ADVANCES IN SPACE TECHNOLOGY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO WIDEN GAP BETWEEN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, FOURTH COMMITTEE IS TOLD

11 November 1996

Press Release
GA/SPD/93

ADVANCES IN SPACE TECHNOLOGY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO WIDEN GAP BETWEEN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, FOURTH COMMITTEE IS TOLD

19961111 Chairman of Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Says Progress Must Be for Benefit of All; Potential for Better Global Relations Is Stressed

Advances in space technologies should not be allowed to widen the gap between developing and developed countries, but should contribute to the development of all countries, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) was told this morning, as it began consideration of international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

The Chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space went on to say that current uses of space technology had only begun to indicate how such technology could improve the human condition, particularly in developing countries.

The Fourth Committee Chairman said cooperation in the area of space activities would further friendly relations among nations and further economic and social development on the global level.

Other speakers this morning welcomed the outer space committee's agreement on a "Declaration on International Cooperation on the Exploration and Use of Outer Space" and looked forward to its adoption by the General Assembly.

The representative of China said that with future rapid progress in technology, the exploration and use of outer space would expand. The outer space committee should play an even greater role in promoting international cooperation and legal order in space, as well as enhancing science and technology in developing countries. He said the composition of the committee's Bureau should reflect actual conditions in international relations and should achieve equitable regional representation.

Speaking for the European Union and others, the representative of Ireland welcomed recent cost-saving and reform measures instituted by the outer space committee.

The representative of Ecuador told the Committee there was need to address legal matters pertaining to the geostationary orbit.

The Fourth Committee will meet again at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 12 November, to continue consideration of the peaceful uses of outer space.

Committee Work Programme

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this morning to begin consideration of international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. Before the Committee were two reports: the report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (document A51/20) and the report of the Secretary-General on implementation of the recommendations of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (document A51/276).

The Committee has before it the report of the thirty-ninth session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (document A/51/20), held at Vienna from 3 to 14 June. It describes the outcome of its deliberations and reviews the work of its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and its Legal Subcommittee. It also addresses such issues as spin-off benefits of space technology, and the plans for a third United Nations conference on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space (UNISPACE III).

According to the report, the Committee continued its consideration of the ways and means of maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes. Through its work in the scientific, technical and legal fields, the Committee had an important role to play in that regard. There was discussion on the nature of the relationship between the outer space committee and the Assembly's First Committee (Disarmament and International Security). Discussion also addressed the question of whether the existing legal regime governing outer space activities was sufficient to ensure peace as well as law and order in space.

In reviewing the report of its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, which held its thirty-third session at Vienna from 12 to 23 February, the Committee addressed such questions as the implementation of the recommendations of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE 82), remote sensing of the earth by satellites and its application for developing countries, the use of nuclear power sources in outer space, space debris and space transportation systems. It also considered use of the geostationary orbit, and matters relating to life sciences, including space medicine and progress in national and international space activities relating to the earth's environment, planetary exploration and astronomy.

The outer space committee expressed concern over the limited financial resources available for implementing the recommendations of UNISPACE 82, and appealed to Member States to support the United Nations Programme on Space Applications through voluntary contributions, the report states. The Committee expressed appreciation for support received from Member States for a number of United Nations workshops, training courses and seminars held during the year, and recommended that the Assembly approve the programme of activities proposed for 1997. That programme will include a workshop on payloads on small satellites; training courses on remote sensing education for educators, on communications and information technology for development, and on European remote sensing data applications; and a conference on spin-off

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benefits of space exploration.

In addition, the Committee expressed appreciation for offers for fellowships for in-depth training put forth by some Member States and the European Space Agency. It noted that the Programme on Space Applications was providing technical advisory services to governments and collaborating on the development of a cooperative information network linking professionals and decision makers in Africa.

The Committee also noted that the establishment of regional centres for space science and technology education was proceeding. Among other developments, Morocco and Nigeria were finalizing cooperation agreements for two African centres, and discussions were in progress with the parties concerned on the establishment of a centre in western Asia. In terms of promoting greater cooperation in space science and technology, the Programme was co-sponsoring workshops and other gatherings in different parts of the world.

