Vienna, Austria – (December 18, 2021) –
On Tuesday, December 14, the Moon Village Association (MVA), announced the proclamation of the International Moon Day from the United Nations (UN). The official announcement took place via a Press Conference, hosted by Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO) in Nicosia, Cyprus.
During the Press Conference, speeches were given by the MVA President, Giuseppe Reibaldi, CSEO President, George A. Danos, the former Chairman of UN-COPUOS, cosmonaut Dorin Prunariu and the Legal Advisor of MVA and originator of this proposal, Ima Ionescu. The UN-COPUOS Communications Officer, Martin Stasko attended as an observer the Press Conference, representing the UN.
International Moon Day
The Moon Village Association submitted an application during the UN-COPUOS 64th Session, for the proclamation of the International Moon Day on July 20, the anniversary of the 1969 first human landing, from the United States of America, with the Apollo 11 mission. The proclamation has been approved on December 9 2021, by the UN General Assembly
Moon Exploration has started when Luna 2, a spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union, made an impact on the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Many more spacecrafts have been launched in the last 62 years from different countries such as the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, China, India and Israel, in order to better understand the Moon and its relationship to Earth. However, the first human landing on the Moon, on 20 July 1969 by the Apollo 11 mission of the Unites States, represents the pinnacle of these efforts.
The International Moon Day will be an annual event, held for the general public celebrated across the planet. MVA believes that the International Moon Day is a good opportunity to educate the public and promote and raise each year, at the international level, the awareness on the status and prospects for humanity, the sustainable Moon Exploration and Utilization of the Moon and the need to act together to regulate activities on and around the Moon.
With the approval by the United Nations, this event will foster increased global cooperation between stakeholders all around the world, as well as promoting increasing participation to this goal of the future generation.
The Proclamation of the UN General Assembly states that “[the UN] declares 20 July International Moon Day, to observe each year at the international level the anniversary of the first landing by humans on the Moon on 20 July 1969 as part of the Apollo 11 lunar mission, taking into consideration the achievements of all States in the exploration of the Moon, and to raise public awareness about sustainable Moon exploration and utilization”.
Giuseppe Reibaldi, President of the Moon Village Association stated “The International Moon Day, starting in 2022 will foster the increase of international cooperation for future lunar missions and improve the understanding, by the public, of the benefits of exploring and utilizing the Moon. In 2022, six missions will be launched to the Moon from many stakeholders across the world, and the public needs to be informed why”. Our main message, he said “is that more than 50 year ago we went to the moon because of competition. Now we are going to the moon because of cooperation”, to cooperate with each other and reap the benefit for all humankind as well as stimulating engagement from the young generation.
Cosmonaut Dorin Prunariu stated that “Recognizing 20th of July as a very important day for the exploration of the moon, the date is important because the first step of a person was made on the moon on that day, has tremendous importance. So, every year, we will organize scientific, cultural activities, we will inform the public about the evolution of moon exploration and goals and results”, he remarked.
George Danos stated that “Cyprus is the launchpad of the events to celebrate the International Moon Day following the successful workshop earlier this month”.
The Moon Village Association will be the focal point of organizing the International Moon Day, and soon a dedicated team and website will be set up.
For more information about organizing events for the International Moon Day, please contact:
Glafki Antoniou
Management Support and Public Relations
Email: yc.gr1713504196o.oes1713504196c@osa1713504196-avm1713504196
About the Moon Village Association
The Moon Village Association (MVA) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Vienna, founded in 2017. Its goal is the creation of a permanent global informal forum for stakeholders like governments, industry, academia and the general public interested in the development of the Moon Village. The MVA is the assembling of all efforts from private industry, governments and others aimed to explore and use the Moon in a sustainable manner. The MVA fosters cooperation for existing or planned Moon exploration programs, be they public or private initiatives. It comprises more than 800 participants to MVA activities and 27 institutional members from more than 60 countries, representing a diverse array of technical, scientific, cultural and interdisciplinary fields. The MVA partners with non-space organizations to promote international discussions and formulation of plans to foster the development of the Moon Village, and is creating international, national and regional networks to engage civil society around the world. The Moon Village Association’s mission is unique, bridging together both spacefaring and non-spacefaring nations offering them the opportunity to play a role in its realization. There is no other organization on the international scene having such a mission.