Speaker
Description
Extreme weather events, environmental crises and the decrease in the available resources due to climate change pose several threats to human health. Ensuring global health care is therefore one of the main concerns of the international community. The UN General Assembly resolution 72/139 underlined the importance of developing “efficient and innovative approaches…to address the health needs of the most vulnerable and to achieve universal health coverage…”. The Assembly simultaneously encouraged Member States to promote and identify laws, policies and programmes to realize “the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health”. In this context, space-based applications can play a crucial role in promoting global health, especially in remote areas, in case of natural disasters and in fighting epidemics.
In 2017 the United Nations / World Health Organization / Switzerland Conference on Strengthening Space Cooperation for Global Health was held with the aim of fostering dialogue between States for a better use of space-based data and technologies in addressing global health. In this occasion space cooperation has been defined as fundamental in the implementation of all the health-related SDGs, namely Goals 3 (Good health and well-being), 4 (Quality education), 6 (Clean water and sanitation) and 13 (Climate action). The role of space cooperation in enhancing global health is the objective of Thematic Priority n. 5 of UNISPACE+50, for whose implementation the Working Group on Space and Global Health has been established within the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of COPUOS. The Group has formulated a multi-year workplan (2019-2022) to address all the relevant issues through a multi stakeholder approach.
It is possible to identify three areas in which space cooperation can support global health. The first is Earth observation/Remote Sensing as collecting and sharing valuable data and information can monitor outbreaks and the impact of climate change and natural or artificial phenomena on persons. Secondly, telecommunication satellites are essential tools, allowing tele-health and tele-medicine applications for providing medical services in areas with limited medical support. In addition, space-based research, as that performed on-board the International Space Station, is capable of identifying possible cures to major diseases through advanced technologies.
The Outer Space Treaty establishes that the use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries. International cooperation in space activities for global health constitutes a relevant implementation of this provision. Although the current international legal framework regulating outer space activities does not address directly the aspects related to global health, several provisions and principles are useful for the enhancement of cooperation in this field. Among others, mention can be made of the duty of cooperation, the freedom of scientific investigation in outer space, the principles on remote sensing dealing with the protection of human life and security. This paper therefore aims on the one hand to analyse the legal framework governing the space activities involved, on the other hand to ascertain possible pitfalls in the applicable regime that would hinder the spread of space cooperation for health purposes.
