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Bucharest International Student Model United Nations 2015
World Peace: Modern Day Illusion or Realistic Possibility?
March 25th to 30th, Palace of Parliament
Bucharest, Romania
Study Guide for the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
Sustainability of space
1. Welcome to the conference
Honourable delegate,
Congratulations on your successful application to the Bucharest International Student Model
United Nations 2015, and welcome to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space! We
look forward to meeting you at the conference.
Model United Nations are an enriching experience in many ways. While they do offer you the
opportunity to expand your factual knowledge about the UN system, international policymaking
and a variety of politically challenging topics, their educational value goes far beyond that.
Ultimately, an MUN conference is a direct implementation of one of the fundamental goals of
the United Nations themselves, as laid out in the preamble of their charter: “practice tolerance
and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors”. Your participation in BISMUN
will encourage you to view today’s crises, problems and challenges in a new light, both as a
result of your own preparation work for your assigned country and due to your exposure to the
diverse and international community that makes up our participants.
We are glad that you have chosen to join us at COPUOS. Its simulation is one of the unique and
defining features of 2015’s BISMUN conference, and constitutes our attempt to highlight a part
of the UN system that is out of the focus of most MUNs.
As your chairpersons, we will not only serve as your moderators during the actual debate, but
also as your assistants during your preparation. Please get in touch with us with any topical
questions you might have, as well as with any other issues that might arise.
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We look forward to meeting you in Bucharest!
Tim Wiegmann and Cristina Bocan
Chairpersons
2. What is COPUOS? What does it do?
COPUOS, the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, was established by General
Assembly resolution 1472 (XIV)1 in 1959, following the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first
artificial satellite. The prevention of a space-based arms race between the United States and the
Soviet Union was the central focus of its earlier decades, and lead to the creation of several antiarmament treaties, with the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the
Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies2 (Outer
Space Treaty) arguably being the most important of them. The treaty, which has been ratified by
all currently space-faring nations, prohibits the use of outer space or celestial bodies for the
installation of weapons of mass destruction (although the placement of conventional weaponry
was intentionally not banned).
Other treaties prepared by COPUOS in the 1960s and 1970s are the Agreement on the Rescue of
Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space3, the
Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects4, the Convention on
Registration of Launched Objects into Outer Space5 and the Agreement Governing the Activities
of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies6. These treaties are administered and
supervised by the Legal Subcommittee of COPUOS, and form the legal basis of present-day
international space law.
Today, manned and unmanned spaceflight has become routine for humankind, and with the end
of the Cold War, the major concern of an arms race in outer space has diminished (al-though not
fully disappeared). The attention of COPUOS has therefore expanded, and its working focus now
also includes coordinating and assisting the international space-faring community in a variety of
other issues, such as the problem of space debris, expansion of satellite-based navigation systems
and forming a link between spaceflight and the Post-2015 Development Agenda. These affairs
are handled by the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee.
Having grown from just 24 member states at its time of foundation to 77-member states today,
COPUOS belongs to the largest UN committees. Member states meet yearly to review the
progress made in its areas of engagement and to decide on a report to be delivered to the General
Assembly for inclusion in a resolution. The committee makes all its decisions on the basis of
consensus.
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The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) works both as the supporting
secretariat and as the executive office for COPUOS. It is also responsible for assisting developing nations with the use of space technology.
3. Actions done by COPUOS regarding the sustainability of space
The most important action unfolded by COPUOS is establishing the Working Group on the
Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space. It was founded in 2010 by Scientific and Technical
Subcommittee of COPUOS under the chairmanship of South Africa’s Peter Martinez. It was
establish because in 2008 France proposed to include Long-Term Sustainability in COPUOS’
agenda and in 2009 this topic has been added. As a side result, this Working Group has been
create with the responsibility of suggesting measures for sustainable use of outer space to the
benefit of all other countries. This Working Group looks into the long-term sustainability of
space in connection with sustainable development on Earth considering existing UN treaties and
principles concerning space utilization as a legal base. New suggestions are accepted till June
2015, when there will be a meeting of the Working Group. All the measures will be gathered in a
consensus report outlining voluntary best-practice guidelines for space activities, which would be
finalized and referred to the General Assembly in 2016.