On international space information service, the report notes, among others, the publication of the seventh volume of "Seminars of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications: selected papers on remote sensing, satellite communications and space science", which contains papers from the seminars, workshops and training courses of the 1995 activities of the Programme on Space Applications. It also noted that the United Nations Office for Outer Space had developed a database capability and an Internet home page, and was cooperating with the German Space Agency to establish a computer-based international space information service.

On the issue of remote sensing of the earth by satellites, including applications for developing countries, the Committee emphasized the importance of data and analysis being made available to all countries at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner. It stated that cooperation should be promoted through regular meetings of satellite and ground-station operators and users, and stressed the need for utilizing remote sensing data for effecting global implementation of Agenda 21, the programme of action adopted by the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).

Regarding the use of nuclear power sources in outer space, the Committee agreed with a decision of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee that no revision of the Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space was warranted at this time. Mindful that the safety standards applied for space were very different from those for terrestrial systems, the Committee noted that the study of new developments, arising from the latest International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations, should be continued. There was discussion of the need for nuclear activities to adopt a "safety culture".

The report states that the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee's work included its first international overview of debris-measuring work as a step towards finding ways of preventing and cleaning up space debris. Modelling of

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space debris environment and risk assessment will be the task for 1997, followed, the year after, by the discussion of mitigation options. While commending the work of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, many countries stressed the importance of developing strategies to minimize the potential impact of debris fragments of various man-made space objects on future space missions and to prevent the further pollution of high-collision risk, especially in the crowded geostationary space.

Hazards posed by orbiting space debris -- mainly defunct satellites and fragments of upper rocket stages -- remain a priority issue, the report continues. Debris particles, as small as a fraction of a millimetre in diameter, are capable of causing considerable damage, and, according to the International Astronautical Federation, there are some 70,000 pieces of debris 10 times that size in outer space.

The report of the Subcommittee describes and categorizes observed damage to space systems caused by debris. A delegation proposed a "launcher pays" principle, along the lines of the "polluter pays" principle in international environmental law, as one of the fundamental elements of a legal regime aimed at reducing space debris. Launching States would pay a fee that would be used to fund research on debris mitigation. The view was expressed that the International Telecommunication Union should take into account the extent of States' participation in debris-cataloguing activities when assigning orbital frequencies to their satellites.

The Committee noted that the Subcommittee had continued its examination of the physical and technical attributes of the geostationary orbit, including its uses and applications, as well as space communications developments, taking particular account of the needs and interests of developing countries, and agreed that that work should continue. The Subcommittee also continued its consideration of matters relating to life sciences, including space medicine; progress in national and international space activities related to the earth environment, in particular progress in the geosphere-biosphere (global change) programme; as well as matters relating to planetary exploration and astronomy. It agreed that important work could be performed in that regard by the Programme on Space Applications to assist developing countries in strengthening their capabilities in related technologies and applications.

The Committee endorsed the recommendation of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee that the new theme fixed for special attention at its thirty-fourth session should be "space systems for direct broadcasting and global information systems for space research".

In reviewing the work of its Legal Subcommittee's thirty-fifth session held at Vienna from 18 to 28 March, the Committee addressed such items as possible revision of the principles governing the use of nuclear power sources in space; the definition and delimitation of space; ways to ensure the rational and equitable use of the geostationary orbit; and legal aspects of the principle that space should be used for the benefit of all States, taking

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particular account of the needs of developing countries.

Regarding nuclear power sources, the Committee agreed that the Assembly's 1992 Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space remained valid, and that the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee should consider the need for revision in the light of changing technology before the Legal Subcommittee or the Committee took any action. The Legal Subcommittee's working group on the subject was again suspended for one year, pending the outcome of consideration by the other Subcommittee.

The report states that the Legal Subcommittee continued its discussion of the definition of outer space and use of the geostationary orbit, in the course of which it reviewed the responses received to date to a questionnaire soliciting ideas and opinions concerning legal norms that should apply to aerospace objects. (Aerospace objects, such as space shuttles, are those which can transit between sovereign air space and outer space, as distinct from satellites, which are launched directly into outer space.)

