United Nations



United Nations COPUOS/T.511

Committee on the Peaceful Unedited transcript

Uses of Outer Space

511th Meeting

Tuesday, 17 June 2003, 10 a.m.

Vienna

Chairman: Mr. González (Chile)

The meeting was called to order at 10.15 a.m.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): We are waiting for the arrival of the Chairman of the Western Group who is going to address the meeting on the matter of the nomination of Chairman of the Legal Subcommittee. So we are going to wait for a few more minutes for him to arrive. We already have some news from the Asian Group but to be able to proceed to the matter, we need to have a candidate from each regional group. Once we have these nominations, we are going to deal with the matter forthwith. But first, please have patience. We will have to wait for a few more minutes.

Before I open the meeting, I would like to say that I have been informed that the decision on the various presentations of the regional groups will be officially announced tomorrow, the first thing in the morning.

I declare open the meeting and I would like to first welcome the distinguished representative of Hungary, who is just arriving. Can you pass on to him the message, the welcome to the new representative, to your new colleague. Thank you.

Distinguished delegates, I now declare open the 511th meeting of the Committee. This morning we will renew consideration of agenda item 7 and I hope that we can conclude the examination of agenda item 8 and we will continue consideration of agenda item 9. And time permitting, we will also begin consideration of item 10, Spin-Off Benefits of Space Technology: Review of Current Status.

The Working Group on the preparation of the report on UNISPACE III + 5 will then hold its fourth meeting under the chairmanship of Mr. Niklas Hedman of Sweden.

Distinguished delegates, I would now like to inform you that I received a request from the European community to participate in this session and asking to be recognized as an observer on a permanent basis.

If there is no objection, we will declare this request, the European Commission this is, to be present as an observer.

The representative of the United States has the floor.

Mr. K. HODGKINS (United States of America): Thank you Mr. Chairman. My delegation has no objection that the Commission is requesting observer status for this session but, if I am not mistaken, I think there are other procedures that need to be followed for permanent observer status, as we saw in the case of two organizations that were given permanent observer status. So until that process is completed, I do not think we can take a decision today on giving the Commission permanent observer status but there is no objection from my delegation if they wish observer status for this particular meeting. Thank you.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): I would just like to make clear to the distinguished representative of the United States that there was a mistake in the interpretation. There is no request for permanent observer status, only for this session to participate as an observer. So I asked if there is any objection. None. Thank you.

Implementation of the recommendations of the Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) (agenda item 7)

We will now go on to agenda item 7 but I need a moment.

I do not have anyone on the list. There has been some confusion regarding the names on the list for this item so I have great pleasure in giving the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran on item 7. Thank you.

Mr. M. REZVANIAN RAHAGHI (Islamic Republic of Iran): Thank you Mr. Chairman and good morning everybody.

On Friday and other days during the discussions over the issue of implementation of recommendations by UNISPACE III and other related agenda items, we heard many positive and fruitful reports and suggestions which we should appreciate them. Among those, my delegation believes that the points raised by the distinguished representatives of Austria and the Russian Federation were of high importance.

Mr. Chairman, as for the Austrian statement, my delegation has always been of the opinion that Dr. Lichem and his team, as has been shown during formulization of a new structure for the composition of the Bureaux of COPUOS and its Subcommittees, are a guiding source for successful accomplishment of our task.

The issue of safe drinking water and free access to such God-given resources is one of the most important issues, which has been touched upon in many international occasions, particularly in the International Conference on Drinking Water recently held in Japan.

My delegation commends the Austrian proposal to include “space and water” as a new agenda item in our future work programme and wishes to express its readiness to take part in any deliberation to proceed with this proposal.

My delegation is of the view that the other suggestion by Dr. Lichem on holding a symposium in Graz, in order to jointly explore how and where space-based data can facilitate and support cooperation among countries in the development and shared use of water resources is a valuable initiative, which could have positive outcomes for better implementation of the recommendations of UNISPACE III, and taking some more steps towards finding better solutions for some major existing problems of human society through peaceful space activities.

