Electronic Proceedings - United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

space organizations have been made in the OST. And no special system of the peacefulsettlement of international disputes has been provided under the Treaty regime, except of“appropriate international consultations” that should be effected in the case of possibleinterferences among the space activities of the States Parties to the OST.Finally, one more significant feature which characterizes the 1967 OST must bementioned. While it was possible to create specialized organizations for some other areas ofinternational cooperation, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), theInternational Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO), as well as the Sea-Bed Authority under the 1982 United Nations Convention on theLaw of the Sea, in the field of space activities no specialized agency of the UN systememerged that would deal with international cooperation in all relevant space matters. Instead,the functions in this field have been left dispersed among several bodies and organizationswith the focal role of COPUOS.Other UN Space TreatiesThe fundamental role of the OST was confirmed by the fact that some of its principlescreated the basis for further steps in the progressive development of outer space law. Fourother UN space treaties were concluded during the period following the entry of the OST intoforce:The Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return ofObjects Launched into Outer Space, briefly called the Rescue Agreement, which elaboratedthe principles of Article V of the 1967 OST; it was opened for signature on April 22, 1968and entered into force on December 2 of the same year. As of 2002, it has had 88 StatesParties and 25 signatures of other States.The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, brieflycalled the Liability Convention, which elaborated the principles of Article VII of the 1967OST; it was opened for signature on March 29, 1972 and entered into force on September 1,1972. As of 2002, it has had 82 States Parties and 26 signatures of other States.The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, briefly called theRegistration Convention, which elaborated the first principle of Article VIII of the 1967 OST;it was opened for signature on January 14, 1975 and entered into force on September 15, 1976.As of 2002, it has had 44 States Parties and 4 signatures of other States.The Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other CelestialBodies, which has been based on the principles of the 1967 OST relating to the Moon andother celestial bodies generally or explicitly; it was opened for signature on December 18,1979 and entered into force on July 11, 1984. As of 2002, it has had but 10 States Parties and5 signatures of other States. 11This treaty-making process, however, stopped after the adoption of the last of theseinstruments, the 1979 Moon Agreement, which collected so far the signatures and ratificationssuch regulation was made later by the 1988 Wellington Convention on the Regulation of AntarcticMineral Resource Activities, but it has failed to collect a sufficient number of ratifications.11 See the texts of these instruments in United Nations Treaties and Principles on Outer Space, p. 9 etseq., 13 et seq., 22 et seq. and 27 et seq. In addition to States, some international organizations madedeclarations on acceptance of the rights and obligations arising from some of the UN space treaties,namely: The European Space Agency as to the Rescue Agreement, the Liability Convention and theRegistration Convention; the Eumetsat as to the Registration Convention; the Eutelsat as to theLiability Convention. For the status of adhesions, see the 2002 Report of the Legal Subcommittee,para. 28 on pp. 6-7.15