Introduction -- United Nations address / N. Jasentuliyana -- The contribution of space technology to development / L. Huabau -- Review of recommendations and follow-ups of previous UN/ESA symposia / J. Ortner and W. Balogh -- The information highway : an opportunity to leapfrog for the developing countries / G. Ajayi -- Thuraya, a regional mobile personal communications system / H. Azzee -- Earth observation, an essential necessity in a strategy plan for sustainable economic growth / V. Dadwal -- The contribution of space-based systems for disaster prevention and mitigation / P. Puyou-Lascassies -- Space remote sensing for surveying and resources mapping / S. Jayatilaka -- Management of resources : water / A. Nasir -- New applications using high-resolution satellite imagery / R. Rao -- Training opportunities for space users and space professionals / A. Layachi -- GIS applications for natural hazard zonation : the role of ITC in addressing the training needs / B. van Western and J. Nossin -- Seed growth experiments after space flight : the Chinese experience / H. Jun -- The utilization of the international space station for benefits on earth / K. Knott -- Space technology in support of cooperative US-Ukraine efforts to mitigate the damage at the Chernobyl Unit 4 Nuclear Power Plant / D. Lavery, N. Marwell, M. Holliday and J. Osborn -- The CEOS Information Locator System (CLIS) / S. Giegerich -- annex 1. Workshop programme -- annex 2. List of participants.