📄 Statement by the participants of the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum on current issues of exploration and use of Outer Space for peaceful purposes (Sochi, 10 November, 2024) 💬 We, the Foreign Ministers of the Russian Federation and African States recognized by the United Nations (UN), Leadership of the African Union Commission and of executive bodies of the leading African integration organizations, as well as their representatives, gathered on 10 November 2024 in the Russian Federation, Sirius Federal Territory, to participate in the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum <...> • call for the strengthening of international cooperation in the use of space technologies for disaster mitigation by expanding the access of our countries to the use of services and information obtained through space activities, and to promote capacity and institution-building in order to cope with disasters, especially on the African Continent, • support the creation of a well-coordinated and integrated African Space Program within the framework of the African Space Agency that is responsive to the social, economic, political and environmental needs of the African States, • emphasize the need to increase the benefits of space technology and its applications and to contribute to an orderly growth of space activities favorable to sustained economic growth and sustainable development in all countries, including strengthening sustainable spatial data infrastructure at the regional and national levels and building resilience to reduce the consequences of disasters, in particular in developing countries and in this regard stress the need to enhance cooperation with a view to assisting African States in the implementation of their outer space strategy, which aims to strengthen African States’ use of Outer Space to bolster their development aspirations, <...> • support the creation of a well-coordinated and integrated African Space Program within the framework of the African Space Agency that is responsive to the social, economic, political and environmental needs of the African States, • emphasize the importance of developing a universal approach to the exchange of information for the safety and security of space operations, • call on COPUOS Member States to increase the level of transparency and trust in the use and exploration of Outer Space exclusively for peaceful purposes, • call for the use of civilian space systems, including commercial ones, and their ground infrastructure, as well as the achievements of space science, technologies and services exclusively for peaceful purposes, • agree to intensify the dialogue within the framework of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum and in the relevant multilateral fora on issues related to the exploration and peaceful use of Outer Space. 👉 Read in full #RussiaAfrica