On the point raised by the Russian delegation concerning militarization of outer space, my delegation is in favour of the position that the international community has a responsibility to prevent extension of the arms race and military rivalries into outer space. Exploration and peaceful uses of outer space for the benefit of mankind and taking advantage of the space technologies and activities to meet the needs and requirements of human societies, particularly in developing countries, are among the first and overriding priorities of COPUOS and this meeting.

We admit that we are not in a position to propose a mechanism or take a decision on military or disarmament aspects of space activities here in this Committee, and that is a valid concern that COPUOS should not involve in military and security aspects. But we can neither ignore nor underestimate the adverse impacts of militarization of outer space on peaceful space programmes and activities. It is very crucial to intensify the international efforts and to prevent militarization of space and mitigate those adverse effects on activities of space.

Mr. Chairman, during the last week and yesterday, we heard many interesting remarks and reports, particularly on the implementation of the recommendations of UNISPACE III. But it is our duty to have a careful look at the preconditions too. As many colleagues in this room admit, without access to the required technical capacities, as well as the necessary financial and technological resources and supports, taking advantage of this new emerging field of science and space activities would be if not a dream but very difficult to achieve for many developing countries. We hope the Committee in its deliberations could also urge donor countries, regional institutions and the private sectors of Member and non-Member States to pave the way for better fulfilment of the said recommendations through provision of such contributions and promotion of cooperation with developing countries.

Having said that, and bearing in mind these valid concerns, my delegation hopes that the Committee and the Secretariat, in preparation of the final report of COPUOS, would take into account these significant points in an efficient and constructive manner. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): I thank the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

There is no other speaker on item 7. So we will continue to examine it this afternoon.

Before going on to agenda item 8, you will remember that yesterday, two paragraphs concerning the space authority, concerning possible inputs of COPUOS for the Summit on Information and you have seen these papers and I think there has been an excellent effort made here and this is a real concrete alternative to enable us to achieve the aim that we have sought always to have maximum political visibility in those forums which are directly relevant to COPUOS. The information is strictly related to what we are doing in this Committee and, therefore, my proposal, as Chairman, is that we should approve these paragraphs so that they be duly included in and entered in the circuit, not just for the first part of the World Summit, which is being held in December in Geneva, but also for the second part, which will take place in Tunis in the year 2005. I would like to know whether there are any comments on this matter. I hope for the support of all of you in this regard.

Thank you very much. So these paragraphs will be incorporated in the relevant report.

Report of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee on its fortieth session ( agenda item 8)

We will go now to agenda item 8 and the first speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of the Czech Republic. And before he begins his statement, I would like to welcome him on the other side of the table and I am sure that his work will be just as efficient as it was on this side of the table. He has the floor, our friend from the Czech Republic.

Mr. P. LÁLA (Czech Republic): Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, our delegation is very glad to see you once more in the Chair and we are fully confident that using your rich experience and able guidance, the Committee will achieve a real progress in all the items on its agenda. In particular, we are stressing the importance of implementation of the recommendations of UNISPACE III and of those items which deal with safety of astronauts and of spacecraft.

Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates, we are using this opportunity to welcome Algeria to its full membership in this Committee. We also wish to express our congratulations to our friend of longstanding, Mr. Sergio Camacho, to his appointment as Director of OOSA and to his staff for perfect preparation of this important session, including the technically demanding interesting (not clear) presentation by Austria yesterday, which went very well.

Mr. Chairman, according to the work plan on space debris, the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee prepared the debris mitigation guidelines in the document A/AC.105/C.1/L.260. We wish to express our thanks and appreciation to the IADC for this very specific document. We see the importance of the guidelines in the fact that they are based on consensus among IADC members. Since space agencies responsible for the great majority of all launches are represented in IADC, the proposals carry a great weight. During the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee session, our delegation presented some comments to the submitted text of IADC mitigation guidelines. We are supporting the proposal to establish a formal working group at the forty-first session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and our delegation is ready to actively participate at its discussions on means of endorsing utilization of mitigation guidelines.

Mr. Chairman, it is a longstanding position of our delegation that the fact that operational space object had finished its mission and became a piece of space debris has to be made public by its owner. Nobody else can make an authoritative statement to this effect because the Outer Space Treaty protects space objects. According to that Treaty, the launching State bears responsibility for national activities in outer space and retains the jurisdiction and control over its objects.

