Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Opening remarks at the
ITU Space Sustainability Forum 2025
[As prepared for delivery]
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the second edition of the ITU Space Sustainability Forum!
It's great to see so many of you here in Geneva, and hello to those joining remotely from all over the world.
We meet during World Space Week, established by the UN (United Nations) General Assembly in 1999 to celebrate how space science and technology can improve human life and advance sustainable development.
I myself have just returned from back-to-back missions where digital and especially space topped every agenda. From the 80th UN General Assembly, where Aarti (Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs) and I were together at a space connectivity event; to the G20 Digital Economy Ministers Meeting in South Africa, where connectivity and inclusion were key priorities, with space technologies as a vital enabler; to the Global Cybersecurity Forum in Riyadh where cybersecurity and space discussions were front and center; to Kazakhstan, where I visited the impressive National Center for Space Research and Technology in Astana.
En route back to Geneva, I reflected on how, since last year's inaugural Forum, this community has built momentum, shared data, and compared best practices, giving meaning to the message: space is a unifier.
You also asked ITU to make it easier to find people and resources for better transparency, information sharing, and practical tools for space sustainability.
In fact, at last week's International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, one operator concluded that “Having ITU serve as a facilitator of communications is the single best thing we can do to lower risk" in space.
That's why I'm so glad to open this second edition with the words: We heard you, and we have delivered.
First, the ITU Space Sustainability Gateway is up and running.
This one-stop shop provides: points of contact across administrations, operators, and space agencies; direct lines to the BR Space Services Department with FAQs on their databases and services; and resources on post-mission de-orbit and responsible disposal practices.
You will also find references from ITU-R (ITU Radiocommunication Sector) and UNOOSA (United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs) gathered in one place, with many thanks to Aarti for collaborating with us on the Gateway.
We will continue to build this repository with an eye toward making the wealth of information on space easier to find and tap into.
Second, we launched SpaceConnect, a series of online discussions with eight episodes so far, covering: LEO (low Earth orbit) fundamentals, authorization, ground networks that enable space safety, humanitarian impact, and more.
New topics will be added through the rest of this year, and we'll dive deeper into issues we will touch on here in the Forum, like cislunar communications and system resilience.
We are very happy to take your suggestions on themes you'd like us to tackle next year.
I encourage you to join SpaceConnect sessions to stay updated with this rapidly evolving space sector, and to network with your counterparts.
Third, international cooperation on space has deepened – across ITU and the UN system.
You might have noticed more space-related topics at other ITU flagship events, from the AI for Good Global Summit, to the Global Symposium for Regulators, reflecting the ever-broadening interest in space as a tool to reach our strategic goals of universal, meaningful connectivity and sustainable digital transformation.
Also since last year's Forum, the United Nations adopted the Pact for the Future, which calls for urgent, practical cooperation on: space traffic coordination, debris and resource governance, and invites industry, civil society and other stakeholders to help build solutions.
Similarly, the UN Global Digital Compact an important part of the Pact recognizes: satellites as critical digital infrastructure, and promotes equitable access to satellite orbits for applications like school connectivity.
Our job now is to translate these commitments into operational practices.
For ITU, that means securing a reliable, interference-free radio environment that keeps your space investments safe and sustainable.
Colleagues,
If last year was about formulating practical tools, transparency and information sharing, this year is all about action.
For the first time, we have piloted hands-on, pre-event workshops including a space sustainability primer for ITU staff and a capacity-building session for delegates to this Forum focused on regulatory issues.
I thank Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission, and the Digital Regulatory Academy for their partnership in putting yesterday's training workshops together, so that we could kick off the Forum with a shared understanding and sharper questions.
Tomorrow, you'll see a live demo of a space traffic coordination system that provides free, basic spaceflight-safety services to civil and commercial operators.
It shows what is possible when public services and commercial capabilities align on conjunction screening, messaging, and data exchange.
As you watch, consider how tools like these relate to the ITU Radio Regulations and your national frameworks, so that space and spectrum situational awareness—becomes routine, reliable, and global.
Today and tomorrow you'll hear about similar opportunities, from: Missions across LEO to lunar orbits and the enabling spectrum decisions that keep them viable; to direct-to-device services that extend coverage, save lives, and support first responders; to AI in operations, from anomaly detection to collision avoidance to more resilient networks; to preparation for WRC-27, with 80 per cent of the agenda items related to space.
Our conversations will be grounded in real market signals, as Patricia (Patricia Cooper, Master of Ceremony and Advisor to ITU) touched on in her welcome.
More than 60 billion USD has been invested in space over the past decade, with over 80 per cent of that happening in the last five years.
More countries are establishing space agencies, and the number of countries active in space has boomed — as customers of space services or data, to tech innovators, to operators, scientists and explorers.
These economic trends are not abstract; they are factories, workforces, and supply chains worth an estimated 1.8 trillion USD by 2035.
They are also the reason coordinated filings and interference mitigation matters more with each passing month.
Over the next two days, we will also be candid about the challenges of space sustainability: Constellations at scale require coordination at scale—from disciplined submissions and early bilateral work to credible follow-through.
Space and spectrum situational awareness is mission insurance, but it can only be as strong as its data, common formats, clear responsibilities, and a culture of sharing
And inside ITU, demand continues to surge. Requests for spectrum and orbit resources have multiplied 5.5 times over the past decade.
We need to work together to uphold our responsibility as stewards of spectrum on Earth and in space; to keep the process fair, and to keep the orbital and spectrum environment usable for all.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Two weeks ago, world leaders gathered at the 80th UN General Assembly under the theme “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights."
To echo the messages I heard in New York here in Geneva: If we want the benefits of space to reach all people, we need: better communication, closer coordination, and a redoubling of our sustainability efforts.
Together, we can ensure that space not only drives innovation and economic prosperity everywhere, but becomes a foundation for resilience and inclusive global progress for everyone, now, and for generations to come.
On behalf of the ITU family, I wish you a successful and inspiring Forum.
