Proceedings of the Workshop - United Nations Office for Outer ...

REPORT OF THE THIRD UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCEON THE EXPLORATION AND PEACEFUL USES OF OUTERSPACESection on “International Space Law” (II.V.H.2)(a) Status: international space law1. International space law as developed by theUnited Nations through the Committee on thePeaceful Uses of Outer Space and its LegalSubcommittee reflects the importance that theworld community attaches to internationalcooperation in the exploration and use of outerspace. So far, five treaties and five sets of legalprinciples on matters relating to the explorationand peaceful uses of outer space have beendrawn up through the United Nations, graduallyestablishing a sound legal regime governingspace-related activities.2. The international legal principles in the fivetreaties1have established that the exploration anduse of outer space shall be the province of “allI The five treaties and agreements are the Treaty onPrinciples Governing the Activities of States in theExploration and Use of Outer Space, including theMoon and Other Celestial Bodies (the “Outer SpaceTreaty”), adopted on 19 December 1966, opened forsignature on 27 January 1967, entered into force on 10October 1967, 95 ratifications and 27 signatures; theAgreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return ofAstronauts and the Return of Objects Launched intoOuter Space (the “Rescue Agreement”), adopted on 19December 1967, opened for signature on 22 April 1968,entered into force on 3 December 1968, 85 ratificationsand 26 signatures; the Convention on InternationalLiability for Damage Caused by Space Objects (the“Liability Convention”), adopted on 29 November 1971,opened for signature on 29 March 1972, entered intoforce on 1 September 1972, 80 ratifications and 26signatures; the Convention on Registration of ObjectsLaunched into Outer Space (the “RegistrationConvention”), adopted on 12 November 1974, openedfor signature on 14 January 1975, entered into force on15 September 1976, 40 ratifications and 4 signatures;and the Agreement Governing the Activities of States onthe Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (the “MoonAgreement”), adopted on 5 December 1979, opened forsignature on 18 December 1979, entered into force on11 July 1984, 9 ratifications and 5 signatures.mankind”2, and that outer space, including theMoon and other celestial bodies, is not subject tonational appropriation. These legal principleshave also ensured freedom of exploration. Theyhave also banned the placement of nuclearweapons and any other kinds of weapons of massdestruction in outer space and provided forinternational responsibility of States for nationalactivities in outer space, liability for damagecaused by space objects, the safety and rescue ofspacecraft and astronauts, the prevention ofharmful interference in space activities, theavoidance of harmful contamination of celestialbodies and adverse changes in the Earthenvironment, the notification and registration ofobjects launched into outer space, scientificinvestigation and the exploration of naturalresources in outer space, as well as the settlementof disputes. Each of the treaties lays great stresson the notion that outer space, the activitiescarried out there and whatever benefits mightaccrue from them should be devoted to enhancingthe well-being of all countries and humankind,and each includes elements based on the principleof promoting international cooperation in outerspace activities.3. The five declarations and sets of legalprinciples3 adopted by the General Assembly2 Expression used in article I of the Treaty on PrinciplesGoverning the Activities of States in the Explorationand Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and OtherCelestial Bodies (General Assemblyresolution 2222 (XXI), annex, of 13 December 1966).3 The five declarations and legal principles are theDeclaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activitiesof States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space,General Assembly resolution 1962 (XVIII) of 13December 1963; the Principles Governing the Use byStates of Artificial Earth Satellites for InternationalDirect Television Broadcasting, resolution 37/92, annex,