Preface: Special Session SpS7 The impact hazard: current activities and future plans

In 2012, at the time of the Beijing GA, two decades had passed since the publication of the Spaceguard Report. Time has not passed in vain for the subject of NEO-related hazards, and we are currently in a totally different situation than in the early nineties. The amount of work done, and the level of awareness of the underlying problems, have both risen to such a level that a re-assessment by the astronomical community of its rôle and involvement was in order, and the GA Special Session 7 ``The impact hazard: current activities and future plans'' was aimed exactly at that.