The African Space Council is the AU organ responsible for promoting space cooperation and coordination of space activities in the continent. It is mandated to operationalize and oversee the African Space Agency.
After electing and appointing eight council members last February, the AU Executive Council added the remaining two members to the council from the central African region during its recent session held in Accra, Ghana.
According to the AU, the ten-member Council elected to a term of four years comprises two representatives of Africa’s five regions each.
The President of the Council, Tidiane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire, is a Space Science expert and a seasoned policy strategist and international development practitioner with experience spanning 30 years across several sectors and continents.
Ouattara has served in managerial and top advisory roles in Canada and at the AU Commission where he spearheaded the establishment of the African Outer Space flagship.
The Council will streamline the operations of the Agency, direct the development of space policies across Africa, allocate resources, and oversee regulations.
The Council is also tasked with administering collaboration among African space industry participants, such as governments and international partners.
MG/abj/APA