FOURTH COMMITTEE HEARS CONCERNS ON SPACE ARMS RACE, COLLISIONS AND DEBRIS, LACK OF EQUITY IN SHARING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, SPIN-OFF BENEFITS

Press Release
GA/SPD/141

FOURTH COMMITTEE HEARS CONCERNS ON SPACE ARMS RACE, COLLISIONS AND DEBRIS, LACK OF EQUITY IN SHARING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, SPIN-OFF BENEFITS

The chance to make progress towards an agreement or international instrument for the prevention of an arms race in outer space was an illusion because of the obstacles and position of the nuclear Powers that were also space Powers, the representative of Cuba told the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) this afternoon as it continued its consideration of international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

He said cooperation to ensure the peaceful uses of outer space was both a right of developing countries and an obligation of States with major space capabilities. Some steps had been taken towards this cooperation, but much still remained to be done. Cuba, as a member of the Conference for Disarmament, would continue to work with the Non-Aligned countries and others sharing the same concerns in order to keep outer space from becoming the setting for non-peaceful activities.

Cuba considered that the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space should pay greater attention to the problem of space collisions, including those with nuclear power sources and space debris, he said. There must be a continued effort to improve technology to monitor space debris and to compile and disseminate data on it.

The representative of Indonesia said it was essential to intensify cooperative efforts among Member States in order to formulate appropriate and effective strategies to minimize the potential impact of space debris on future space missions, as well as to protect the fragile environment of the earth.

Regarding the question of spin-off benefits, he said space technology had yielded, among other things, new techniques for improving agriculture, health and medicine, as well as in the field of industrial productivity. For developing countries in particular, it was important that such advanced technology, as well as its application, was shared, especially to meet development needs. There was a lack of regulatory mechanisms for focusing the current space applications programmes towards greater equity in meeting the interests of the developing countries.

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The representative of the Russian Federation said the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space could not remain aloof to the reform that was affecting the Organization. His country did not agree with proposed changes that would reduce the status of the Committee or its Subcommittee and was deeply convinced that such changes would negatively impact the peaceful uses of outer space. The Committee must be more productive, but it did not need radical surgery.

The representative of the United States expressed deep concern over the future staffing of the Office of Outer Space Affairs. Changes in the senior leadership of the Office would signal a disturbing development, since it had the potential of disrupting the preparations for the third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III).

Statements were also made by the representatives of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Egypt, Republic of Korea, Ecuador and Venezuela.

The next meeting of the Fourth Committee will be announced in tomorrow's Journal. The Committee is expected to take action on a draft resolution on international cooperation on the peaceful uses of outer space.

Committee Work Programme

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this afternoon to continue its consideration of international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. Before it were 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 (UNISPACE II) (document A/53/265), and the report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) (document A/53/20). (See Press Release GA/SPD/140 for background on the reports.)

PABLO MACEDO (Mexico), Committee Chairman, introduced the Concepción Declaration from the Preparatory meeting for UNISPACE III, held in Concepción, Chile in October. The Committee would include it in the draft resolution.

HONG JE RYONG (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) said his Government had long attached a great significance to the development of space technology and had made every effort to set up its own space industry by relying on the solid foundation of the self-reliant national economy. As a result, on 31 August 1998 the country's scientists and technicians had successfully launched an artificial satellite into orbit for the first time. That achievement was attributable to the unremitting efforts of the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to fully implement the Government's policy of attaching great importance to scientific and technical development while enduring adversity under the belt-tightening difficult situation caused by the economic sanctions of some countries and consecutive natural disasters of recent years.

He stressed the importance of strict adherence by all Member States to the principles of respect for sovereign rights, equality and mutual benefit in international cooperation for the peaceful uses of outer space. Non-adherence would complicate relations among countries, thus impeding international cooperation. Equally important was the need to recognize and respect the legitimate right of every State to develop space programmes in conformity with its specific situation. It was also necessary for all States, particularly those with space capabilities, to sincerely assist the efforts of the developing countries to have their own space capabilities through the transfer of technology.

