in-hand with her neighbours in southern Africa and across the African continent to seek solutions to common problems in the pursuit of progress. Towards this end, the exponential growth in the commercialisation of space should create opportunities for partnerships between the public and private sectors to implement or give further growth to space projects, in South and southern Africa.
Mr. Moikangoa, in his conclusion, highlighted the fact that it was the first time that South Africa has represented by an official team in a conference organised by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. By way of celebrating this fact, which for South Africa was truly historic, the meeting was assured that South Africa subscribed profoundly to the ideals which inspired the founding of the Committee in the first place.
Member states of the United Nations, NGOs and leaders in the space industry are represented at UNISPACE III. One of the key objectives of the Conference is to identify areas and actions through which space science and technology can help solve common problems of regional and global significance through the peaceful uses of outer space, with particular attention being paid to the needs of developing countries. South Africa's delegation includes representatives from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Communications, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Foreign Affairs, University of Stellenbosch and the Independent Broadcasting Authority.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON BEHALF OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN DELEGATION TO UNISPACE III IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA
PRETORIA
23 JULY 1999