Without any doubt, we are witnessing a growing awareness of the importance of addressing threats and risks that may affect activities in space that are vital for the development of States and the wellbeing of their citizens, regardless of the level of the specific space programmes and national capabilities. In the last couple of years, this concern has gradually mobilized government, academia, industry representatives and scientists and helped to ignite a number of discussions and diplomatic processes on space safety, security and sustainability. In these debates, and in particular in the sessions of the Open-Ended Working Group on Reducing Space Threats through Norms, Rules and Principles of Responsible Behaviours (OEWG), it became evident that several of the specific terms used in the multilateral field are understood in different ways, and that in some cases, different terms are used to describe the same concept.

This dissimilarity does not only stem from the diverse disciplines that are involved in the discussions, but also from linguistical distinctions and different legal traditions, which have been acknowledged by several delegations during the discussions of the OEWG. It is no exaggeration to say that this absence of a common understanding around frequently used terminology constitutes an additional challenge to the difficult goal of making concrete progress in the debates on space security.

Certainly, this situation needs to be addressed adequately, in order to prevent misunderstandings and unnecessary difficulties in the discussions. This challenge can also be seized as an opportunity to seek the compatibility and even explore the possible complementarity among these different terminologies, and thereby pursue a commonly accepted glossary of terms related to space security. Therefore, I am convinced that this Lexicon, developed by UNIDIR and the Secure World Foundation, with the valuable support of the Government of the Republic of Korea, can significantly contribute to the establishment of that missing common understanding.

This initiative will also significantly help make space security debates more accessible to all by presenting explanations of what different actors mean when they use the terminology highlighted in the Lexicon, as well as raising the consciousness of the international community on the existence of different interpretations to encourage a more constructive discussion. This effort will certainly be appreciated by all participants, both from governmental and non-governmental entities, as it can facilitate a shared understanding of the main space security topics and terms, by consolidating those terminological issues in an accessible global reference point.

This will also be an invaluable tool for having a more inclusive multilateral discussion, in the OEWG process as well as in following debates in the international community tasked with advancing the common goal of preserving a peaceful, safe, secure, and sustainable outer space for the benefit and wellbeing of all humankind.