The 68th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) took place in Vienna from 25 June to 2 July 2025.
The President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Prof. Teodoro Valente, as head of the Italian delegation, reconfirmed Italy’s commitment to promoting a peaceful, sustainable and inclusive use of space, at a time of major geopolitical challenges on a global scale. Italy – as underlined by Valente in his plenary statement – is the first European country to have approved a national law on space economy, with a focus on sustainability and innovation. The Italian support for emerging space-faring countries was also highlighted.
During the session, Italy and Morocco facilitated the process to define objectives, agenda, format and organizational aspects of the fourth UNISPACE Conference (2027), the UN summit on peaceful uses of outer space that is held ca. every 25 years.
The Italian delegation contributed to the debate at COPUOS on topical themes, such as the latest space exploration projects, maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes, the link between space activities and sustainable development, the role of space technologies in water resources management and in the fight against climate change.
At the closing of the session, Ambassador Debora Lepre, Permanent Representative of Italy to the International Organizations in Vienna, met Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, visiting Vienna in connection with COPUOS, and reaffirmed the Italian commitment to international cooperation in the space sector and to strenghtening the collaboration with UNOOSA, also in view of Italy’s Presidency of COPUOS (2026-2027).