4. General information about the topic
Regarding sustainability of space, the following points should be taken into consideration:
4.1.The radio frequency interference as a major risk threatening the space sustainability
4.2 Implications of space sustainability
4.3 Transparency of information and building confidence
4.4 Space law
4.1. The radio frequency interference risk
Space sustainability should bring socioeconomic benefits to all countries, but in order to assure
this collective benefit, the problems, which threaten it, should be resolved. A serious risk is
represented by the radio frequency interference.
Satellites receive command from the ground through the use of Radio Waves; they are alsi used
to retransmit information about the condition of those satellites back to the ground. Satellites also
utilize radio waves in order to transmit their collected data about outer space, weather etc. or to
transmit television broadcasts. Frequency interference could have two major sources: human
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source, deliberated or accidental, and natural source. The human made interference can be
provoked either by other satellites or by terrestrial systems and it can result from a satellite
transmitting to close to another satellite on the same frequency or by terrestrial communication
systems operating on the similar frequency as satellites. The one determined by satellites is due
to crowding on some places on Earth orbit. The deliberate human interference or jamming is
temporarily damaging the satellite’s functionality without destroying it. An example of jamming
can be the blockage of televisions broadcasts from transmission in a country. The natural
interference is provoked by space weather. According to NASA space weather represents
“conditions on the Sun and in the solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere that
can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological
systems and can endanger human life or health”. It is caused by the interaction between charged
particles from the Sun and the Earth’s electromagnetic field.
A case of potential danger that could have been caused by frequency interference occurred in
2010 when a malfunction provoked the loss of contact between Intelsat S.A. and a satellite
tasked with provision of communication services in the North America named Galaxy 15. The
satellite had also a transponder embedded in its communication payload that supported a US
Federal Aviation Administration navigation program. Galaxy 15 didn’t receive the ground
commands any more and started to move towards other satellites. Its receiving and transmitting
mechanisms were malfunctioning, so, due to its drifting to other satellites, it could have caused
frequency interference. Fortunately, the connection between Intelsat S.A. and the satellite has
been reestablished.
The first step towards the resolution of this issue is embedded in the concept of transparency of
information, which means that all space actors should have enough information about the outer
space and its potential risks before carrying on a certain action. Another measure that can be
taken to ensure the reduction of this major risk is the communication of the exact position of the
satellites in order to avoid the overcrowded places and potential collisions. New international
agreements should be developed by the space actors to assure fair and harmless behaviors in
space. For this purposes, Secure World Foundation as observer of COPUOS, works with its
delegates to support the Working Group of Space Sustainability mainly by creating policies and
technical solutions raise space situational knowledge for all space actors, either those who are
already developing actions in space or who intend to develop new actions.
4.2. Implications of space sustainability
Space sustainability means reducing major disasters on Earth using space technology. Climate
change, land degradation, the continuously growing number of population and the rising global
vulnerability to natural disaster are real and can easily be observed from all the storms and
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earthquakes that occur across the world which continuously increase in number and intensity.
Due to these two features national economic systems face great difficulties in managing them
properly and reduction the losses they cause.
Early warning and the provision of better information about the existing risks could reduce the
loss of lives and properties caused by the natural disasters. These can be achieved by earth
observation realized by satellites.
4.3. Transparency of information and building confidence
The report was created during the fifty-third session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of
Outer Space in June 2010 and approved in the sixty-fifth session of General Assembly. In the
Long-term sustainability of outer space activities section the delegates drew attention to the fact
that Earth observation satellites must be protected for the social and economic development of
future generations while emphasizing that, for this purpose, space security must be achieved
firstly and all states should contribute to it. Consequently, a Resolution on International
Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was adopted by the General Assembly on 5
December 2014.
