Dr. Sergio Camacho-Lara is the Secretary General of the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Latin America and the Caribbean, affiliated to the United Nations. He is also a professor at the National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics of Mexico.

Dr. Camacho is a former Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). Previously, he was Chief, Space Applications Section of UNOOSA focusing on capacity building in space science, technology, and space policy. Before that, he was Chief, Committee Services and Research Section also at UNOOSA and worked on the organization of the Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III). Working with Member States of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), he contributed to implementing the recommendations of UNISPACE III. Highlights of that implementation have been, the establishment of the Space Generation Advisory Council, the establishment of the International Committee on GNSS, and the establishment of the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER).

As staff of the United Nations Secretariat and later as a member of the delegation of Mexico to COPUOS, he was involved in many issues dealt with by the Committee and its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and Legal Subcommittee. As a delegate of Mexico to COPUOS, he was Chair of its Action Team on Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and Chairman of the Working Group of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee on NEOs which led to the establishment in 2014 of the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG). These are among the issues that benefit from the long-term sustainability of activities in outer space which is an issue that he promotes.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Dr. Camacho carried out research in electromagnetic radiation transfer at the Institute of Geophysics, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). He received his M. Sc. and Ph. D. in Aerospace Science from the University of Michigan, in the United States and his bachelor’s degree in physics from the UNAM.

Sergio is on the Council of The Off-World Approach.

“The long-term sustainability of activities in outer space requires good governance by the international community and is essential for sustainable development on Earth.”

– Sergio Camacho