The focus of discussion on the geostationary orbit was whether a special regime is needed to ensure equitable access to it, particularly for developing countries, or whether the International Telecommunication Union was sufficiently regulating such access, the report continues. The geostationary orbit is located approximately 22,300 miles directly above the equator and is the only orbit that permits continuous contact between a satellite and a single ground station. Satellites in that orbit appear to be stationary in the sky, since their orbits are synchronized with the earth's rotation. Some delegations hoped that the questionnaire could serve as the basis for determining the limits of outer space while others oppose any discussion of those limits, arguing that that question was the province of the International Telecommunication Union. The Committee called on its secretariat to solicit further replies from States and to prepare a comprehensive analysis in time for next year's session.

The report states that the Committee considered a working paper on "considerations concerning the utilization of the geostationary satellite orbit" which suggests that the Legal Subcommittee prepare a draft text governing access to the geostationary satellite orbit in the bands and

services not yet planned and regulated by the International Telecommunication Union.

The text would provide that, in cases where a developed and a developing country, or a country which has already had access to the orbit and one which has not, have equal claims to an orbital position, the former should defer to the latter. It would call for countries to ensure that their claims to frequencies and orbital positions conformed to International Telecommunication Union radio regulations and to the provisions of resolution 18 of the plenipotentiary conference of the International Telecommunication Union, held at Kyoto, Japan in 1994. That text aims at discouraging countries from securing the assignment of orbital positions and frequencies from the

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International Telecommunication Union, and then failing to fill them with active satellites. The latter practice, referred to as "launching paper satellites", was cited by several speakers as a source of concern.

On the legal aspects of the exploration and the peaceful uses of outer space, the Committee recommended that the Assembly adopt, by means of a resolution, a draft declaration on international cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for the benefit and in the interests of all States, taking into particular account the needs of developing countries.

According to the draft declaration, which is annexed to the report, international cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes should be conducted in accordance with the provisions of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.

In addition, States would be free to determine all aspects of their participation in international cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space on an equitable and mutually acceptable basis. Contractual terms in cooperative ventures should be in compliance with the legitimate rights and interests of parties concerned. Particular attention should be given to the interests of developing countries in the fostering of international cooperation.

Further by the text, it would be stated that international cooperation should aim at promoting the development of space science and technology and of its applications; fostering the development of relevant and appropriate space capabilities in interested States; and facilitating the exchange of expertise and technology among States on a mutually acceptable basis.

In the draft declaration, the Assembly would agree that the role of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space should be strengthened, including as a forum for the exchange of information on national and international activities on the exploration and use of outer space. The Assembly would declare that States should be encouraged to contribute to the United Nations Programme on Space Applications and to other initiatives in the field of international cooperation in accordance with their capabilities and their participation in the exploration and use of outer space.

The report also states that the Committee endorsed the recommendation of the Legal Subcommittee that, beginning with its thirty-sixth session in 1997, it should be provided with verbatim (unedited) transcripts of sessions in lieu of summary records. There was discussion on new items to be included in the Legal Subcommittee's agenda. The Committee recommended that the Subcommittee continue informal consultations with a view to coming up with a list of annotated items agreed upon by consensus that could be considered for possible inclusion in its agenda. Each proposed item should have a multi-year work plan that would address the objectives of work to be undertaken, reports provided by the Secretariat or Member States, and the possible end-product.

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On the question of secondary, or spin-off benefits of space technology, the report states that the Committee agreed that that technology was yielding substantial benefits in many fields and took note of the efforts of Member States to develop such benefits and disseminate information on such activities to interested countries. Among other things, spin-off benefits were providing new products and techniques in nuclear waste facility clean-up, crop monitoring, navigation, water treatment and management, industrial measurement and control, image and data processing, food products, human health and telemedicine, computer systems, aviation, meteorology, robotics, power generation, special materials and chemicals, public safety, consumer goods, manufacturing, and refrigeration.

The Committee agreed that in promoting spin-off applications and benefits, particularly for developing countries, it was important that each country had the capacity to understand the technology and develop it further. It also agreed that developing countries should enhance their potential in basic and advanced research in order to promote capacity-building for space applications and to benefit from spin-offs of space technology.