The transparency of information, which is needed by all the actors of the General Assembly,
adopted in December 2013 the Resolution 68/50 named “Transparency and confidence-building
measures in outer space activities” in which all the states implicated in space activities were
encouraged to sustain this purpose. The crucial subject of transparency and confidence-building
was also discussed in 2012 during the Conference on Disarmament, when some states endorse
the importance of this aspect and were in favor of a Code of Conduct for Outer Space proposed
by the EU as a transparency and confidence-building measure designed to foster security and
sustainability of outer space activities. It affirms that best practices of the space actors could
determine achievement of adherence to norms of behavior in space.
Those states fully supports the EU’s proposal especially because they considered space as an
essential part from modern life that is useful in many areas as telecommunications or
meteorology and is also essential for international security and should be used for peaceful
purposes, to a collective benefit. But the increasing number of military and civil actors in space
raises the threat of accidents. That is those countries took part in actions for long-term
sustainability of space with the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
Concerning transparency, at the sixty-nine session of General Assembly on October 2014 there
were some discontentment which was derived from developing and least developed countries
that considered the existence of a knowledge gap in space knowledge and space technology and
the need to fill it up because the success in development depends on this. To illustrate this,
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Algeria’s space program, which consists of two launched satellites, Alsat-1 and Alcomsat-1, is
the best example, because it had applications in diverse fields as town planning or infrastructure.
Noticing this beneficial situation, more countries should be offered access to this kind of
opportunity. For example Chile, which faces many natural disasters or Somalia, that confronts
droughts and floods. Thailand, speaking on behalf of Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), emphasizing the indispensability of cooperation in space promotion and in assisting
developing nations for filling the knowledge gap.
It is true that the COPUOS made contributions in filling the equitable knowledge gap, but not all
countries are content, which means that the committee should maintain and foster its efforts in
order to totally achieve the overall socioeconomic development.
An annual report provides transparent and comprehensive knowledge about space activities and
it is known as the Space Security Index. It provides information about nine indicators clustered
in three categories:
1. The condition of the operating environment which comprises the space environment,
space situational awareness, space law, policies;
2. The type of actors in space and how it is used to contain civil space programs,
commercial space, space support for terrestrial military operations;
3. The status of space-related technology as it pertains to protecting or interfering with
space systems, or harming Earth from space comprising space systems protection, space
systems negation, space-based strike capabilities.
After the analyzing of each indicator separately, its impact on space security is measured.
4.4. Space law
About the law under which space activities should be developed, the United Nations Office for
Outer Space Affairs, the Secretariat for the Legal Subcommittee of COPUOS prepares many
documents on space law and provides information on it. Until present, it conceived five
international treaties and agreements and five legal principles governing the space law. These
stress for non-assurance of outer space by any state and on the fact the activities developed must
benefit and enhance all the countries development. The idea of international cooperation is also
promoted. The description of the treaties, agreements and legal principles could be found
following this link: http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/SpaceLaw/treaties.html.
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The main scope of space sustainability is to assure socioeconomic benefits to the entire
humankind, but it should be achieved legally, which means that there must be a precise
connection between the actions towards this scope and the international law. To endorse this the
Office for Outer Space Affairs realized many activities such as Argentina Workshop on Space
Law on the theme “Contribution of space law to economic and social development” held in
Buenos Aires in 2012 or Chile Workshop on Space Technology Applications for Socioeconomic
Benefits. The first one draw the attention to the educational field affirming that the space law
program should be introduced in more universities in order to broaden the knowledge about it of
every nation. The latter was about how to utilize the space technology in order to benefit fields
like spatial data infrastructure, agriculture, food security.
5. United Nations actions towards space sustainability
Early informing people about the potential risks and disasters observed by satellites are strongly
connected to space sustainability but, unfortunately, not all the states have equal access to this
type of knowledge.
Taking into consideration this unfair situation, in December 2006 the General Assembly, in the
resolution 61/110, established the new program "United Nations Platform for Space-based
Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response - UN-SPIDER" with the
purpose expressed by this phrase : "Ensure that all countries and international and regional
organizations have access to and develop the capacity to use all types of space-based
information to support the full disaster management cycle" (UNOOSA). UN-SPIDER
considerate the humanitarian and emergency aspect and provide access to space solutions in
every phase of disaster-management cycle, from risk reduction phase, to reduction the lives
losses.
