in the exploration and use of outer space. We believe these legal principles reflect international law as it is accepted by the members of the United Nations. The United States, for its part, intends to respect these principles. We hope that the conduct which the resolution commends to nations in the exploration of outer space will become the practice of all nations."

The full text of this statement is enclosed.

We have informed the Department of State of the committee's interest in the United Nations activities relating to outer space.

United Nations activities in outer space have centered within the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space established by General Assembly Resolution 1472 in December 1959. Ambassador Francis Plimpton, Deputy U.S. Representative to the United Nations is the U.S. representative on the Committee, assisted by Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as senior technical adviser, and by the following congressional advisers: Senators Margaret Chase Smith and Howard W. Cannon of the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, and Congressmen George P. Miller and James G. Fulton of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics.

Sincerely yours,

RICHARD L. CALLAGHAN, Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs. (The attachments are as follows: U.N. Res. 1962 (XVIII) appears on p. 75; U.N. Res. 1963 (XVIII) follows:)

A/RES/1963 (XVIII) PASSED BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECEMBER 13, 1963

The General Assembly,

Recalling its Resolutions 1721 (XVI) of 20 December 1961 and 1802 (XVII) of 14 December 1962, on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space,

Having adopted Resolution 1963 (XVIII) containing a declaration of basic legal principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space,

Having considered the Report (A/5549 and A/5549 Add. 1) submitted by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space,

Mindful of the benefits which all Member States would enjoy by participation in international programs of cooperation in this field,

I

1. Recommends that consideration should be given to incorporating in international agreement form, in the future as appropriate, legal principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space;

2. Requests the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to continue to study and report on legal problems which may arise in the exploration and use of outer space, and in particular to arrange for the prompt preparation of draft international agreements on liability for damage caused by objects launched into outer space and on assistance to and return of astronauts and space vehicles;

3. Further requests the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to report to the General Assembly at its nineteenth session on the results achieved in preparing these two agreements;

II

1. Endorses the recommendations of the Report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space concerning exchange of information, encouragement of international programs, international sounding rocket facilities, education and training and potentially harmful effects of space experiments;

2. Welcomes the decision of the Committee, in cooperation with the Secretary General and making full use of the functions and resources of the Secretariat, to undertake the following:

a. Preparation of a working paper on the activities and resources of the United Nations, of its Specialized Agencies, and of other competent international bodies relating to the peaceful uses of outer space;

b. Preparation of a summary of national and of cooperative international space activities;

c. Preparation of a list of available bibliographic and abstracting services covering the scientific and technical results and publications in space and space-related areas;

d. Compilation in cooperation with UNESCO of reviews of information on facilities for education and training in basic subjects related to the peaceful uses of outer space in universities and other places of learning;

e. Establishment, at the request of the Government of India, of a group of five scientists to visit the sounding rocket launching facility at Thumba and to advise the Committee on its eligibility for United Nations sponsorship in accordance with the basic principles endorsed by the General Assembly in Resolution 1802 (XVII);

3. Notes with appreciation that, in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 1721 (XVI), the Secretary General is maintaining a public registry of objects launched into orbit or beyond on the basis of information being furnished by States Members of the United Nations;

4. Notes with appreciation that certain Member States have, on a voluntary basis, provided information on their national space programs, and invites other Member States to do so;

5. Invites Member States to give favorable consideration to requests of countries desirous of participating in the peaceful exploration of outer space for appropriate training and technical assistance on a bilateral basis or on any other basis they see fit;

6. Notes the considerable measure of cooperation in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space underway among Member States;

7. Notes that the United States and the Soviet Union have reached an agreement looking toward cooperation in the fields of satellite meteorology, communications and magnetic field mapping;

8. Encourages Member States to continue and extend cooperative arrangements so that all Members can benefit from the peaceful exploration and use of outer space;

9. Believes that international cooperation can be beneficial in furthering the exploration of the solar system;

III

1. Notes with appreciation (a) the Second Report of the World Meteorological Organization on the advancement of atmospheric sciences and their application in the light of developments in outer space and (b) the organizational and financial steps taken by the Fourth Congress of the World Meteorological Organization in response to Resolutions 1721 C (XVI) and 1802 III (XVII);

