During the 69th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), which opened on 10 June 2026 in Vienna, Italy assumed the Committee’s Chairmanship for the 2026–2027 term. The President of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Teodoro Valente, was elected to chair the Committee. Established in 1959 and now comprising 110 Member States, COPUOS is the main multilateral forum for promoting international cooperation and the peaceful use of outer space.
The start of Italy’s Chairmanship provides further recognition of the country’s growing role in the space sector. With this appointment, Italy now holds three presidencies in the leading international organisations of the field, including those of the European Space Agency Ministerial Council and of the International Astronautical Federation.
During its term, Italy will promote an inclusive multilateral approach aimed at fostering shared solutions to the sector’s main international challenges: from lunar exploration to the management of satellite traffic and space debris; from access to space and issues related to international law to technological developments that are creating new economic and industrial opportunities. This commitment will be pursued in close cooperation with the delegated authority, the Italian Space Agency, the Italian Interministerial Committee for Space Policies, and the private sector.
(Source: Italy MFA)