He said that despite the positive trend of enhancing the space capabilities of the developing countries at the international and regional levels, a few countries had alleged that the space-related activities of some developing countries posed threats to international peace and security. Such allegations ran counter to the spirit of international cooperation for the peaceful uses of outer space and should not be tolerated.

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MARIA DEL PILAR ESCOBAR (Mexico) said the work of COPUOS would define the future direction of the international community to use outer space for peaceful purposes. Her country firmly supported the activities and the progress of space technology, such as the preservation of the environment, exploration of the solar system, joint cooperation in the field of space technology and better use of sparse resources.

Space technology should be learned for the benefit of all humankind, she said. Space research and technology should be applied to socio-economic and cultural development programmes. Implementation of research programmes should also incorporate space technology. Moreover, her country was convinced satellite technology could promote greater cooperation in such areas as acquisition and dissemination of information on the Earth, use of space technology, health and education with the use of wide-band satellite communication, the promotion of tele-medicine, and the studying of climate change.

BURHANUL ISLAM (Pakistan) said necessary refinements had been made in some aspects of the recommendations of UNISPACE II (document A/53/265) to make them more specific and to facilitate their implementation. Moreover, there had been substantial progress in the preparatory work undertaken by the Preparatory and Advisory Committee for the UNISPACE III.

He said the Legal Subcommittee of the Scientific and Technical Committee must play a vital role in ensuring the effectiveness of the international legal framework established by the United Nations to govern space activities. The spin of benefits of space technology in many fields were substantial and the developing countries should have access to them, so as to meet their socio-economic needs, particularly in the industrial sector, image and data processing, health and tele-medicine, power generation and the manufacturing sector.

There was no doubt that space technology and its applications could contribute significantly to the sustainable development of the global society, he said. The benefits of outer space must be shared in a just and fair manner. States with significant capabilities could contribute meaningfully to achieve the goal of preventing an arms race in outer space. Conclusion of a comprehensive convention to prevent an arms race in outer space should be vigorously pursued. Simultaneously, faithful implementation of existing agreements on peaceful application of space-science and technology should be promoted.

HOSSAM ZAKI (Egypt) said that for 40 years, COPUOS had adopted resolutions and devised guidelines defining the use and exploration of outer space in all its aspects. It was necessary to enhance the basis upon which the Committee regulated the uses of outer space and formulated space law. It

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was hoped that the Committee would deepen its cooperation in all related fields.

He hoped that the work of the preparatory regional meetings being held for UNISPACE III, to be held next year in Vienna, could be standardized. Regional centres were important and it was hoped that the necessary importance would be given to enhance the space technology capabilities of developing countries.

HAE-JIN CHUN (Republic of Korea) noted the progress made in the preparations for UNISPACE III over the past year. The Republic of Korea commended in particular the work of the Advisory Committee and the Preparatory Committee in preparing the draft report of UNISPACE III, the Executive Summary and the Vienna Declaration eight months in advance. That demonstrated the determination and devotion of the organizers for a productive meeting. It was also encouraging to note that some regional preparatory meetings had been convened.

He said UNISPACE III should be a global forum where non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector would be invited together with governments and international organizations. In view of the increasingly important role they played in that global forum, their participation was essential for the positive outcome of the conference.

The Republic of Korea believed that the expansion of the membership of COPUOS to countries with a strong interest in the work of that Committee would improve its efficiency and continuity.

SANTIAGO APUNTE (Ecuador) said his country placed a high priority on the subject of the upcoming UNISPACE III conference and on the subject of space technology and its future application. Ecuador wished that space technology would promote economic growth and sustainable development, particularly in developing countries.

The different spheres of economic development tied in with space technology now meant that the private sector would become involved, he said. No longer would a few countries control and promote the development of space technology. The field of space exploration and new technology was too important to all the countries, because space was a potential battleground for future wars and conflict. All States should benefit from space exploration, not just a few countries or private enterprises.

KENNETH HODGKINS (United States) said the Committee had played a crucial role in advancing space cooperation and provided a unique opportunity for the exchange of information among developed and developing countries on the latest developments in the use and exploration of outer space.