In some cases the changes of functional status have been announced in the past. Let us just recall the frequent announcements made in the last days of the Mir Station and of several other large decaying spacecraft. Recently, the Italian Space Agency published a series of reports on the change of its satellite Beppo-SAX into space debris, made the presentation about it and considers these facts important enough to warrant a publication of updated information on the Internet, as well as its distribution through diplomatic channels. In our opinion, such an approach should be encouraged by the Committee.

Mr. Chairman, in conclusion, our delegation would like to express its satisfaction with the proposed agenda for the forty-first session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee. The theme of the industry symposium devoted to small satellite applications in agriculture, health and human security should enable delegates to get the first-hand information on this important field of applications of space technology in national economy. Also appropriate is the selection of presentations on the status of tele-medicine applications in individual countries and a single item for discussion on solar-terrestrial physics. This way, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee would best serve its role to provide expertise for the main Committee.

Our delegation would also like to use this opportunity to appreciate the skilful guidance of the work of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee by its Chairman, Dr. Karl Doetsch. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): I thank the distinguished representative of the Czech Republic and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Canada.

Ms. M. LAROCQUE (Canada): Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, over the past few years, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee has been well served through the guidance and leadership of its Chairperson, Dr. Karl Doetsch. The Canadian delegation wishes to thank Dr. Doetsch for his ability to guide Member States towards consensus and for his instrumental role in ensuring actions would be taken to follow-up on the recommendations of UNISPACE III.

The latter has resulted in the creation of various Action Teams to study items of priority interest for the delegations. Statements on the progress of these Action Teams will be delivered under the appropriate agenda item.

We also take this opportunity to thank Dr. Camacho, as well as the United Nations Expert on Space Applications, and the OOSA staff, for the successful and ambitious programme on space applications. The work undertaken by the United Nations Programme on Space Applications is increasingly linking to the work of the Actin Teams and on specific topics of interest to the Committee. As such, we believe this to be a step in the right direction in ensuring complementarity and synergy in the Committee’s work which should increase benefits for all members of COPUOS.

I do wish to mention that Canada will be supporting a two-day tele-medicine workshop, taking place at the United Nations Education Centre in Morocco at the end of this month.

Mr. Chairman, we are pleased a multi-year work plan, dealing with the use of space technology for the medical sciences and public health, was adopted at the last session of the Subcommittee. When evaluating the various recommendations of UNISPACE III to undertake, Member States had indicated tele and public health as a priority topic. The work to be undertaken under this three-year work plan will provide useful assistance and inputs into the activities undertaken by the Action Team on public health and tele-medicine. Such assistance is quite timely as the work of Action Team 6 is unfortunately not progressing as quickly as desirable.

Mr. Chairman, it was agreed in resolution 57/116, paragraph 46, that this Committee would welcome updates on the COSPAS-SARSAT international search and rescue system under this agenda item. I, therefore, wish to provide a short briefing on Canada’s activities in this field.

Canada is one of the founders of COSPAS-SARSAT. Our work in the area of search and rescue started more than 30 years ago when Canada first undertook a study to determine techniques for locating people in high latitudes, the results of which are contained in a 1971 report outlining a satellite radio location system.

Since then, the Communications Research Centre in Canada carried out a proof-of-concept demonstration, using a modified distress beacon operating through an amateur radio satellite. Canada conducted experiments with the space agencies of the United States, NASA, and France, CNES, that led to the creation of a search and rescue satellite-aided tracking system known as SARSAT. The former Soviet Union subsequently joined the trio in 1979 and developed a similar system, forming the combined COSPAS-SARSAT system.

The first “real rescue” took place in Canada in 1982, using the world’s first ground station, called a Local User Terminal. This Local User Terminal was initially designed and built by Canadian industry. Today, such terminals are operating on six continents. The system has helped save more than 1,000 lives in Canada and more than 14,000 worldwide, and this number is increasing by more than 100 every month.

Canadian industry is now updating the design of SARSAT repeaters for launches beyond 2010, and a very similar design could potentially also be used on the future Galileo SAR system. These systems are expected to further improve the search and rescue satellite system for the twenty-first century.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, Canada is proud to be part of such a sterling example of international cooperation for the benefit of humanity. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): I thank the distinguished representative of Canada.

