Press Release No. G/35/99
18 November 1999

United Nations Information Services (UNIS), New Delhi, Thursday, Nov.18, 1999--The international science symposium entitled Space Technology for Improving the Quality of Life in Developing Countries - A Perspective for the New Millennium, organized by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) concluded yesterday (17 November 1999).

About 180 participants from 35 countries and six inter-governmental organisations attended the three-day Symposium. A total of six lead talks and 26 case studies were presented by eminent experts from different countries. The Symposium focussed on Food Security; Environmental Integrity; Disaster Management; Education, Rural Development & Health Care and Infrastructure for Space Applications. A Panel of Experts and the participants interacted in the discussions and identified specific actions, required at the regional and national level, to further develop techniques and solutions for the use of space technology in support of national development and improvement in the overall quality of life in society.

The Symposium participants were unanimous that the emerging trends in Earth Observation, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), Satellite Communications and their applications - coupled with the developments in Information Technology - should be oriented towards maximising benefits to the society. The Symposium also urged ESCAP and member states to initiate specific actions for focussing on sustainable development strategies; furthering Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS); establishment of an integrated, global Disaster Management support programme; Environmental Monitoring and Global Change programmes; weather forecasting and global change studies; space services for Education and Health and capacity-building education and training programmes.

The Symposium was organized to precede the Second Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific which will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India today (18 November 1999) at Vigyan Bhavan at 4:30 p.m.

The Senior Officials Meeting preceding the Ministerial Conference was also concluded yesterday. The recommendations of the Space Science Symposium and the draft prepared by the Senior Officials Meeting will be placed in the Ministerial Conference today.