Assembly adopts 15 principles on remote sensing; states urged to prevent outer space arms race.

The General Assembly on 3 December adopted without a vote a set of 13 principles relating to remote sensing of the Earth from space that had been endorsed in 1986 by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space after 12 years of work by its Legal Sub-Committee.

The text of resolution 41/65 states: "Remote-sensing activities shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic, social or scientific and technological development, and taking into particular consideration the needs of the developing countries".

The principles call for those activities to be conducted in accordance with international law - and not "in a manner detrimental to the legitimate rights and interests of the sensed State". Remote sensing, they state, should be used to protect the Earth's natural environment and protect mankind from natural disasters.

A number of the principles relate to aspects of international co-operation and assistance in remote-sensing activities. Others relate to access by the sensed" State to primary and processed data and available analysed information concerning its territory, on a non-discriminatory basis and on reasonable cost terms. Final principles relate to international responsibility for remote-sensing activities, and to resolution of disputes resulting from application of the principles.

Two other resolutions on outer space issues were adopted without vote by the General Assembly.

By resolution 41/64, the Assembly urged all States, in particular those with major space capabilities, to "contribute actively to the goal of preventing an arms race in outer space as an essential condition for the promotion of international co-operation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes". The Outer Space Committee was asked to continue to consider as a matter of priority ways and means of maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes.

States not yet party to international treaties governing the uses of outer space were invited to consider ratifying or acceding to those treaties.

The Outer Space Committee's Legal Sub-Committee was asked - taking into account the concerns of all countries, particularly those of developing countries - to continue elaboration of draft principles relevant to the use of nuclear-power sources in outer space, as well as consideration of matters relating to the definition and delimitation of outer space and to the character and utilization of the geostationary orbit.

UNISPACE '82 recommendations: Also in resolution 41/64, urgent implementation of recommendations of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE 82) was called for. In the context of the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee's consideration of these priority items, at its next session, the Assembly considered it urgent to implement the following recommendations:

- All countries should have the opportunity to use the techniques resulting from medical studies in space;

- Data banks at the national and regional levels should be strengthened and expanded and an international space information service should be established to function as a centre of coordination;

- The United Nations should support the creation of adequate space training centres at the regional level, with necessary funding for their development being made available through financial institutions, and should organize a fellowship programme for candidates from developing countries to receive "in-depth, long-term exposure" to space technology or applications. (For details of UNISPACE 82 recommendations, see UN Chronicle 1982, No.9.)

In this connexion, the Assembly endorsed the recommendation that the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committees, beginning with its next session, should establish a Working Group of the Whole to evaluate the implementation of the recommendations of UNISPACE 82, with a view to improving the execution of activities relating to international cooperation, particularly those included within the United Nations Program on Space Applications and to propose concrete steps to increase such cooperation as well as to make it more efficient.

Governments were invited to take effective action for the implementation of the recommendations of UNISPACE 82.

The Assembly also endorsed the United Nations Programme on Space Applications for 1987. The Outer Space Committee's Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee was to give priority consideration at its next session to the United Nations Programme on Space Applications and co-ordination of space activities within the United Nations system, questions relating to remote sensing of the Earth by satellites, and use of nuclear-power sources in outer space.

That Sub-Committee was also to consider space transportation systems, planetary exploration, astronomy, the geosphere-biosphere programme, the geostationary orbit and life sciences, including space medicine, and give special attention at its 1987 session to the theme "Space communications for development".

The Outer Space Committee's report (A/41/20) on its twenty-ninth session (2-13 June 1986) and its decision to grant permanent observer status to the International Maritime Satellite Organization were endorsed in the resolution. The Assembly also affirmed that the interference new satellite systems might cause to systems already registered with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) should not exceed the limits specified in the relevant provision of the ITU Radio Regulations applicable to space services.

Treaty review: In resolution 41/66, the Assembly urged States - particularly those conducting space activities - that had not done so to urgently consider ratifying or acceding to the Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space in order to assure its broad application.

The Assembly recognized - in view of the considerable increase of activities in outer space - the continued importance of effective international rules and procedures for registering objects launched into space, reaffirmed the importance of registering all such objects pursuant to the Convention, and urged international intergovernmental organizations that conducted space activities to declare their acceptance of the rights and obligations provided for in the Convention.

The Assembly requested the Secretary-General to prepare a report on the past application of the Convention for the 1987 session of the Legal Sub-Committee for the information of the Member States.

The Assembly considered this subject in 1986 under a new agenda item. The Convention - which entered into force on 15 September 1976 - provides that 10 years after its entry into force, the General Assembly was to consider, in the light of past application of the Convention, whether it required revision.