Minister's speech for ALC4 conference

Speech By Minister For Higher Education, Science And Technology, Hon. Prof., Margaret Kamar, During The Official Opening Of The 4th African Leadership Conference On Space Science And Technology For Sustainable Development, White Sands Hotel, Mombasa, Kenya 26-28 September, 2011 1

• Permanent Secretary, MoHEST, Prof. Crispus Kiamba,
• Other PS's / representatives
• Chief Executive Officers from African Countries
• Director-Generals
• Directors
• Eminent Scientists
• Distinguished Guests
• Members of the Press
• Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to this important Conference, which is the 4th of its kind to be held in Africa. I do belief that this is a very important Conference in the development of space science and technology in Africa. It is the first time that all the stakeholders utilizing space science and technology to drive   Africa's sustainable development including; the chief executives of space-related organizations, senior government officials, academicians from across Africa and beyond, private sector representatives, members of professional and  civil society organizations, are meeting to strategize and chart a future for Africa’s claim of its share of  the space enterprise.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Government of Kenya attaches great importance to the development of space science and technology in solving the country's and Africa's needs and problems. We may recall that during the cold war era the driving force behind the exploration of outer space through satellite technology was for military and security purposes but space science and technology has since been used for civilian applications. The first serious attempt at space exploration begun with the successful launch of the first artificial  satellite, Spunik-1, in 1957. In 1958 and 1964, however, the United Nations established the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and its two Subcommittees, i.e the Legal and the Sciencetific and Technological Subcommittees, to promote international cooperation in space science activities and peaceful uses of outer space for economic and cultural development.  The Committee  has been responsible for organization United Nations Conferences on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE) including of the UNISPACEIII, whose recommendations we all seek to implement. Presently, the Committee has 69  members including 14 African countries.

Through the work of the Committee and its two Subcommittees as well as  collaboration of the international community, space science and technology has revolutionalized the course of socio-economic development in many societies of the world today. Almost every type of human problem can be tackled or solved through the use of space-related systems. It is no longer in doubt that space science and technology  will continue to dictate the pace of development and determine military strength of nations in the years to come.