The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) is the central forum to discuss technical aspects of space activities with global impact and to draft universal regulations in these fields. Although basic space science is incorporated in the agenda of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of UNCOPUOS (as agenda items Matters relating to planetary exploration and Matters relating to astronomy), this has not yet resulted in any initiative for coordinated international activities in this field outside the UN Space Applications Programme (which is covered under another agenda item), because these agenda items are purely subjected to information exchange. A more action-oriented approach for basic space science as an agenda item, which would also produce greater benefits for participating developing countries, can only be achieved through a change in the way, UNCOPUOS is working. A thorough discussion of UNCOPUOS' working methods has most recently been initiated, and therefore it seems timely to explore the possibilities of how to best structure UNCOPUOS in order to obtain focused, result-oriented deliberations on a topic like basic space science which is right now treated in the same purposeless manner like other agenda items.
Established in 1959, UNCOPUOS rapidly expanded its organizational structure. Today, the nominal working session of UNCOPUOS begins in February with a two week meeting of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (STSC), followed by a three week meeting of the Legal Subcommittee (LSC) in March/April and concludes with a two week meeting of the Main Committee (COPUOS) in June. This sequence represents the ideal way of dealing with a problem in the field of space activities: identified by the Main Committee, first technical expertise has to be developed in the STSC, then regulations can be developed in the LSC and finally be adopted in the Main Committee. This ideal course of events was successfully followed recently during the drafting of the Principles on the Use of Nuclear Power Sources (NPS) in Outer Space - of course not during one session period but as a stepwise approach during more than one decade until the very completion of the entire set of principles. In reality the agendas of both Subcommittees have become entirely static. During the last ten years only one new item, space debris, has been put on the agenda of the STSC and only one item as well, space benefits, on the agenda of the LSC.
Although the current agenda of the STSC covers the major fields of space activities (remote sensing, telecommunications, space transportation, life science, basic space science etc.) these agenda items are only used for a sterile exchange of information without any focused debate. The STSC only "works" - which means it tries to find a common understanding of technical problems - when the need for regulation is imminent, as it was the case with NPS. Without that, the agenda items of the STSC covering the space disciplines are irrelevant and the LSC is deprived from "work" as well since only two items are currently on its agenda and no new subjects seem to be transferred from the STSC to the LSC (maybe with the exception of the yet unknown proceeding of space debris). One crucial reason for this might be, that the member countries of UNCOPUOS have not learned to delete items from the agendas even if it has become clear that neither action in the technical nor legal field exists (e.g. delimitation between airspace and outer space has been dragged along ineffectively on the agenda of the LSC since the early 60s). Herein rests the great reluctance to establish new agenda items.
The fate of basic space science as agenda items Matters relating to planetary exploration and Matters relating to astronomy is deplorable. Prepared statements are given by fifteen or so countries on their recent activities and accomplishments in this field. Consequently the Report of the STSC enumerates these pieces of information evidently lovelessly if compared with other UN Publications. There exists, however, an undeniable justification for basic space science to be dealt with in the STSC: this field of activity has been for most spacefaring nations the initial point of departure. This is particularly true for European countries like Germany, which, during the 60s, entered space activities through the conceptualization of space research satellites.
Currently, nearly 100 countries have professional or amateur astronomical organizations. For all humankind, the quest for knowledge about the cosmos and the origin of the Earth is of high interest and still can act as the admission-ticket for a first, second (after Telecommunications) or third (after remote sensing) contact with space activities. Therefore, there should be common ground for constructive discussion particularly with regard to how to introduce basic space science into educational curricula and how to convince the public that space science and technology benefits the socio-economic development of both industrialized and developing countries. The global interest in basic space science and its place in UNCOPUOS has also been demonstrated by the acceptance of both the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the Planetary Society as observers to the meetings of the STSC. But mentioning IAU illuminates a severe problem for the STSC. For most of the subjects on the agenda, other international fora have emerged - like the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, CEOS, for remote sensing -, or have remained the primary forum for international coordination (and not only information exchange). But since all these bodies are non-governmental, their impact is limited. And there certainly are cases where the States must act. And these cases are, where UNCOPUOS and its STSC should get involved. But under the present structure of UNCOPUOS the agenda-setting process shows only very small flexibility.
