In Resolution 61/110 of 14th December 2006 the United Nations General Assembly agreed to establish the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response – UN SPIDER. This new UN programme would carry the following mission statement: ‘Ensure that all countries have access to and develop the capacity to use all types of space-based information to support the full disaster management cycle’.

Vital Role
With this the General Assembly recognised the vital potential role of space technology and its applications in supporting disaster-relief operations by providing accurate and timely information and communication support. It also recognised the important role played by co-ordinated applications of space technology in the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015. This, entitled ‘Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters’ was adopted by the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held at Kobe, Hyogo, Japan from 18th to 22nd January 2005.

Triple Function
A number of recent initiatives have contributed to making space technologies available for humanitarian and emergency response, such as the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. But UN SPIDER is the first to focus on the need to ensure access to and use of such solutions during all phases of a disaster, including the risk-reduction phase which may contribute significantly to reducing loss of life and property. The new programme aims to achieve this by focusing on being a gateway to space information for disaster management support, serving as a bridge to connect the disaster management and space communities and being a facilitator for capacity-building and institutional strengthening, in particular for developing countries.

Open Network
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) will implement UN SPIDER as an open network of providers of space-based solutions to support disaster-management activities. The programme will have offices at UNOOSA base in Vienna and in Beijing and Bonn. The following countries intend to commit resources to UN SPIDER: Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Morocco, Nigeria, Romania, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, South Africa, Syria and Turkey. Several have indicated they will join the Network of Regional Support Offices that will work together in implementing activities. Delegates to the forty-fourth session of the Scientific and Technical Sub-committee, a subsidiary body of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) which met in Vienna from 12th to 23rd February 2007, agreed to a Platform Programme for 2007-2009. They requested immediate commencement of UNOOSA activities, taking advantage of commitments provided and building upon the Network of Regional Support Offices.

Pendulum
In explaining UN SPIDER I like to compare the new programme to the swinging of a pendulum. If we consider all available space-based infrastructure (earth observation satellites, global navigation satellite systems, communication satellites and meteorological satellites) to constitute the pendulum, its actual motion (swinging) is the use of space-based solutions in disaster-management activities by end users. Thus UN SPIDER becomes the constant and harmonious soft touch that enables the pendulum to swing correctly and constantly. From this perspective, every one of us has a role to play in ensuring that UN SPIDER is successful.

Further information may be found at the UNOOSA website: