Action Team on Capacity-building

Brief mission statement:

To enhance capacity-building activities through (a) sharing information on existing infrastructure such as fellowship programmes; (b) determining how to enhance education and training opportunities; and (c) organizing and developing mechanisms for the exchange of capacity-building information, including established teaching methods, training materials and expertise.

Findings:

(a) In order to enhance capacity-building as a whole, it is necessary to reduce the gap between space-faring countries and developing countries. Emphasis should be placed on enhancing educational and training opportunities in developing countries by improving access to educational and training information, such as on best-practice cases of space-faring countries. In this regard, more effective utilization of existing training opportunities offered within the United Nations system, such as those by the regional centres for space science and technology education affiliated to the United Nations, should be promoted and an interregional network should be established for information exchange;
(b) All levels of educational and training opportunities, from children to post-doctoral fellows, teachers and experts, should be promoted. For this purpose, educational and training information for all levels should be disseminated and shared, bearing in mind the emphasis placed in developing countries on capacity-building at the university level because of the importance of effective capacity-building, especially in space applications for those countries;
(c) For true capacity-building, it is necessary to look for long-term solutions to today’s challenges and, more importantly, greater commitment should be made by the space community and Governments to support local and regional space-related education and training activities.

Recommendations for further action:

(a) Promote the sharing of educational materials and information;
(b) Coordinate international activities on capacity-building;
(c) Increase assistance to activities of the regional centres;
(d) Enhance opportunities for the ongoing exchange of ideas on capacity-building;
(e) Facilitate the augmentation of budgetary resources and fellowships;
(f) Prepare and distribute educational booklets.

Implementation already initiated:

(a) Various types of capacity-building activities are being carried out, such as the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Programme, Eduspace of the European Space Agency, the Space Education Programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Space Generation Advisory Council activities, the Ad Hoc Working Group on Earth Observation Education and Training of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, the Space Technology Applications and Research (STAR) programme of the Asian Institute of Technology and the activities of the Subgroup on Capacity Building of the ad hoc Group on Earth Observations. These activities are summarized in the final report of the Action Team;
(b) A forum for capacity-building was organized by the Action Team in Houston, Texas, United States, on 15 October 2002, with 52 participants from 17 countries and organizations.

Indication of impediments to implementation:

(a) There is a large gap in capacity-building between space-faring countries and developing countries;
(b) The language problem is one of the barriers that must be taken into account, especially in space education for very young students, as most of the information is available only in English; countries are expected to translate various materials into their own languages, by using the multilingual space dictionary of the International Academy of Astronautics;
(c) Member States and organizations should contribute to the efforts by the Office for Outer Space Affairs in cooperation with UNESCO to enhance coordination at the international level of activities on capacity-building.

Benefits to be derived from implementation:

Capacity-building activities would be facilitated, especially in developing countries, and capacity-building would be enhanced at all levels and in all regions, contributing to the enhancement of peaceful uses of outer space.

Progress made by the Action Team:

The Action Team has already held nine coordination meetings. On the basis of input provided in response to the questionnaire circulated by the Action Team and other input from member countries, member organizations and other interested cooperating countries, the Action Team has prepared and submitted its final report, which proposes concrete action plans that should be implemented, for the time being, through international coordination of capacity-building efforts.