The Committee also discussed matters related to convening UNISPACE III, as well as possible alternative means of meeting its objectives. The report recalls that the Assembly agreed last year that UNISPACE III could be convened before the turn of the century. It had asked the Committee to consider the agenda, venue and funding mechanisms for such an event and to make a final recommendation at the current session. The previous conferences (UNISPACE and UNISPACE 82) were held at Vienna in 1968 and 1982, respectively.

The Scientific and Technical Subcommittee agreed that the basic objectives of UNISPACE III would be to promote the use of space technology to help solve global and regional problems, and to strengthen the capacity of States to apply space research for economic, social and cultural development, the report states. The conference would review recent advances in space technology and applications, as well as economic factors limiting such development, with a view to strengthening international cooperation to overcome those factors. It would consider how international cooperation could be strengthened to promote the use by all States of space applications in such fields as remote sensing, weather and climate observations, and environmental monitoring. It would also consider how space applications could be used to promote sustainable development in line with Agenda 21.

A number of countries had called for an alternative approach that would achieve the same goals through a less costly mechanism, the report continues. The Committee agreed to propose a special, expanded session of the Committee itself, convening as UNISPACE III. The Committee would serve as the preparatory body for the special session, with the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee acting as the advisory committee. Regular Committee meetings and those of its subsidiaries during the year of the conference would be limited so that resources could be redeployed. Additional activities would be envisaged if voluntary contributions were made by interested States or

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organizations.

The Committee called on its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee to finalize the agenda for the special session; agree on a date, preferably in 1999; plan related events, such as workshops and trade exhibitions; and outline the desired form of participation by relevant organizations in preparation for the special session.

The Committee's working methods were also the subject of debate at its 1996 session, the report goes on. A number of delegations objected to the decision adopted at the Committee's inception in 1960, whereby the offices of President, Vice-Chairman and Rapporteur are permanently assigned to Austria, Romania and Brazil, respectively. Critics suggested that the procedure had been adopted to hold East-West tensions in check at the height of the cold war and was no longer appropriate in the light of new geopolitical realities. Also challenged as a cold war hold-over was the rule requiring all decisions to be made by consensus. As any decision to abolish the rule would require a consensus, it was clear from the debate that the rule would stand. Ultimately, the Committee agreed that consensus decision-making had served it well in its substantive work.

In the end, the Committee decided to hold informal consultations on the reorganization of its bureau, keeping in mind the principles of equitable geographical representation and rotation, with the aim of reaching agreement before the next session begins. The structure of the agenda and the length of sessions are also to be discussed in those consultations.

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The Committee decided to grant permanent observer status to the non- governmental organization Planetary Society on the understanding it had consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.

The report from the Secretary-General (document A/51/276) reviews implementation of the recommendations of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE 82) and plans for the UNISPACE III conference, to be held in 1999 or 2000.

The United Nations Programme on Space Applications provides assistance for technical advisory services worldwide and will award 15 long-term fellowships for in-depth training of individuals from developing countries, according to the report. Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education are being established to enhance academic and professional capabilities and technical infrastructure in developing countries. Conferences, colloquiums, training courses, workshops and symposiums will be continued in 1997.

The report reviews inter-agency cooperation within the United Nations system and studies that have been prepared or are planned on matters including the safety of orbiting space objects with nuclear power sources; space debris; mechanisms and technologies available; space technology applications for sustainable development and for mitigating effects of natural disasters; and use of new technologies in communications and information networks.

The report also addresses voluntary contributions aimed at carrying out the UNISPACE 82 recommendations. The Organization's financial situation has resulted in the curtailment and postponement of some of the Programme's mandated activities.

Statements

The Chairman of the Committee, ALOUNKEO KITTIKHOUN (Lao People's Democratic Republic), said the promotion of international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space would continue to be an important task of the Organization, as the United Nations planned for the coming century. Cooperation in the area of space activities would further friendly relations among nations, and further economic and social development on the global level.

He said that since addressing space affairs for the first time in 1958, the United Nations had continued to provide a forum for space-faring and non- space-faring countries alike, to exchange ideas on developments in space activities. It was, moreover, the only body capable of ensuring that space activities of Member States were conducted in accordance with the principles of the Organization. It could also lead international efforts to expand the uses of outer space to achieve the collective goals of the international community such as those identified in the recent series of United Nations conferences. That important task had continued to be performed by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

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He added that, in recent years, international cooperation in outer space had continued to expand. The Russian Federation and the United States continued to invite astronauts and cosmonauts from other countries on board their Mir Space Station and the space shuttles. International cooperation had also been a key in protecting the earth, and since the Rio Conference a growing number of countries had participated in earth observation from outer space.

