AwaitingLaunch_1397728623369

creation of a Latin American Alliance of Space Agencies (ALAS - Spanish
initials) in order to foster and promote the development of cooperative
projects and programmes in areas of interest to the member countries, as
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well as in common areas of the region. On operative aspect, despite their
differences, space programmes across the region share a common vision of
using space-based benefits to facilitate sustainable socio-economic
development and enhance the lives of people. They have all supported the
process of Rio+20, as well as the post-2015 development agenda in which
“many critical survival issues are related to uneven development, poverty and
population growth. They all place unprecedented pressures on the planet's
land, waters, forest and other natural resources, not least in developing
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countries.”
The concept focused on the importance of the principle of intergenerational
equity – that we must take into account the uncomfortable notion that
unborn generations may pay for our environmental excesses for lifetimes to
come. It also outlined common but distinct responsibilities that succinctly
defined sustainable development as “development, which meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
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their own needs.”
In that regard, space technology is of vital importance for the Latin
American region because it covers a vast geographic area with dense
vegetation and typographical features at variance. Technology offering
communication, remote sensing and weather monitoring solutions has great
relevance for the everyday running of the state. Countries like Argentina and
Brazil have demonstrated the capability to build satellites. However, no Latin
American country has yet succeeded in developing the infrastructure to
launch a satellite on their own. Hence, there is dependence on states outside
the region to provide a range of space technology-related services.
For the past few years Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, and Argentina have
all made increasing investments in the space sector. Argentina, Brazil, Chile,
and Peru have had space commissions, agencies and/or research institutes
for more than two decades. Bolivia is the most recent entrant to the space
arena, having established its space agency in 2010; Venezuela's space agency
was set up in 2008; Ecuador's EXA was created in 2007, and Colombia's
Space Commission (CCE) was established in 2006. In 2010, Mexico created a
new national space agency, the Agencia Espacial Mexicana (AEXA), with the
One of the main
concerns that
emerged in these
discussions was how
effective could a code
be if it is a nonbinding
instrument
that relies on the
political will of
subscribers, and what
would be the role of
non-subscribers. The
Latin America states
would certainly
advocate for a
binding instrument
with an appropriate
set of mechanisms
directed at spacefaring
nations, which
are the main
producers of space
debris. But Latin
American states are
also well aware of the
geopolitical realities
derived from national
and regional security
priorities, which
remain a critical
consideration on this
particular issue.
Accommodation of Competing Interests: A Latin American Perspective | www.orfonline.org 187