2. Endorses efforts toward the establishment of a World Weather Watch under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization to include the use of satellite as well as conventional data with data centers to facilitate the effectiveness of the system;

3. Urges that Member States (a) extend their national and regional meteorological efforts to implement the expanded program of the World Meteorological Organization, (b) cooperate in the establishment of the World Weather Watch, and (c) increase research and training in the atmospheric sciences;

4. Invites the World Meteorological Organization to make a progress report to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in 1964 relating to its activities in this field;

IV

1. Notes with appreciation the Second Report of the International Telecommunication Union on Telecommunication and the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space;

2. Welcomes the decisions of the October-November 1963 Extraordinary Administrative Radio Conference convened by the International Telecommunication Union on the allocation of frequency bands for space communication and procedures for their use as a step in the development of space radio communications;

3. Invites the International Telecommunication Union to make a progress report to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in 1964 relating to its activities in this field;

4. Recognizes the potential contribution of communications satellites in the expansion of global telecommunications facilities and the possibilities this offers for increasing the flow of information and for furthering the objectives of the United Nations and its agencies;

V

Requests the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to continue its work as set forth in General Assembly Resolutions 1472 (XIV), 1721 (XVI), 1802 (XVII), and in this resolution, and to report to the General Assembly at its nineteenth session on the activities of the Committee.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1802 (XVII). INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN THE PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 1721 (XVI) of 20 December 1961 on international co-operation in the peaceful uses of outer space,

Believing that the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space should be carried out in conformity with international law including the Charter of the United Nations, in the interest of friendly relations among nations,

Stressing the necessity of the progressive development of international law pertaining to the further elaboration of basic legal principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space and to liability for space vehicle accidents and to assistance to and return of astronauts and space vehicles and to other legal problems,

Bearing in mind that the application of scientific and technological advances in outer space, particularly in the fields of meteorology and communications, can bring great advantages to mankind and contribute to the economic and social progress of the developing countries as envisaged in the United Nations Development Decade programme,

Having considered the report submitted by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in response to resolution 1721 (XVI),'

I

1. Notes with regret that the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space has not yet made recommendations on legal questions connected with the peaceful uses of outer space;

2. Calls upon all Member States to co-operate in the further development of law for outer space;

3. Requests the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to continue urgently its work on the further elaboration of basic legal principles governing the activities of States in the exploration and use of outer space and on liability for space vehicle accidents and on assistance to and return of astronauts and space vehicles and on other legal problems;

4. Refers to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, as a basis for this work, all proposals which have been made thus far, including the draft declaration of the basic principles governing the activities of States pertaining to the exploration and use of outer space submitted by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,' the draft international agreement on the rescue of astronauts and spaceships making emergency landings submitted by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the draft proposal on assistance to, and return of, space vehicles and personnel submitted by the United States of America, the draft proposal on liability for space vehicle accidents submitted by the United States of America, the draft code for international co-operation in the peaceful uses of outer space submitted by the United Arab Republic,

1 A/5181.

2 Ibid., annex III, A. 8 Ibid., annex III, B. Ibid., annex III, C. 5 Ibid., annex III, D. Ibid., annex III, E.

5

the draft declaration of basic principles governing the activities of States pertaining to the exploration and use of outer space submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (A/C.1/879), the draft declaration of principles relating to the exploration and use of outer space submitted by the United States of America (A/C.1/881), and all other proposals and documents presented to the General Assembly during its debates on this item and the records of those debates;

II

1. Endorses the recommendations set forth in the report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space concerning the exchange of information;7 2. Notes with appreciation that a number of Member States have already, on a voluntary basis, provided information on their national space programmes, and urges other States and regional and international organizations to do so; 3. Urges all Member States and appropriate specialized agencies to give whole-hearted and effective support to the international programmes mentioned in the report and already under way, including the International Year of the Quiet Sun and the World Magnetic Survey;

4. Notes that the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space considers that the creation and use of sounding rocket launching facilities under United Nations sponsorship would contribute to the achievement of the objectives of resolution 1721 (XVI) by furthering international collaboration in space research and the advancement of human knowledge, and by providing opportunity for valuable practical training for interested users;

