FOUNDATION CHARTER OF THE WORKING GROUP ON
SPACE SCIENCES IN AFRICA

We, the African participants of the 6th UN/ESA Workshop on Basic Space Science,

recognizing the leading role Basic Space Science can play in the general intellectual, cultural and scientific development of Africa, as well as in the transfer of technology towards Africa, and
wishing to promote international cooperation and coordination among basic space scientists in Africa and elsewhere,
have formed the Working Group on Space Sciences in Africa (WGSSA). The long-term objective of this Working Group is to enable the creation of an African Institute for Space Science. In support to this vision, we put in place the following strategic objectives to be implemented immediately in all the regions represented in our Group.
They are:
  1. To create and maintain a data base of all African space scientists. This will be used to promote and facilitate the establishment of networks of researchers across the continent.
  2. To promote education in basic space science at all levels in our communities.
  3. To organize regional conferences and training workshops in basic space science.
  4. To identify resource needs and to coordinate efforts to address those needs.
  5. To promote the active participation of African countries in space exploration by pursuing possibilities for collaboration in future space missions.
  6. To establish a programme to develop well trained faculty members in science and engineering disciplines relevant to the basic space sciences by initiating a grant system to finance the required studies. International organizations and space agencies will be approached for assistance to enable such a programme.
  7. To work towards the creation of science centres to disseminate information about basic space science throughout the region.

The Working Group will meet annually to review progress, formulate its objectives and strategy, and biannually to elect its Office Bearers. The Working Group will communicate with its members through the medium of a periodical news publication which will be a forum for the exchange of information as well as medium for dissemination of educational materials in basic space science.

Signed in Bonn on the 12th of September, 1996:
Rasim Amer ALI (Libya)
Gabriel ANENE (Nigeria)
Cheick M. DIARRA (Mali/USA)
Samuel O. OGUNADE (Nigeria)
Zohra Ben LAKHDAR (Tunisia)
Peter MARTINEZ (South Africa)
François QUERCI (France/Tunisia)
Mosalam SHALTOUT (Egypt)
Hamid TOUMA (Morocco).

The Officers of the Working Group are listed on the Home Page.

Working Group
Wed Sep 3 16:10:32 GMT+0200 1997