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settlement of disputes, (8) copyright and neighboring rights, and (9) notification to the United Nations. In addition, the Working Group considered, but reached no agreement on, three other areas: consent and participation, program content, and unlawful/inadmissible broadcasting.

Working Group III, concerned with the legal implications of remote sensing of the earth from space, considered the formulation of four principles--all still with some unagreed words--based on the common elements that had been identified in 1975 from among various drafts submitted by states.84/ A fifth draft principle was formulated after the Working Group had identified a new common element, i.e., "States participating in remote sensing programs should make available technical assistance in that area to other interested states on mutually agreed terms." Finally, the Working Group identi

fied further common elements in three additional areas: (1) the role of international organizations with respect to coordination and technical assistance; (2) the need to inform affected states and international organizations of impending natural disasters identified from remote sensing data; and (3) non-use of data to the detriment of other states.

OUTER SPACE COMMITTEE

The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space held its 19th session in New York from June 21 to July 2. It reviewed the reports of its two subcommittees and approved their recommended programs of future work.

Speaking on June 22, the U.S. Representative, Herbert K. Reis, commented on and commended the work of the Outer Space Committee and its subcommittees and reviewed U.S. cooperative programs and activities in the exploration and use of space.

He reported that the U.S. Senate on June 21 had unanimously given its advice and consent to the ratification of the 1974 Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space 5/ and he

84/ The common elements were in five areas: (a) the purpose of remote sensing, (b) the applicable elements of international law, (c) the importance of international cooperation, (d) the need to encourage international participation, and (e) the use of remote sensing to protect the earth's natural environment.

85/ On July 24 the President ratified the Convention, which entered into force Sept. 15. By the end of the year Bulgaria, Canada, France, Niger, Sweden, and the U.S. were parties.

recommended that the Committee urge member states to become parties to the four multilateral agreements concerning outer space and space activities.86/

He noted that there had been many significant achievements during the year since the Committee had last met. He cited, among others, the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Apollo-Soyuz mission; the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment carried out by the Indian Space Research Organization using an ATS satellite (Applications Technology Satellite) provided by NASA; the Viking landings on Mars; the launching by NASA of the Canadian Communications Technology Satellite; and the continued development by the European Space Agency, with NASA cooperation, of the Spacelab, due for launching in 1980. He affirmed that the Outer Space Committee had made a major contribution to those achievements by creating a climate of international cooperation in which space science, exploration, and applications could flourish.

The Committee noted the work of its Legal Subcommittee in drafting a moon treaty. It made no further progress in resolving the complex issue of the exploration and exploitation of the moon's natural resources, although consensus had been reached on most other outstanding issues.

Regarding the use of satellites for direct television broadcasting, the Committee noted the considerable progress made by the Legal Subcommittee in its efforts to establish legal principles for such use. However, the critical differences between adherents of the prior consent concept and the freedom-of-information concept remained unresolved. The former believe that states in the reception area of a television broadcasting satellite should give prior consent for the establishment and program content of a direct television broadcasting system. The latter, which include the United States, believe, as article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, that "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without

86/ The other three are the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (entered into force, Oct. 10, 1967), the 1968 Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space (entered into force, Dec. 3, 1968), and the 1972 Convention on the International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects (entered into force, Sept. 1, 1972; for the United States, Oct. 9, 1973).

interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regard less of frontiers."

The Committee--as had its subcommittees --devoted considerable attention to the issue of remote sensing. It agreed with the report of its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee that satellite remote sensing systems would one day become operational, and that the data thus gathered would become integral to the economies and planning activities of states. The Committee noted the need to define clearly the term "data," as used in discussions of remote sensing. The Committee also recommended that the Legal Subcommittee continue to develop draft principles on remote sensing.

The Committee noted and endorsed the other recommendations of its subcommittees, including a recommendation that the UN Secretariat prepare a study in depth on the question of convening a UN conference on space matters. The Committee further decided, against the recommendation of the UN Committee on Conferences, to continue to meet annually.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The First Committee of the 31st General Assembly considered together two outer space agenda items, "International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space," and "Preparation of an international convention on principles governing the use by states of artificial earth satellites for direct television broadcasting" during eight meetings between October 18 and 21, 1976. Representatives of 49 states spoke on various aspects of the issues. The Committee also heard two special speakers: Dr. Carl Sagan of Cornell University, who on October 18 gave a lecture and slide presentation on the missions of the Viking spacecraft to the planet Mars, and Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, who addressed the Committee on October 20.

In a statement on October 18, Ambassador Bennett reviewed the cooperative approach taken by the United States in the international exploration of outer space and paid particular attention to the remote sensing issue. In this connection he pointed out that all states, regardless of their stage of economic and technical development, could realize substantial benefits from an open system of earth observation from satellites. However, such observation could only be practically accomplished without regard to boundaries, since much of the information required regional observation and thus regional cooperation.

On October 21, Austria introduced an omnibus draft resolution on outer space activities that was ultimately sponsored by 40 states, including the United States and most members of the Outer Space Committee. Inter alia, the resolution recommended that the Legal Subcommittee, as a matter of high priority, should (1) continue to consider a draft moon treaty; (2) consider completing the elaboration of draft principles governing the use by states of artificial earth satellites for direct television broadcasting; and (3) give detailed consideration to the legal implications of remote sensing of the earth from space with the aim of formulating draft principles on the basis of common elements identified by it. The resolution recommended that the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee pursue its work on matters before it, giving priority to (1) questions relating to remote sensing of the earth by satellite; (2) the UN program on space applications; and (3) the options relating to a possible UN conference on outer space matters. The resolution also endorsed the other recommendations of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including those calling for further studies and reports by the Secretary General.

The First Committee unanimously approved the draft resolution on October 21, and it was adopted unanimously by the General Assembly on November 8.87/

87/ Resolution 31/8.

LAW OF THE SEA

Two sessions

the fourth and fifth

of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea were held in New York in 1976. The Special Representative of the President and Chief of the U.S. Delegation was Ambassador T. Vincent Learson. The spring session, March 15 - May 7, focussed on discussions and negotiations based upon the Single Negotiating Text prepared at the 1975 Geneva session by the chairmen of the three main committees, and by the President of the Conference with respect to dispute settlement. A revised Single Negotiating Text (RSNT) was prepared and issued on the last day of the meeting. On this same pattern the summer session, August 2 September 17, concentrated on discussions and negotiations using the RSNT.

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE I

Conference Committee I dealt with the controversial issues of how and by whom the resources of the deep seabed will be controlled. The RSNT proposed establishing an International Deep Seabed Authority which would supervise a parallel system of exploitation directly by the Authority itself on the one hand, and by states and private entities on the other. The Authority would have an operating arm, the Enterprise, and would be directed by a large-membership Assembly and a smaller Council. Opponents of this section of the RSNT, mainly developing countries, objected to the parallel system of exploitation and at the summer session proposed to give the Authority broad discretionary power over contracts, as well as the right to refuse to open the deep seabed at all. The United States and other industrialized states responded that all states must have guaranteed access to the resources of the seabed and that the parallel system was essential.

The United States, in an effort to respond to the concerns of many developing countries that the Authority would have neither the financial resources nor the technology to undertake exploitation of the seabed on its own, proposed a financing arrangement to enable the planned Enterprise to get into operation. The United States said it was prepared to participate in financing the Enterprise so that it could begin mining operations in the same time frame that state and private operators would begin their work. The United States also suggested that

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