He spoke of the increasing use of space technology affecting people's daily lives, particularly in the areas of communications, weather forecasting and navigation. The benefits of space technology contributed to improvement of socio-economic conditions in developing countries. Remote sensing technology provided data for disaster warning and prevention in countries whose economies were vulnerable to natural disasters.

Since its establishment as the focal point for international cooperation in outer space, the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space had sought to maximize the benefits of space science and technology for all peoples, taking into account the rapid technological development and changing political and economic environments. It had established the legal regime for space activities, consisting of five international treaties and four sets of treaties.

PETER HOHENFELLNER (Austria), Chairman of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, introduced the report on the thirty-ninth session. He said the Committee was the focal point for international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space for the coming century. While many space-faring nations might consider international cooperation in space a solution to sharing the financial burden of space activities, the success of such cooperation would also enhance mutual understanding and confidence-building among the participating nations.

The current work in space technology was only a modest indication of what could be done in areas such as monitoring the environment, managing resources and improving the human condition, particularly in developing countries. The post-cold war period, he said, had opened new opportunities for the Committee, although these were mitigated somewhat by the Organization's financial resources.

He said the Committee's report had covered ways of maintaining outer space for peaceful purposes. It dealt with the work of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and the Legal Subcommittee, as well as matters related

to the convening of a third United Nations conference on the exploration and the peaceful uses of outer space (UNISPACE III).

Four priority areas had been identified in the application of space science and development, he continued. They were: stimulation and support of the growth of indigenous nuclei and an autonomous technological base in space technology in developing countries; promotion of greater exchange of

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experiences in space applications; United Nations funding of the Programme on Space Applications; and voluntary contributions for the Programme's activities, which had been affected by the Organization's financial situation.

On the matter of voluntary contributions, he said that two-thirds of the Programme's activities depended on voluntary support, and he urged Member States to make contributions. On the subject of space debris, he said it was important to have a strong scientific and technical basis for future action. The Scientific and Technical Subcommittee had initiated a technical report on the subject which would be updated each year.

The Subcommittee had also addressed the issues of space transportation systems; examination of the physical nature and technical attributes of the geostationary orbit; matters relating to space sciences; progress in the global change programme; and matters relating to planetary exploration and astronomy. In 1997, he said, the Subcommittee had as a theme for special attention "Space systems for direct broadcasting and global information systems for space research".

He said the Legal Subcommittee had made achievements on the issue of benefits of outer space technology. The outer space committee recommended that the General Assembly adopt the "Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for the Benefit and in the Interests of All States, Taking into Account the Needs of Developing Countries". The Declaration was an important addition to space law developed by the United Nations.

Regarding replies from Member States to a questionnaire on possible legal issues with regard to aerospace objects, the outer space committee would request that the Secretariat provide the Legal Subcommittee with a comprehensive analysis in time for its 1997 session. It further agreed that, in cooperation with the Secretariat of the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations Secretariat should also provide for the Legal Subcommittee an analysis of the compatibility of the approach contained in a working paper being considered with the existing rules and procedures of the International Telecommunication Union relating to the use of the geostationary orbit.

The Committee had discussed convening a UNISPACE III conference, he said. The Committee had agreed that a Special Session of the Committee

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(UNISPACE III) open to all Member States, should be convened in either 1999 or 2000 at the Organization's office in Vienna. That special session would aim to achieve the same goals without the costs of a full-scale United Nations conference. The outer space committee would act as the Preparatory Committee, and its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and the Secretariat would act as Advisory Committee and Secretariat for UNISPACE III. Holding a special session would minimize financial costs yet sustain the momentum for international cooperation in space activities that had been evident since the end of the cold war.