And the next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of the People’s Republic of China.

Ms. X. LIU (China) (interpretation from Chinese): Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Chinese delegation supports the content of the report of the fortieth session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and, in this connection, welcomes the efforts made by certain countries, international organizations and the Office for Outer Space Affairs of the United Nations in the implementation of the Space Applications Programme.

The Chinese delegation agrees with the idea formulated by the Subcommittee in its report to the effect that the purpose of the Programme on Space Applications should be to promote regional and international cooperation, to improve the understanding of decision-makers of the potential benefit of the utilization of space technologies in terms of cost and efficiency and in terms of spin-off benefits to generalize the utilization of space technologies and data to promote sustainable economic and social development of the developing countries and to build and strengthen the capacity of developing countries with regard to the utilization of space technologies.

The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the development and application of space technologies and makes it an important integral part of its national development strategy.

The Chinese Government considers that wide international cooperation could promote and generalize space technologies and their applications in order to serve the whole human community.

Mr. Chairman, the Chinese Government has always supported the various proposals of the United Nations in the Applications Programme and has always actively worked for regional and international cooperation in the space field. It will continue to cooperate with the Office for Outer Space Affairs of the United Nations and ESCAP and, in this connection, in October 2003, there will be organized in China, the third session of the Asia-Pacific Training Course on the Utilization of Space Technologies and Telemetry. In this connection, we will finance partly the participation of delegates of the developing countries from the Asia-Pacific region.

In addition, in cooperation with the Office for Outer Space Affairs of the United Nations, we will organize in Beijing, from 24 to 28 May 2004, the twelfth session of the Workshop on Fundamental Space Sciences, a United Nations/ESA workshop.

Mr. Chairman, the Chinese delegation has noted that the Subcommittee has placed emphasis on the need to encourage and generalize international cooperation in regard to the use of remote sensing satellites and to furnish, at reasonable prices, without discrimination, and on a timely basis, the most advanced remote sensing data and the documentation derived from it, taking particularly into account the needs of the developing countries in order to strengthen their capacity to adopt and utilize remote sensing technologies.

The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the application of remote sensing technology and technologies and datas and to international cooperation in this field and will continue to furnish, free of charge, the data obtained by the meteorological satellites of the Fung Yun series and, at preferential prices, the data measured by the CBERS satellite.

Mr. Chairman, the Chinese Government also attaches particular importance to the study of safeguard measures and technologies for the mitigation of space debris. And as a member of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee, the Chinese Government will undertake the study and development of Chinese design norms to mitigate space debris in conformity with the principles appearing in the space debris mitigation guidelines, developed by the Coordination Committee.

Mr. Chairman, the Chinese delegation agrees with the report of the Working Group of the Whole, approved by the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, and supports the proposal to include the reports and proposals of the Action Teams in the report to be presented to the fifty-ninth session of COPUOS in 2004.

We also support the proposal regarding the provisional draft work programme for the forty-first session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee in 2004. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): I thank the distinguished representative of China.

And the next speaker is the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea.

Mr. B.-K. KIM (Republic of Korea): Thank you Mr. Chairman. Among the subjects of agenda item 8 regarding the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, I would like to make some comments on the remote sensing of the Earth. The Earth remote sensing and environmental monitoring by satellite are important for sustainable economic development and conserving the Earth’s environment. We agree to the view that the remote sensing data should be available at the very low price, and in a timely manner, to all countries, especially the developing countries, instead of being monopolized by a few satellite owner countries.

The KOMSAT-1 of the Republic of Korea, which was successfully launched in December 1999, has a high-resolution Electro Optical Camera, EOC, and Ocean Scanning Multispectral Imager, OSMI. The EOC collects panchromatic imagery with a ground sample distance of 6.6 metres. The primary mission of OSMI is to conduct worldwide ocean colour monitoring and environmental monitoring. The KOMSAT-2 is now being developed and is planned to be launched in 2004. It will provide with one metre resolution panchromatic and four metres resolution, four colour imagery, which will be very useful for Earth’s environment monitoring, disaster prevention and relief, and, thus, for sustainable economic development. The Earth observation data acquired by KOMSAT-1 and KOMSAT-2 have been and will continue to be provided to other nations at the lowest price so that remote sensing-related activities in developing countries be supported.

