The United Nations (UN) in its policy brief titled “For All Humanity — The Future of Outer Space Governance” has put forth the idea for the development of a new treaty to manage peace, security, and inhibit an arms race in outer space. This proposal has been made just ahead of the UN Summit of the Future, slated for September 2024, in New York. The summit intends to encourage multilateral solutions and fortify global governance to tackle the challenges lying ahead.
The Rise in Satellite Launches
The last decade has seen a significant rise in satellite launches, an upsurge driven by both government agencies and private organizations. In 2013, there were 210 new launches compared to the 2,470 launches in 2022. This growth reflects the active involvement of countries like the US, China, India, and Japan in various space activities, including manned missions, lunar exploration, and resource exploitation. NASA’s Artemis mission even plans to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon.
The Allure of Space Resources
The Moon, with its rich deposits of helium 3 (a rare element on Earth), and asteroids housing abundant reserves of valuable metals like platinum, nickel, and cobalt are particularly attractive to nations. However, the lack of an agreed international framework for the exploration, exploitation, and utilization of these extraterrestrial resources necessitates the establishment of mechanisms to oversee these activities and address issues regarding jurisdiction, control, liability, and environmental pollution.
Coordination and Space Traffic Management Issues
The coordination of space traffic remains fragmented, compromising various national and regional bodies that follow different standards and practices. This lack of coordination poses substantial challenges, especially for countries with limited space capacity.
Space Debris and Environmental Concerns
The rapid multiplication of space debris constitutes a considerable issue that threatens operational spacecraft. As a result, the UN is emphasizing legal considerations regarding jurisdiction, control, liability, and the responsibility for environmental pollution caused by space debris. Although the technology to remove space junk is under development, the legal aspects surrounding it demand immediate attention.
UN’s Recommendations
The United Nations puts forth several recommendations starting with the negotiation and formation of a new treaty to preserve peace, security, and prevent an arms race in outer space. The proposed treaty would establish international norms, rules, and principles to address emerging threats and promote responsible space activities.
Additionally, the UN advises member states to setup an efficient framework for coordinating space situational awareness, space object maneuvers, and space occurrences. This coordination will boost the safety and security of space operations.
Furthermore, the organization calls for the establishment of norms and principles for Space Debris removal while taking into account both legal and scientific aspects.
About Outer Space
Space or celestial space refers to the extensive void beyond Earth’s atmosphere and between celestial bodies. It is a vacuum that stretches indefinitely throughout the universe, characterized by extremely low density and pressure, alongside the absence of air and other atmospheric elements.
The Existing UN Treaties
The five UN treaties on outer space include The Outer Space Treaty 1967, Rescue Agreement 1968, Liability Convention 1972, The Registration Convention 1976, and The Moon Agreement 1979. India is a signatory to all five of these treaties but has ratified only four, excluding the Moon agreement.
The UN’s call for a new treaty thus comes at a time when the need for unified outer space control measures is more pronounced than ever. The global community awaits the discussions and outcomes of the forthcoming UN Summit of the Future for further developments in this critical area.
