Morocco was unanimously elected to preside over the 68th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in Vienna, marking a significant milestone for the kingdom’s growing space sector leadership.
Professor Rafiq Akram, director of Morocco’s Royal Centre for Remote Sensing, will lead the session running until July 2, with unanimous support from the African Group. The Moroccan presidency aims to bridge different delegations’ perspectives to facilitate consensus for adopting the session’s final report.
The appointment underscores Morocco’s increasing prominence in space affairs and its role as a bridge between African and international space communities. During the COPUOS session, Morocco will organize a side event titled “Celebrating African Space Development: Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Global Space Sector.”
The event, co-hosted with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), represents the first formal dialogue between the African Group and European Union delegation in Vienna on space cooperation. Participants include Dr. Tidiane Ouattara, President of the African Space Agency Council, and Cecilia Donati, Director General of International Cooperation at the European Commission.
Morocco’s permanent representative to UN organizations in Vienna, Ambassador Azzeddine Farhane, will chair the event, which recognizes Africa’s essential role in developing a sustainable and inclusive global space sector.
The gathering will feature senior officials from Burkina Faso, Nigeria’s Space Research and Development Agency, and the EU delegation, highlighting growing international cooperation in space development.
Morocco’s leadership role reflects the kingdom’s strategic investments in space technology and its commitment to fostering African space capabilities while maintaining strong international partnerships in the rapidly expanding space economy.