I would like to mention that the Asian Conference on Remote Sensing is held every year in Korea with cooperation of other Asian countries. It provides good opportunity for countries to discuss the means and areas of cooperation. To say one example, the International Programme of ASEAN + 3 Satellite Image Archive for Environmental Study was discussed with active participation of related countries at the Conference last year.

Mr. Chairman, the Republic of Korea is planning to further develop and use the remote sensing satellites for the study of agriculture and forestry, mineral resources, marine resources, atmosphere, meteorology and disaster relief. All of the interested countries are invited for cooperation with us in these areas. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): I thank the representative of the Republic of Korea for his statement.

And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation.

Mr. V. S. VASSILKOVSKY (Russian Federation): Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the delegation of the Russian Federation notes with satisfaction the successful work of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and its Working Group on Nuclear Power Sources in preparing and adopting a work plan for the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee for 2003-2006 on issues related to space-based nuclear power sources, taking into account the experience accumulated in using radio-isotope and reactor-type nuclear power sources and the prospects for the use of nuclear power sources on space objects of various types and functions.

Member States of the Committee, and its Subcommittees, representatives of international organizations, will have an opportunity to define their positions in reviewing the existing principles relating to the use of nuclear power sources in outer space. They are going to do that on the basis of the report entitled “A Review of International Documents and National Processes Potentially Relevant to the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space”, and the results of the discussion, in accordance with the new work plan of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, the delegation of the Russian Federation evaluates very highly the results accomplished in the course of this current session of the Committee through informal consultations of the delegations of Member States on the use of nuclear power sources and safety aspects relating to nuclear power sources.

Preliminary concepts were agreed with regard to the use as to the further work of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee on the matter on nuclear power sources. One of the main issues relating to the prospects for the use of nuclear power sources is to the extent to which the use of radio-isotope and reactor-type nuclear power sources in outer space is justified.

What is being determined here? This is defined by the topical nature of space research. The impossibility of implementing research programmes using non-nuclear power sources and also the fact that the space research programme can be implemented completely only with the condition that nuclear power sources are used.

These factors have to be analyzed in any discussion of national or international space research programmes which will be considered at future sessions of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee under the new work plan.

Mr. Chairman, the fortieth session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee distributed a document entitled “Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines”. That is document A/AC.105/C.2/L.260. The document was prepared by the Inter-Agency Coordination Committee on Space Debris, IADC.

The IADC document, that I just referred to on space debris mitigation, contains recommendations. I am referring to paragraph 5.3.2. These are recommendations for space objects used in near-Earth orbits with an altitude of up to 2,000 kilometres. Such space objects, once they run through their active lifetime, have to be removed from operational orbit, preferably through direct re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere or their orbit needs to be lowered to an orbit with a lifetime of no more than 25 years.

However, this provision of the IADC document on space debris mitigation is in contradiction with the existing principles applying to the use of nuclear power sources in outer space. According to these principles for high altitude orbit space objects, the presence of a space object with a nuclear power source at a high enough orbit, with a long enough, usually hundreds of years, lifetime is prescribed. And for lower orbit space objects, these space objects with nuclear power sources need to be moved, and the same applies to autonomous nuclear power sources, they both need to be moved to a high enough orbit, after the exploration of their active lifetime.

Mr. Chairman, the delegation of the Russian Federation is prepared to cooperate with the delegations of all Member States of the Committee and with the representatives of international organizations on all matters relating to the safety of space-based nuclear power sources and safety standards in order to develop together guidelines for the possible future work of nuclear power sources in the future. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): I thank very much the representative of the Russian Federation for his statement.

And we have now concluded consideration of item 8. I am sorry, the distinguished representative of Brazil has the floor.

Mr. S. LEITE DA SILVA (Brazil) (interpretation from Spanish): Thank you very much Mr. Chairman. Before concluding this, I would like if possible to read a statement of Brazil on item 8.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): Yes, with great pleasure.