Although no initiative concerning basic space sience has yet resulted from the exchange of information in the STSC, the UN has taken care of the subject through its Space Applications Programme. Fortunately, the UN Office for Outer Space Affaires (UNOOSA, which also acts as the secretariat for UNCOPUOS) realized that important as telecommunications and remote sensing are for sustainable development, supporting developing countries in their efforts in the field of basic space science has its benefits for scientific and technological development as well. Since 1991, six UN/ESA Workshops on Basic Space Science including this one in Bonn, have been held. They were attended by about 400 invited participants from more than 50 countries. The particular significance of the workshops rests in the initiatives for follow-up projects. The installation or upgrading of telescopes and the creation of regional cooperation makes these workshops a showcase of how a true long-term impact can be made particularly in developing countries. Another characteristic of the workshops is the wealth of observations and recommendations they deliberately produce in working group sessions. These recommendations can lay the foundation when it comes to identifying subjects in the field of basic space science for treatment in a future UNCOPUOS.
Although the improvement of the working-methods of UNCOPUOS and its two Subcommittees has been a concern of the member countries for a considerable number of years, a comprehensive debate on UNCOPUOS' structure has only been initiated at the 1996 session. Occasion - but not the cause - was the election of Dietrich Rex as the new chairman of the STSC. So far, the chairmenships have been inherited positions: the chairman of the Main Committee traditionally comes from Austria, the chairmen of the LSC have for the last years come from Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic and the predecessor of Rex has been an Australian for more than two decades. Recently, developing countries gained positions as rapporteur of COPUOS and are holding right now two working-group chairmenships in the LSC. Germany made clear that it intended to limit the mandate of Rex, who is an acknowledged expert in the field of space debris, only for the period of the deliberations on this subject, which is currently dealt with in a multi-year workplan. Having seen that change is possible, some countries came up with the idea to introduce rotation for the chairmenships on a regional basis, which was immediately supported by developing countries. On the other hand a reduction of the duration of the session, nominally seven weeks in all, has long been requested by Western countries but has been denied by the G-77. This debate has not yet produced more than the definition of short-aimed goals. Although all countries want to have UNCOPUOS remaining as the global regulatory organ for problems in space activities, the diplomatic scene in Vienna, the location of UNCOPUOS and UNOOSA, has not been able to produce any stringent ideas for a structural reform.
Such a reform could be based on the following considerations. The agenda-setting process has to be streamlined. The Main Committee has to identify focus subjects, which should be dealt with in the STSC in form of four-year workplans (like the recently introduced workplan for space debris). Two such workplans could then, with an overlap of two years be dealt with consecutively. At the end of such a workplan there should be a report with indications for further action either through UNOOSA or the member countries. After that a compulsory treatment of the subject in the LSC would identify or not a regulatory demand and, in the first case, tackle it. Such an approach would rationalize the work of the Committee and create a certain automatism in introducing new agenda items - something which is crucial for the survival of a standing Committee. In addition, UNOOSA could then focus its activities on supporting the deliberations of the workplan-subjects and the actions arising from them and thus become more interlinked with UNCOPUOS. Another, more radical option would be to abolish the two Subcommittees and to establish ad hoc expert groups (the Subcommittees are dominated by diplomats), which would then deal with subjects under workplans, eventually providing the Committee with recommendations for adoption. Both options would provide ample possibilities for reducing the session time. In addition an annual rotation of the Committee and Subcommittee chairmenships would be possible, as long as the level requiring technical expertise, i.e. working-group chairmen, have a longer mandate, shaped according to the workplans.
The members of UNCOPUOS should however refrain from touching the consensus principle, which has governed the work of UNCOPUOS since its installation. It has so far guaranteed that no tyranny of the numbers has emerged. This would be fatal for the field of space activities. Since everything depends on the acceptance of the rules drafted in the Committee by the relatively small number of the space powers, their consent is crucial, if UNCOPUOS wants to extend its almost flawless record of drafting effective treaties and sets of principles.