The Committee had reviewed its working methods, he continued, with the aim of streamlining its work without undermining its mandated role and functions. As of its 1997 session, the Committee would be utilizing verbatim unedited transcripts as its record of meetings in lieu of summary records. Some of the Committee's established practices had been critically examined. The Committee had not reached consensus agreement on: the composition of the offices of the Committee and its Subcommittees; the practice of electing officers; and the duration of sessions and inclusion of new items in the agenda. On these matters, informal consultations among members of the Committee would take place with the aim of achieving consensus before its next session. The Committee had reaffirmed its commitment to utilizing the principle of consensus for decision-making.

He said the outer space committee should ensure that space science and technology would not become another tool to widen the existing technological and economic gaps between the developing and developed world. It should further ensure that space technologies would not be used to threaten international peace and security.

CHEN SHIQIU (China) said more and more countries attached importance to the applications of space technologies. Areas for the peaceful uses of outer space had broadened. The contributions of United Nations organs and agencies to the promotion and coordination of outer space activities were valuable.

He said China had made progress in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space. Space technology played an ever more important role in its economic and social development, especially in cultural and educational areas, and in raising the overall level of science and technology of the nation. To promote sustainable development, China had also incorporated space technology programmes into its overall national strategy for development.

Now in its 40th year, China's space programme had become an integrated system of research, design, manufacture, testing and launch centres. The 47th annual Congress of the International Federation of Astronauts in Beijing had explored developing trends and applications of space technology in the 21st century.

On the 39th session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, he said the adoption of the Declaration on the International Cooperation in the Exploration and Utilization of Outer Space concluded a 10-

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year-long discussion on the issue. He hoped the General Assembly would adopt the Declaration and that all Member States would participate in outer space cooperation in accordance with its principles.

He said China had concluded agreements on cooperation in space technology with many countries. Those had brought about excellent cooperation in satellite manufacturing, launching, manned space flight and other applications. He welcomed the proposal for UNISPACE III and said the conference should be held no later than the year 2000.

He said the existing composition and election of the Bureau of the outer space committee had played a positive role, but failed to reflect new conditions in international relations, and lacked equitable regional representation. The Committee should play a greater role in promoting international cooperation in strengthening international legal order in space, and in boosting progress in science and technology in developing countries.

RONAN CORVIN (Ireland), on behalf of the European Union and Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Romania and the Slovak Republic, reiterated his commitment to the work of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. He welcomed the initiative by a member of the European Union for the establishment of an educational system consisting of a network of space science and technology institutions for central and south-eastern Europe.

He said the outer space committee and its subcommittees had carried out a number of valuable studies, among them the possible uses of small satellites that would help identify areas where developing countries could benefit from new technology. "It is clear that relevant technology is becoming increasingly accessible and less developed countries should be kept informed of the possibilities."

He welcomed the outer space committee's agreement on the declaration on international cooperation in space matters, and looked forward to its adoption by consensus. He noted progress in the scientific subcommittee on the hazards posed by space debris. As it was important to prevent a proliferation of such debris in the future, he attached a priority to the work of the subcommittee in that area.

He said that although the European Union had, in the past, expressed reservations about holding a third UNISPACE conference, he noted that the proposal of the Committee would be properly balanced, and timing and costs would be minimized. He also welcomed the considerable costs savings which would result from agreement to accept unedited transcripts in lieu of verbatim records.

SANTIAGO APUNTE FRANCO (Ecuador) said the report of the outer space committee had emphasized the need to strengthen international cooperation in the area of the peaceful uses of outer space. The report had recognized the importance of sharing technology and data, a practice to which there were numerous clear advantages. Ecuador had had positive experiences applying

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space technology to advance regional cooperation.

Turning to the Legal Subcommittee's work on the definition and demarcation of outer space, the nature of the geostationary orbit, and the principle that the exploration and use of outer space must be carried out in the interests of all countries, particularly the developing countries, he said there was in the need for a sui generis legal regime to meet the expectations of countries located around the area of the geostationary orbit. He supported the draft Declaration and hoped it would be adopted by the General Assembly.

On the working methods of the outer space committee, he reaffirmed his support for the main Bureau being made up of five representatives, elected on the principles of equitable geographical distribution and regional rotation. He said these principles should also be reflected in the subcommittees and subsidiary groups, and stressed that changes in the subsidiary bodies would be feasible only to the extent that they enriched the agenda. Agenda items should not be deleted before being fully addressed.

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