Mr. S. LEITE DA SILVA (Continued in English): Thank you very much. I have been informed I have not enough time for that.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to express my greatest appreciation for Mr. Karl Doetsch for his outstanding work on the chairmanship of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and for the many results achieved so far.

Referring to the sub-item “United Nations Programme on Space Applications”, the Brazilian campus of the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, CRECTEALC, located in the city of São José dos Campos, is holding, from April until December this year, the Course on Remote Sensing and Systems of Geographic Information. It is the sixteenth edition of the International Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems Course, which has been held by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research, INPE, since August 1985. This edition of the Course has 15 participants from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. The Course resulted from a partnership of CRECTEALC with the United Nations University, INPE and the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development.

For 2004, the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Latin America and the Caribbean foresee the realization of the Seventeenth International Course on Remote Sensing, and in March, the International Course on Meteorology by Satellite. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): Thank you very much distinguished representative of Brazil. It was worth waiting to hear you because this was very useful information for the Committee that you have given us.

So now we have concluded the consideration of agenda item 8.

Report of the Legal Subcommittee on its forty-second session (agenda item 9)

And we will now go on to consider agenda item 9 and the first speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of India, to whom I give the floor.

Mr. G. NARAYANAN (India): Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Indian delegation is pleased to note the progress achieved during the forty-second session of the Legal Subcommittee and would like to commend the leadership and guidance provided by Professor Vladimir Kopal as the Chairman of the Legal Subcommittee. Also, the Indian delegation likes to briefly make some observations on the report of the Legal Subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, first of all, the Indian delegation fully endorses the view expressed by the Legal Subcommittee in its report that it was the primary international forum for the development of international space law and that the entire body of space law developed by the Subcommittee was founded on the ethical principles. The role of the Legal Subcommittee is indisputable.

While going through the deliberations on the status and application of the five United Nations treaties on outer space, we note that the acceptance of the Moon Agreement is very low. We especially appeal to all Member States who are not yet party to the Moon Agreement to consider signing the Moon Treaty at the earliest opportunity.

On the subject of character and utilization of the geostationary orbit, we consider that the geostationary satellite orbit constitutes an integral part of outer space. The GSO is a unique international resource and equitable access to it should be guaranteed to all States, taking into account the needs of developing countries in particular.

Mr. Chairman, the debate in the Subcommittee on the agenda of preliminary draft Protocol on matters specific to space assets of the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment is interesting. The claim that adoption of the Convention and the Protocol on Space Assets will facilitate financing of space activities with particular benefit to developing countries looks over-optimistic and seems to be more in the interest of financing agencies rather than the projected developmental role.

The question of the United Nations serving as the Supervisory Authority and the relationship between the draft Protocol and outer space treaties throw up a number of substantial questions which need to be addressed. Considering that the proposed Convention is more in the interest of financing organizations and private investors rather than in the interests of Member States, the United Nations taking up Supervisory Authority of UNIDROIT will be inappropriate and against the agreed mandate of the United Nations itself.

Member States can take care of the interests of their national entities and the financing organizations by enacting national laws as well as through the existing international commercial practices. One of the international trade organizations or any international banking organization may suit the role of Supervisory Authority in a better manner.

Mr. Chairman, we welcome the recommendations of the Subcommittee to start a new agenda as a four-year work plan on “Practice of States and International Organizations in Registering Space Objects”.

Mr. Chairman, the Legal Subcommittee contributed significantly in the past in developing the international legal regime of outer space. The Indian delegation expects the Legal Subcommittee to maintain its leading prestigious role safeguarding the ethical principles involved in the exploration of outer space for peaceful purposes. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): I thank the distinguished representative of India for his statement.

And I give the floor now to the distinguished representative of Australia.

Mr. A. BELL (Australia): Thank you Mr. Chairman. First of all, we would like to express our satisfaction of seeing you again as Chair of this Committee. We have no doubt that, under your guidance, the Committee will be able to deal successfully with all the issues before it.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Kopal for his work as Chair of the Legal Subcommittee again this year.

Mr. Chairman, under this agenda item, we would like to address the issue of the draft General Assembly resolution on the concept of the launching State. And we will do this in a general sense, mindful this is currently the subject of informal consultations.

