Structure and Staff
The Office is composed of the Committee Services and Research Section (CSRS) and the Space Applications Section (SAS).
As in the whole United Nations system, people from around the world work in the Office. Citizens of more than 50 countries have served as staff members, consultants and interns. In line with the relevant United Nations policies, principles regarding equal geographical distribution and gender balance apply to the selection of staff. As of June 2012|6, specialists from the following countries were staff members of the Office: Austria, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, Russian Federation, Romania, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Staff members have a status of international civil servants.
Staff members of the Office have a wide range of educational backgrounds, including space science (including interdisciplinary fields), physics, engineering, computer science, political science, international affairs, law (including public international law and space law), and other.
Since 2009 Takao Doi, a former Japanese astronaut and a veteran of two NASA space shuttle missions, is chief of Space Applications section of the Office.
At different times a number of other distinguished people, including Adigun Ade Abiodun, Vladimír Kopal, Luboš Perek, Nandasiri Jasentuliyana, served at various positions.
Read more about this topic: United Nations Office For Outer Space Affairs
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