UN WORKSHOP TO BE HELD IN VIENNA ON USE AND APPLICATIONS OF GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEMS, 8-12 DECEMBER

UN WORKSHOP TO BE HELD IN VIENNA ON USE AND APPLICATIONS

OF GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEMS, 8-12 DECEMBER

VIENNA, 4 December (UN Information Service) –- A five-day International Workshop on the Use and Applications of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) will be held at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) from 8 to 12 December 2003.  The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, within the framework of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications, is jointly organizing the workshop with the United States.  It is being convened as a Joint Meeting of the Action Team on GNSS and GNSS experts who attended United Nations/United States Regional Workshops and the International Meeting (2001-2002).

The Action Team on GNSS is one of 12 action teams established by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to implement priority recommendations of the Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III).  Under the leadership of the United States and Italy, the Action Team currently consists of more than 30 countries and a dozen international organizations.

The benefits of GNSS application are growing in areas including aviation, maritime and land transportation, mapping and surveying, agriculture, power and telecommunications networks and disaster warning and emergency response. Especially for developing countries, GNSS applications offer cost-effective solutions to pursue economic growth without compromising the present and future needs to preserve the environment, thus promoting sustainable development.

The International Workshop on GNSS aims at:  (a) reviewing the progress made in the implementation of the recommendations of the UN/USA International Meeting of Experts on GNSS, held in Vienna in November 2002, and any follow-up initiatives and actions resulting from the series of UN/USA Regional Workshops on GNSS; (b) finalizing the recommendations and the report of the Action Team on GNSS to the Committee; and (c) taking initial steps towards carrying out some of those recommendations, including the preparation of draft terms of reference for the establishment of a GNSS Coordination Board.

The Workshop will be attended by members of the Action Team on GNSS and invited GNSS experts who contributed to the results of the UN/USA Regional Workshops and the International Meeting, as well as to the follow-up initiatives resulting from those meetings, from the following countries and international organizations:  Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Syria, Ukraine, United States, Zambia, International Telecommunication Union, European Commission, European Space Agency, Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, International Association of Geodesy, International Federation of Surveyors, International GPS Service and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

The United Nations Programme on Space Applications is implemented by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, and works to improve the use of space science and technology for the economic and social development of all nations, in particular developing countries.  Under the Programme, the Office conducts training courses, workshops, seminars and other activities on applications and capacity building in subjects such as remote sensing, communications, satellite meteorology, search and rescue, basic space science, satellite navigation and space law.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) implements the decisions of the General Assembly and of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its two Subcommittees, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and the Legal Subcommittee.  The Office is responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, and assisting developing countries in using space science and technology. Located in Vienna, Austria, OOSA maintains a website at http://www.oosa.unvienna.org.

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