Co-operative programmes for peaceful use of space cited by United Nations Space Committee.

Co-operative programmes for peaceful use of space cited by United Nations Space Committee

The resumption of the Geneva arms talks and the establishment by the Conference on Disarmament of an ad hoc working group on prevention of an arms race in outer space should permit the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to devote all its "energies, resources and goodwill" to organizing the "maximum degree of international co-operation" towards the non-military use of space, according to Committee Chairman Peter Jankowitsch (Austria).

Opening the Committee's 1985 session in New York, held between 17 and 28 June, Mr. Jankowitsch informed his colleagues of "signal accomplishments" over the past year in international co-operative space programmes. Among them was a mission to survey Halley's Comet--set to reappear in the earth's atmosphere in 1986--undertaken jointly by the Soviet Union, Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary and Poland. Another was the COSPAS/SARSAT "search and rescue" communications system, run by the United States, the Soviet Union, Canada and France. "These impressive activites are indicative of the enormous benefits that can be reaped by a growing number of countries, both in the developed and developing world," Mr. Jankowitsch said.

The Committee's work at this session centred on maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes, implementation of recommendations of the United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE 1982) and the reports of its two Sub-Committee--Scientific and Technical, which met from 11 to 22 February in New York (A/AC.105/351), and Legal, which met in New York from 18 March to 4 April (A/AC.105/352). (The work of the two Sub-Committees was reported in detail in the UN Chronicle, 1985, Nos. 2 and 5.)

Among other decisions, the Committee endorsed the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee's view on the need to provide appropriate and non-discriminatory remote sensing assistance to meet the needs of the developing countries, and noted a proposal that the theme of the Sub-Committee's 1986 session could be "Remote sensing for developing countries".

The Committee also endorsed the Sub-Committee's view that more specific attention be given to the developing countries' requirements in connection with the use of nuclear power sources in outer space, and recommended that the use of nuclear power sources in outer space be retained as a priority item during the Sub-Committee's 1986 session.

Noting progress on space transportation systems reported by China, India, Japan, the Soviet Union and the United States, the Committee endorsed the Sub-Committee's decision to keep the item on its agenda next year.

It also endorsed a recommendation that the Sub-Committee continue its consideration of the physical nature and technical attributes of the geostationary orbit. (A number of studies on the use of the orbit have been undertaken by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in preparation for the World Administrative Radio Conferences in 1985 and 1988.)

To implement the recommendations of UNISPACE II, the Committee recommended that the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee consider carrying out further studies, within existing resources, to establish concrete international space co-operation projects with maximum participation of experts from developing countries.

Activities proposed under the United Nations Programme on Space Applications for 1986, including space applications workshops and training courses, were recommended for approval by the General Assembly.

The Committee noted that the Legal Sub-Committee had successfully worked out formulations concerning notifications regarding re-entry into the earth's atmosphere of a space object with nuclear power sources on board. It affirmed that a working document on remote sensing principles submitted by Austria could provide a basis for consensus on theat issue in the near future.

In addition, the Committee noted the Legal Sub-Committee's continuing debate on the definition and delimitation of outer space and the utilization of the geostationary orbit.

Peaceful use: The Committee was asked by the General Assembly in 1984 (39/96) to consider as a priority in 1985 "ways and means of maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes". It concluded it could make important contributions in that regard but failed to agree on the specific role it should play.

According to the Committee's report (A/AC.105/L.155/Add.4), some members felt the body's contribution towards non-militarization of space should complement work being done towards arms control in bilateral and multilateral forums. Bilateral and multilateral agreements played a major role in maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes, they said. Strict observance of already existing agreements limiting the non-peaceful uses of outer space was vital to achieve that end.

Those countries said the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee should be asked to consider ways of maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes that fell within their respective areas of competence. They also stressed the importance of a positive outcome of bilateral negotiations between the Soviet Union and United States on nuclear and space armaments and of multilateral negotiations on the prevention of an arms race in space.

Some of those countries supported the draft treaties proposed by the Soviet Union at the 1981 and 1983 sessions of the General Assembly on the prohibition of weapons in outer space (A/36/192) and on the prohibition of the use of force in outer space and from space against Earth (A/38/194). Support was also expressed for the USSR's 1983 unilateral commitment not to be the first to launch any kind of anti-satellite weapon in outer space, and for its proposal for a moratorium on space weapons research, submitted to the Conference on Disarmament.

Some Committee members endorsed Czechoslovakia's proposal (A/AC.105/L.156) to hold an international seminar in Prague to discuss both the legal and scientific and technical aspects of maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes. Other States said the Committee was nota suitable forum for arms control negotiations but that it could make valuable scientific and legal contributions towards maintaining outer space for peaceful use.

Still others felt that the Conference on Disarmament was the only appropriate multilateral forum for negotiating agreements on the prevention of an arms race in outer space and that the Outer Space Committee should stick to the task of promoting international co-operation in non-military uses of space. Those speakers found the seminar proposed by Czechoslovakia inappropriate.

Revitalizing work: Several members felt that the best way for the Committee to contribute to the peaceful users of outer space was to further promote international co-operation by revitalizing the work of the Committee and its two Sub-Committees. A paper submitted by Australia, Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States in a paper contains their proposals in that regard (A/AC.105/L.154).

The group suggested establishing an informal open-ended working group in the Committee to review the organization and methods of work of both the Committee and the Sub-Committees, in order to make them as effective as possible. They also recommended that the Committee consider the activities and resources of the Secretariat and review the form of internal organization in the United Nationals that would best facilitate the Outer Space Committee's work.

The group proposed several new items for the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee's agenda: advances in space life research, including space medicine; international co-operation in space science through geophysical and biophysical research programmes; and advances in space science and applications having particular relevance to developing countries.

Observing that "the knowledge gained over the past two decades in the use of outer space for peaceful purposes has had important practical applications on earth", the group recommended including in the Committee's agenda an item on "spin-offs" from outer space programmes. "In most of the Western industrialized countries these innovations represent a valuable contribution to employment, productivity and lifestyle," they said.

Secondary applications by both Governments and industry span a broad range of public needs and conviniences in such areas as medicine, pollution control, energy systems, farming and food products, according to the group. The Committee could perform a useful role by annually providing for an exchange of information about such "spin-offs" and their potential applications worldwide, they suggested.

A paper submitted by the United States (A/AC.105/L.157) describes some of the "spin-offs" from its space programme (see accompanying story).

According to the Committee's report, other delegations felt that a review of the organization and methods of work of the Committee and its Sub-Committee was inappropriate under the agenda item on "ways and means of maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes." They said the organization and activities of the Secretariat were satisfactory and did not require reorganization.