The chronicle interview.

• Position: Interview

AMBASSADOR DUMITRU-DORIN PRUNARIU is President of the Romanian Space Agency and Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). In 1981, he became the first Romanian in space when he flew aboard spacecraft "Soyuz 40" and space laboratory "Saliut 6". Born in Brasov, Mr. Prunariu graduated in 1976 from the Polytechnic University in Bucharest, with a degree in aerospace engineering. After a three-year Intercosmos space flight training programme for cosmonauts in Star City, Russia, he spent over a week in 1981 in outer space aboard Saliut 6, completing scientific experiments in astrophysics, radiation, space technologies, medicine and biology. Since 1995, he has been Vice-President of the EURISC (European Institute for Risk Management, Security and Communication) Foundation.

Ambassador Prunariu spoke with Horst Rutsch and Belal Hassan of the UN Chronicle on 18 October 2004.

On the main thrust of COPUOS in 2004

The third United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) was organized in Vienna in 1999. The Vienna Declaration, a very important document issued by the Conference, includes new approaches to space activities for human development. In 2004, at the request of the UN General Assembly, we made a full report of the activities during the past years, in accordance with the Vienna Declaration, for presentation on 20 October 2004. The report represents the hard work done in the framework of COPUOS and its subsidiary bodies, and summarizes the activities during the last five years of the Committee and the bodies established to implement the recommendations of UNISPACE III, meaning action teams, working groups and so on.

On space technology and the environment

The UNISPACE III agenda is focused mainly on issues such as eradication of extreme poverty, hunger, education, health and protection of the environment. COPUOS members are organized in action teams and working groups, and they take part in establishing a global agenda that includes important issues for their country's development and how space can contribute to this development, as well as their own approach to different problems. For instance, one of the main action teams, with more than forty members, is concerned with the relief of consequences of natural hazards or disasters. Member States bring their expertise and their contribution not only in funding but also in organizing...