Australia supports attempts to bring greater clarity and certainty to the application of the concept of the launching State and the attendant rights and responsibilities of each launching State. Australia considers that recommendations one and two of the proposed General Assembly resolution goes some way towards resolving existing uncertainties. While we do not disagree with recommendation three, we consider that it is less useful in this respect.

Australia is mindful that this proposal will not necessarily bring greater clarity and certainty to the concept of the launching State in all cases, for example, where ownership cannot be easily determined due to complex financing arrangements, where there are multiple States involved, or where a space object that is owned or controlled by a State that is not a party to the Liability Convention is launched from a State Party’s facility or territory.

We would now like to make some more specific comments on the content of the resolution.

Australia supports the recommendation for States to consider steps to implement national laws covering the conduct of space activities by their non-government organizations or connected with their territories.

In 1998, Australia implemented in domestic law its obligations under the United Nations treaties on outer space through the Space Activities Act. In particular, activities for which Australia will be a launching State require authorization. Such activities include the operation of a space launch facility in, and the launch of a space object from, Australian territory, the launch from an overseas location of an Australia-owned space object, and the procurement of an overseas launch by an Australian national. Involvement in such launches, without an authorization under the Act, is an offence. Organizations seeking authorizations must demonstrate appropriate levels of insurance which provides the Australian Government with a limited indemnity for damage caused by non-government activities.

Australia has issued three authorizations to date, comprising: an exemption certificate authorizing two launches from Australian territory; and two overseas launch certificates for the launch of Australian-owned satellites from outside Australian territory.

Australia supports the recommendation for States to consider concluding agreements in accordance with Article V of the Liability Convention in circumstances where there are two or more launching States in respect of a space object. Such agreements would provide for States to apportion amongst themselves financial obligations for which they are jointly and severally liable, taking into account the particular circumstances of each launch.

Australia agrees that the issues identified in recommendation three need to be resolved, in particular the issue of launching State responsibility following on-orbit transfer. However, we are not convinced that this recommendation resolves this problem. We further note that the recommendation relating to streamlining space licensing procedures of various States must be subject to the States’ existing legislative regimes. Australia’s Space Activities Act of 1998, for example, has various mandatory requirements that cannot be modified by agreements or informal practices. The need for appropriate authorizations and fulfilling certain insurance requirements are examples. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): Thank you very much to Australia.

I have no further speakers on my list for this agenda item. We are going to resume discussing this item in the afternoon.

Spin-off benefits of space technology: review of current status (agenda item 10)

We are now moving on to agenda item 10, Spin-Off Benefits of Space Technology: Review of Current Status. And I have the pleasure of giving the floor to the delegation of the People’s Republic of China.

Mr. X. CAO (China) (interpretation from Chinese): With the arrival of the new space generation of the twenty-first century, space technology has been more and more relevant to the daily life of mankind and the spin-off benefits of the space technology development have been gradually recognized by human society and concerned by more and more countries.

The Chinese Government attaches a great deal of importance to the second stage of development of space technology and has actively guided our space industry in their exploration of possible uses of the spin-off benefits, with the aim of bringing out the whole benefit for economic development and upgrading people’s living standards.

As we all know, China has a large population and we are facing the reality that population is out-sizing the cultivable land. In order to maintain the livelihoods of more than 1.2 billion people in China, it is necessary to increase the yield and improve the quality of the food crops. For this purpose, the Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the space industry in China, using space environment as an inducing factor for mutation, conducted a number of space breeding experiments on-board the Chinese recoverable satellites and the SZ-manned experimental spacecraft. The products which were involved in the experiments included foods and oil crops, vegetables, flowers and fungi. After many years of optimal breeding experiments, we have achieved some very good results. For instance, after four generations of cultivation, the yields of rice breeds has increased by 20 per cent, soya bean breeds by 11 per cent and the oil production, thereof, has gone up by 20 per cent. The yield of a green pepper breed has been raised by 50 per cent and its Vitamin C volume by 34 per cent. The yield of a tomato breed has achieved 50 per cent more than ever which contains 33.3 per cent more Vitamin C than that in usual ones.

In order to further boost our eco-environment, the relevant departments will use the same method to study and to breed crops, vegetation and the trees and so on, which are desert, salinity and alkalinity-resistant.

