A/RES/51/123 Page 7 education programme in April 1996 and that significant progress has also been achieved in establishing regional centres for space science and technology education in the other regions covered by the regional commissions; 27. Notes that, pursuant to its recommendation in paragraph 33 of resolution 50/27, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, at its thirty-third session, continued to discuss the possibility of holding a third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space before the turn of the century, and that the Committee continued these discussions at its thirty-ninth session with a view to making a final recommendation to the General Assembly at its fifty-first session; 28. Endorses the recommendation of the Committee that a special session of the Committee (UNISPACE III), open to all States Members of the United Nations, should be convened at the United Nations Office at Vienna, preferably in 1999, unless progress towards agreeing on an agenda in the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee at its thirty-fourth session makes it more appropriate to consider the year 2000;13 29. Requests the Committee and the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee to act as the Preparatory Committee and the Advisory Committee for UNISPACE III and the Office for Outer Space Affairs to act as the executive secretariat; and also requests the Preparatory Committee and the Advisory Committee to carry out the tasks entrusted to them in paragraphs 178 to 185 of the report of the Committee3 and to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session on the progress made in the preparatory work for UNISPACE III; 30. Recognizes the contribution of the Third Space Conference of the Americas, held at Punta del Este, Uruguay, in 1996, towards promoting regional cooperation in space activities, as well as the meetings mentioned in paragraph 13 of the report of the Secretary-General1 on the implementation of the recommendations of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space,2 and calls upon the regional commissions to support those initiatives; 31. Recommends that more attention be paid to all aspects related to the protection and the preservation of the outer space environment, especially those potentially affecting the Earth's environment; 32. Considers that it is essential that Member States pay more attention to the problem of collisions of space objects, including those with nuclear power sources, with space debris, and other aspects of space debris, calls for the continuation of national research on this question, for the development of improved technology for the monitoring of space debris and for the compilation and dissemination of data on space debris, and also considers that, to the extent possible, information thereon should be provided to the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee; 33. Urges all States, in particular those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the goal of preventing an arms race in 13 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-first Session, Supplement No. 20 (A/51/20), sect. II.E. /...