This program offers space information for disaster management support, unifies the space
communities and helps developing countries to develop their capacities to use this opportunity.
UN-SPIDER realizes three main activities: knowledge management, outreach and technical
advisory support.
The gathering, processing and transmitting information about risks and solutions to risks is the
main task of the program. The information is made available through a knowledge base named
UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal.
This activity also implies awareness-rising efforts that guarantee that the level of understanding
of the targeted people rises and changes their consequential attitude. Awareness-rising is made
by UN-SPIDER publications.
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Outreach means organization of workshops, seminars and expert meetings to make this program
well known and to present the benefits that the knowledge base have when disaster management
is needed.
Technical Advisory Support is realized at national level. The UN-SPIDER managers analyze the
capacity of the institutions of a country to use the knowledge base and manage disasters using
space information. It encourages the states to overcome their limitations in this field through
international cooperation. This phase has two main pillars.
Capacity Building
Capacity Building strengthens the competency in using space information to prevent, mitigate
and respond to hazardous natural disasters. It consist of four types of activities: provision of
policy-relevant advice to governments about the use of space-based information to support the
full disaster management cycle, facilitating access to space data and services, facilitating the
training of individuals on access to and use of such data and facilitating access to infrastructure,
hardware, and software for space based applications.
Technical Support
Technical Support connects the institutions tasked with the disaster management with the space
agencies in case of emergency and disasters.
6. Challenges faced by COPUOS
Before developing any action, the confidence between the actors should be built because it
guarantees success of an action. But the transparency is the key to mutual confidence and, at the
moment, even if the UN-SPIDER program has been created and despite COPUOS efforts to fill
the knowledge gap in space technology, there are countries that are disappointed. This means
that the equal socioeconomic development couldn’t yet be achieved and further endeavors are
needed.
7. Points should be addresses in the conference
Regarding the aspects detailed in this study guide, there are some potential issues that should be
discussed during the conference.
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7.1.The radio frequency interference risk:




Taking into consideration the fact that new measures can be proposed until June 2015 in
the Working Group, what new measured should be suggested?
What new agreements could be established in order to assure harmless behavior in space?
What can be done in order to prevent other objects to transmit on the same frequency
with the satellites?
How could the overcrowded places on the orbit be released?
7.2.Implications of space sustainability:
 Does the UN-SPIDER achieve its purpose? If not, what measures should be taken to
improve it?
 Besides the UN-SPIDER program what else should be done in order to give access to the
space technology to all countries?
7.3.Transparency of information and building confidence:
 Should the Code of Conduct for Outer Space be improved? If yes, how should it be?
 COPUOS made contributions in filling the knowledge gap, but not all countries are
content. What further measures can be taken in this situation?
8. Further reading
We mention that the present study guide is just an overview of the topic and you should do some
additional research in order to be prepared well and acquire enough knowledge to approach the
debate. For this reason we recommend you some useful websites for further reading:
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More about UN-SPIDER program: http://www.un-spider.org/about/
The network of the organizations and institutions implicated in UN-SPIDER program:
http://www.un-spider.org/links-and-resources/institutions
More
about
the
Working
Group:
http://swfound.org/media/189048/SWF_UN_COPUOS_LTS_Guidelines_Fact_Sheet_De
cember_2014.pdf
Secure World Foundation about Space Sustainability: http://swfound.org/ourfocus/space-sustainability/
For
space
technology
and
sustainable
development:
http://www.uncosa.unvienna.org/uncosa/en/wssd/index.html
The International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities: http://eeas.europa.eu/nonproliferation-anddisarmament/pdf/space_code_conduct_draft_vers_16_sept_2013_en.pdf
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

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More about Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities: http://eeas.europa.eu/nonproliferation-and-disarmament/outer-space-activities/index_en.htm
Documents
relating
to
Space
and
Socioeconomic
Development:
http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/COPUOS/sustdev.html#oosaacts
About Galaxy 15: http://www.unoosa.org/pdf/publications/STSPACE11E.pdf
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