Basic space science as a field of space activities contains numerous subjects, which would be proper to be dealt with in a four-year workplan or an ad hoc expert group. These subjects should be characterized by the need for a common understanding of the technical problem and for international cooperative action probably accompanied by the need for international regulation. Of course basic space science would have to compete with subjects from the fields of telecommunications and remote sensing, which are more popular with diplomats and are more visibly embedded in broader UN activities (like UNCED or IDNDR). Therefore it is only realistic to restrict this elaboration on two subjects.
The first subject has so far been discussed only in a relatively small circle, but may, however, receive an extremely wide audience at any time. It is the problem of Earth-crossing asteroids and comets (also known as near-Earth objects, NEOs) and the threats they pose for humankind. A UN conference in April 1995 proposed policies to increase awareness of these possible threats from NEOs and provided ideas for guidelines for cooperative observation and research programmes. Since NEOs pose a problem to all countries and technical as well as legal questions arise, it seems adequate that a workplan could be dedicated to this subject - maybe after additional research has been conducted.
The second subject here to be mentioned has more thoroughly been prepared by the UN/ESA Workshops on Basic Space Science. Resulting from the observations and recommendations, the already known potential of specific regions of the world was further developed and focused. The workshops deepened the understanding of the need to explore the great scientific potential of Southern countries due to their special attributes concerning geography, climate or biodiversity which has put them in a privileged position for the development of certain fields of scientific research. A workplan could further explore a setting for coordinated activities and initiatives in the Northern and the Southern hemisphere, where technological development could be stimulated, the communications infrastructure could be improved and independent local access to a prime astronomical facility could be allowed. Thus developing countries can be integrated in a global effort to answer the questions astronomy has been tackling since ancient times.
At the 1996 session, the member countries of UNCOPUOS agreed to hold a third UN Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III). This conference will take place in 1999 or 2000 at Vienna. Since the particular focus of this conference will be space applications for sustainable development and the use of space applications in the UN system, basic space science will only play a minor role in the discussions. Nevertheless, this conference will give an excellent opportunity to further stimulate the global interest in basic space science, in particular because not only the 61 member countries of UNCOPUOS but all member countries of the UN will be able to participate. Although the reform of UNCOPUOS will not have been completed by the time UNISPACE III will take place (to the contrary, it might be expected that this conference, as its predecessor in 1982 will give the decisive impetus for the reform), this global forum will be able to define more clearly the main subjects of joint activities for further focused consideration in UNCOPUOS. Topics out of the field of basic space science should then figure under the ones with great appeal for developing countries and industrialized countries alike.
See United Nations: Space Activities of the United Nations and International Organizations, New York 1992, pp. 1-25 and M. Benk"/K.-U. Schrogl (eds.): International Space Law in the Making - Current Issues in the UNCOPUOS, Gif-sur-Yvette 1993, pp. 1-18.
Compare the Report of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee on the work of its thirty-third session (1996), UN Doc. A/AC.105/637, p. 29 with IAF/COSPAR: Highlights in Space 1996, UN Doc. A/AC.105/618, pp. 33-38.
For brief accounts see H.-J. Haubold et al.: United Nations/European Space Agency Workshops on Basic Space Science, in: ESA bulletin 81, February 1995, pp. 18-21 and N. Jasentuliyana: Basic space science and developing countries, in: Space Policy 11,2, May 1995, pp. 89-94.
The only case when consensus was broken in the Committee led to the only case when votes against a set of principles (on Direct Broadcasting Satellites in 1982) have been casted in the General Assembly.
See J.L. Remo: Policy perspectives from the UN international conference on near-Earth objects, in: Space Policy 12,1, February 1996, pp. 13-17.
See H.-J. Haubold et al., op. cit., p. 21 and the Report of the fifth UN/ESA Workshop on Basic Space Science, UN Doc. A/AC.105/640, p. 3.
See the Report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space 1996.
For the way basic space science has been dealt with at UNISPACE II in 1982, see the Report of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, UN Doc. A/CONF.101/10, pp. 6-12.