5. Notes the recommendation that Member States should consider the establishment under United Nations sponsorship of a sounding rocket facility, or facilities, on the geomagnetic equator, in time for the International Year of the Quiet Sun;

6. Endorses the basic principles suggested by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space for the operation of such facilities under United Nations sponsorship;

7. Affirms that such facilities, when established and operated in accordance with these principles, shall, at the request of the host Member State, be eligible for United Nations sponsorship;

III

1. Notes with appreciation the prompt initial response of the World Meteorological Organization to the request of the General Assembly, as embodied in resolution 1721 C (XVI), that it report on a programme to advance atmospheric science research and to develop improved weather forecasting capabilities in the light of developments in outer space (A/5229);

2. Calls upon Member States to strengthen weather forecasting services and to encourage their scientific communities to co-operate in the expansion of atmospheric science research;

3. Recommends that the World Meteorological Organization, in consultation with other United Nations agencies and governmental and non-governmental organizations, should develop in greater detail its plan for an expanded programme to strengthen meteorological services and research, placing particular emphasis on the use of meteorological satellites and on the expansion of training and educational opportunities in these fields;

4. Invites the International Council of Scientific Unions through its member unions and national academies to develop an expanded programme of atmospheric science research which will complement the programmes fostered by the World Meteorological Organization;

5. Invites United Nations agencies concerned with the granting of technical and financial assistance, in consultation with the World Meteorological Organization, to give sympathetic consideration to requests from Member States for technical and financial assistance to supplement their own resources for these activities, including the improvement of meteorological networks;

6. Requests the World Meteorological Organization, following its Congress in April 1963, to report to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and to the Economic and Social Council at its thirty-sixth session, on steps taken relating to these activities;

7 Ibid., para. 14.

IV

1. Notes with appreciation the prompt initial response of the International Telecommunication Union to the request of the General Assembly, as embodied in resolution 1721 D (XVI), that it report on those aspects of space communications in which international co-operation will be required (A/5237);

2. Believes that communication by satellite offers great benefits to mankind, as it will permit the expansion of radio, telephone and television transmissions, including the broadcast of United Nations activities, thus facilitating contact among the peoples of the world;

3. Emphasizes the importance of international co-operation to achieve effective satellite communications which will be available on a world-wide basis;

4. Observes that the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union has invited member States to submit information on:

(a) Technical progress and developments in space telecommunications; (b) Subjects which they regard as appropriate for international co-operation in order to achieve the objectives set forth in resolution 1721 (XVI);

(c) Which of those subjects, if any, should be included in the agenda of the Extraordinary Administrative Radio Conference to be held in October 1963; 5. Notes that the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, in the light of the replies, will report on these questions to the next meeting of its Administrative Council in March 1963 in order that the Council may complete the agenda for this Conference;

6. Considers it of the utmost importance that this Conference make allocations of radio frequency bands sufficient to meet expected outer space needs: 7. Requests the International Telecommunication Union to report to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and to the Economic and Social Council at its thirty-sixth session, on progress made relating to its outer space activities.

1192nd plenary meeting, 14 December 1962.

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (ON THE REPORT OF THE FIRST COMMITTEE (A/5026))

1721 (XVI). INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN THE PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE

The General Assembly,

A

Recognizing the common interest of mankind in furthering the peaceful uses of outer space and the urgent need to strengthen international co-operation in this important field,

Believing that the exploration and use of outer space should be only for the betterment of mankind and to the benefit of States irrespective of the stage of their economic or scientific development,

1. Commends to States for their guidance in the exploration and use of outer space the following principles:

(a) International law, including the Charter of the United Nations, applies to outer space and celestial bodies;

(b) Outer space and celestial bodies are free for exploration and use by all States in conformity with international law and are not subject to national appropriation;

2. Invites the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to study and report on the legal problems which may arise from the exploration and use of outer space.

1085th plenary meeting, 20 December 1961.

The General Assembly,

B

Believing that the United Nations should provide a focal point for international co-operation in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space,

1. Calls upon States launching objects into orbit or beyond to furnish information promptly to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, through the Secretary-General, for the registration of launchings;