Space and Major Disasters Charter agencies strengthen ties with UN

16 June 2004 - Colloquium at UNESCO, Paris
On 18 June, during a colloquium at UNESCO, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA), represented by its Director, Mr Sergio Camacho, announced that the United Nations intends to remain a "cooperating body" supporting the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters. OOSA intends to enhance promotion of the Charter and to act as gateway for United Nations agencies responding to natural disasters and emergencies. The colloquium was jointly organised by the French space agency (CNES) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), with ESA participation, in the framework of the Canada-France 2004 celebrations.

ESA, CNES and the CSA became the founding parties to the Charter during the UNISPACE III conference held in July 1999. After five years in operation, the Charter has been activated more than 50 times in all parts of the world, supporting the management of disasters caused by floods, oil spills, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and fires.

To date, the founding parties have been joined as parties to the Charter by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Argentinian Space Agency (CONAE). The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has applied to become a party.

The Charter is based on voluntary contributions, by all parties, of Earth observation satellite data. Its main purpose is to supply states or communities whose populations are exposed to risk or have been affected by a natural or technological disaster with data providing a basis for anticipating and managing potential or actual crises. It relies on limited space capabilities offered by the parties but "this is a focused, concrete demonstration of what a more ambitious programme of global environment and security monitoring can deliver to disaster mitigation and crisis management authorities", said Jos? Achache, ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes.

Summary Programme

Welcome
Facilitator: Serge Plattard, Deputy Director, Strategy and Programmes, Head of International Relations, CNES

Opening remarks
Marcio Barbosa, Deputy Director-General, UNESCO


Opening
Laurette Glasgow, Minister Plenipotentiary, Canadian Embassy

CNES Earth observation initiatives
Stéphane Janichewski, Director, Strategy and Programmes, CNES

ESA Earth observation initiatives
Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA

CSA Earth observation initiatives
Marc Garneau, President of CSA

United Nations statement on the International Charter


The International Charter and disaster management
Introduction and video presentation of the Charter
Surendra Parashar, Director, Satellite Operations, CSA

Review of the first four years
Jean-Luc Bessis, Programmes Directorate, Risk Management Coordinator, International Charter Board Member, CNES

User perspective
Col. Philippe Nardin, Head of Mission, International Relations, Directorate of Defence and Civil Security

Future prospects
Stephen Briggs, Head of Science and Applications Department, Earth Observation Directorate, ESA

Emerging Earth observation applications (I)

GMES, TIGER initiatives
Josef Aschbacher, Programme Coordinator, Earth Observation Directorate, ESA

World heritage protection
Mario Hernandez, Chief, Remote Sensing, World Heritage Centre, UNESCO

Public and private actors
Pierre-Alain Schieb, Head of Future Projects, OECD

Emerging Earth observation applications (II)
Hervé Jeanjean, Continental Environment Programmes, Earth Observation, CNES
Claire-Anne Reix, Alcatel, GMES Project Manager
Bernard Coquil, EADS Astrium, Head of New Applications Development and Proposals Division, Ground Systems, Applications and Services Directorate and Patrick Houdry, Environmental and E/O Applications Senior Manager
Paul de Fraipont, Director, SERTIT
Virendra Jha, Vice-President, Science, Technology and Programmes, CSA
Ed Kennedy, Managing Director, Canadian GeoProject Centre
Ferdinand Bonn, Canada Research Chair in Earth Observation, University of Sherbrooke

Round table on future opportunities
Moderator: Luc Tytgat, Head, Space Policy and Research Coordination Unit, European Commission
Daniel Vidal-Madjar, Responsible for Earth Observation Programmes, CNES
Jean-Marc Nasr, President, Spot Image
Jean-Marc Chouinard, Head, Commercialisation Office, CSA
Pierre Engel, Director, International Network Stations, RADARSAT International
Josef Aschbacher, Programme Coordinator, Earth Observation Directorate, ESA
Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO

Closing remarks
Stéphane Janichewski, Director, Strategy and Programmes, CNES

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