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Forty years ago, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) came into existence, he said. Within a few months of its creation, NASA began to conduct space missions, and over the next four decades made historic achievements in aeronautics and space research. Indeed, the striking feature of the success of the United States space programme had been the scope and nature of international participation. Since 1958, NASA had had a broad programme of international collaboration involving over 3,000 agreements with over 100 nations.

The United States supported the planning for UNISPACE III, he said. Moreover, his country thanked the Office of Outer Space Affairs for its planning efforts. However, the United States expressed its deep concern over the future staffing of the Office. Changes in the senior leadership of the Office that could take place this year signalled a disturbing development, since it had the potential of disrupting the preparations for UNISPACE III.

R.M. MARTY MULIANA NATALEGAWA (Indonesia) said that as the majority of third world countries continued to find themselves marginalized due to a lack of resources to develop relevant activities on their own or with other groups of States, COPUOS had a pivotal role to play in providing the necessary stewardship and coordination to realize international cooperation in outer space for the benefit of all mankind.

He said that as an equatorial country, Indonesia had always expressed concern over the hazards of space debris. It was essential to intensify cooperative efforts among Member States in order to formulate appropriate and effective strategies to minimize the potential impact of space debris on future space missions, as well as to protect the fragile environment of the earth.

On the question of spin-off benefits of space technology, the report of COPUOS had aptly pointed out the need to disseminate information to interested countries, he said. Space technology had yielded, among other things, new techniques for improving agriculture, health and medicine, as well as in the field of industrial productivity. For developing countries in particular, it was important that such advanced technology, as well as its application, was shared, especially to meet their development needs. He said there was a lack of regulatory mechanisms for focusing the current space applications programmes towards greater equity in meeting the interests of the developing countries.

RAFAEL DAUSA CESPEDES (Cuba) said that cooperation to ensure the peaceful uses of outer space was both a right of developing countries and an obligation of States with major space capabilities. Some steps had been taken, but there was still much to be done. It was necessary to bridge the huge gap between most developing countries and the developed ones in that field. Applications covered a wide spectrum and were of great importance not

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only for economic and social development, but also for following up and forecasting natural disasters and environmental changes.

He said the chance to make progress towards negotiations leading to an agreement or international instrument for the prevention of an arms race in outer space was an illusion, because of the obstacles and positions of the nuclear powers that were space powers as well. Cuba, as a member of the Conference for Disarmament, would continue to work with the group of non- aligned countries and others sharing the same concerns in order to keep outer space from becoming the setting for non-peaceful activities. The outer space legal order currently in force did not suffice to guarantee an arms race from taking place there, which was why new measures must be adopted with effective and appropriate provisions of verification. Also, the existing legal system must be strengthened.

Cuba considered that greater attention should be paid to the problem of space collisions, including those with nuclear power sources, and to space debris. In that connection, there must be continued effort to develop improved technology for monitoring space debris and compiling and disseminating data on them.

VLADIMIR TARABRIN (Russian Federation) said the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space could not remain aloof to the reform that was affecting the Organization. His country thanked the Committee for adjusting to the current changes, but said it must be brought more into line with the pressing demands.

The level of integration must reflect the growing universalization and dynamics of peaceful uses of outer space, he said. However, his country did not agree with proposed changes that would reduce the status of the Committee or its subcommittee. The Russian Federation was deeply convinced that such changes would negatively impact on the peaceful uses of outer space, which would be in no one's interest. The Committee must be more productive, but it did not need radical surgery. Moreover, the UNISPACE III forum should be a space fair for space achievements from countries around the world. It should be beneficial for all. Any politicization would only have a negative impact on the objective of the Conference.

JOSE EUGENIO ACOSTA-FRAGACHAN (Venezuela) said the programme of scholarships for practical courses promoted indigenous capacity in space science and technology. The regional centres stimulated the developing countries to formulate their own space technology.

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He said the progress that had been made in preparing for UNISPACE III was encouraging. The efforts of the Preparatory Committee, the Advisory Committee and the Executive Secretariat had been impressive. Venezuela also noted the regional preparatory meetings and that the Preparatory Committee had completed organizing the procedures for the Conference next year.

Space debris was a matter of grave concern to many countries, he said. Also of concern was the question of collisions involving space debris and vehicles containing nuclear power sources.

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