Mr. Chairman, the space breeding by induced mutation is one of the effective methods of regular breeding. Without introducing any external factor, it utilizes space physical environment as a sole inducing factor for plants to have a genetic mutation. The research institutions in China have already started to conduct physical research on space breeding through cytological, biological and molecular analysis. They are also screening and identifying the gene sequence of the mutation plants in space. The ultimate purpose of the research is to find out a mechanism for those sudden mutations so as to control the space breeding process.

Mr. Chairman, with space technology, the Chinese space industry has also developed an infra-hot box detection system for preventing from train accidents caused by overheated axles. The systems applies a combination of advanced technologies, such as space infra-remote sensing, artificial intelligence, information processing and so on. It automatically detects, in real time, the temperature of axles of all types of trains and has features automatically counting numbers of axles and cars, identifying sliding and rolling bearings, measuring temperature of axles, alarming for hot boxes, silver checking and manned machine dialogues.

While a computer network, the system transmits to the monitoring centre, the temperature of axles on the passing cars, measured by the detection stations along the line. In that way, failed hot boxes can be traced, alarmed and centrally controlled. The product at present has 40 per cent of the marketed share aimed at a relevant section of the marketing in China.

With space technology, the Chinese enterprises have also developed advanced bio-medical and health food for better life quality of our people. Scientists in China successfully separated and purified a new type of more effective fungus for radio and encephalic (?) diseases from monoscus (not clear) fungus on-board our recoverable satellites and the SZ-manned experimental spacecraft.

Based on the new fungus, a series of health food for preventing for such diseases have been produced. Some foods in the series can regulate the cholesterol level so that the cholesterol can be controlled at a source, blood and vessels can be purified and the heart and the brain can be nourished.

And another type of the food which has been developed can regulate blood sugar, stabilize blood sugar reduction, improve physical subsession(?), repair pancreas eyelid cells and prevent diabetes complications.

And another type of such health food can regulate blood pressure and revive blood vessel elasticity and so on.

The health food series have been sold in the Chinese market which has largely benefited many patients.

Mr. Chairman, the Chinese Government will continually uphold the principles of the peaceful exploration and use of outer space and actively promote the second stage of development of space technology so as to make the technology better serve the sustainable development of science, economy, human civilizations and our society. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN (interpretation from Spanish): I thank the distinguished representative of China. It was a very interesting contribution.

And I have no other speakers.

Before closing the meeting, and as has been the usual format of this meeting, although we have not been successful, as far as the Chair is concerned, I ask whether there is any comment on any of the statements that we heard this morning. I remember in the past some delegations were very active and jumped up immediately when there was a statement that they did not feel was quite in order. So I assume that has been said now will be acceptable for the report obviously.

So we will now close the meeting so that the Working Group can hold its fourth meeting under the chairmanship of Niklas Hedman. But I would like to inform delegates of our schedule of work for this afternoon because otherwise the Secretariat will get nervous.

This afternoon we will continue consideration of agenda item 7, I will not read the name because we know them all off by heart. I would like to remind delegations that it is my intention to suspend consideration of agenda item 7 at this afternoon’s meeting pending the outcome of deliberations in the Working Group under this item. I would, therefore, encourage any delegation still wishing to speak on this item in the Committee plenary to inscribe on the list of speakers with the Secretariat as soon as possible.

This afternoon, we will also continue consideration of agenda item 9 and we will begin consideration of agenda item 11, Space and Society.

Then there will be two technical presentations under agenda item 11. Ms. Yolanda Berenguer of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, will make a presentation on the Space Education Project of UNESCO. Mr. Elliot Pulham of the Space Foundation of the United States of America will make a presentation entitled “Improving Life for All Human Kind”.

The Working Group on the preparation of the report of the Committee to the General Assembly on the UNISPACE III + 5 will then hold its fifth meeting under the chairmanship, of course, of Mr. Niklas Hedman of Sweden.

That is all for this morning so I am grateful for consensus in advance in what we are going to include in the report, in view of the fact that there have not been comments on the various subjects discussed this morning. Thank you very much.

The meeting closed at 11.25 a.m.

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