Seeking Comprehensive Solutions in Space
| Author | : United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research |
| Publisher | : |
| Total Pages | : 6 |
| Release | : 2013 |
| Genre | : Space law |
| ISBN | : |
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"Over the last few decades, there has been a significant increase globally in the use of space-based services, with more and more actors becoming engaged in space activities. Nearly every state on Earth has some reliance on space technologies. The nature of a state's space activities is shaped by a wide range of social, economic, and political factors, resulting in a broad range of diverse space capabilities. This is particularly evident in the Americas. The United States of America, a leader in space activities for more than 50 years, continues to invest its significant resources into developing extensive civilian and military space programmes to meet its national needs. Most other state space actors in the region, particularly states of Latin America and the Caribbean, have relatively recently begun investing in space technology and have focused their efforts largely on enhancing telecommunication and scientific investigation. Despite their differences, space programmes across the region share a common vision of using space-based benefits to facilitate sustainable socioeconomic development and enhance the lives of all people. At present, all space activities are at risk from a number of natural and man-made threats to space stability, ranging from solar radiation to space debris. Man-made threats are, in particular, on the rise as outer space becomes increasingly congested and contested, a result of more and more actors seeking to utilize space to meet their specific needs. Due to the physical characteristics of space, many space activities, even if conducted carefully, can have widely-felt consequences for all actors. For example, any space actor, whether established or emerging, can be responsible for a collision that results in the creation of space debris, which in turn can lead to further collisions. Members of the international community are increasingly aware of the importance of space activities being carried out in a manner that will not jeopardize the future use of the space domain. Against this backdrop, several multilateral initiatives have arisen that seek to address space security threats through the establishment of norms of behaviour for space activities. These norms represent voluntary "rules of the road" for space activities, providing actors with guidance on the parameters of responsible behaviour in space. Such voluntary measures are implemented or adhered to by states through domestic means, making wide-spread support for norms of behaviour a critical factor for their effectiveness. While seen as a potentially valuable and timely tool for addressing space security and sustainability, developing international norms that are able to command wide-spread support presents numerous challenges because of the wide range of needs and interests at play. These challenges are particularly acute in the Americas where there are sharp divides between the technical and political needs of the regional space actors. This paper will analyse the example presented by the Americas as a microcosm of wider global perspectives on space security and the implications of the diverse interests being taken into account when building norms of behaviour. Specifically, it will examine developing space capabilities in the Americas, the recent activities of these states in multilateral forums related to the development of international frameworks for space activities, and the possible role of actors in the region in the development of future norms."--Introduction.
