Proposal of an international satellite monitoring agency

Recommendation 957 (1983)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 24 January 1983 (21st Sitting) (see Doc. 4998, report of the Committee on Science and Technology) . Text adopted by the Assembly on 24 January 1983 (21st Sitting).

Thesaurus

The Assembly,

1. Having regard to its Resolutions 788 (1983) and 789 (1983) on the European space programme and the 2nd United Nations Space Conference (Vienna, August 1982) ;

2. Recalling the terms of its Resolution 747 (1981) on prospects for human needs and the earth's resources ;

3. Reaffirming its view, expressed in paragraph 19 of this resolution, that these prospects, which are at present cause for alarm, could be dramatically improved by even a small reduction in arms expenditure and the re-direction of resources to specific urgent needs of the developing countries- as, for example, improvements in their communications infrastructures ;

4. Considering that for many countries high levels of arms expenditure are caused by uncertainty in the international environment, affecting in particular their relations with neighbouring countries ;

5. Believing that this uncertainty could be reduced by the operations of an international satellite monitoring agency, the data and information from which could be made freely and publicly available- see Resolution 789 (1983) and the report of the Committee on Science and Technology on the 2nd United Nations Space Conference (Doc. 4998) ;

6. Considering that an international satellite monitoring agency, by thus making for reductions in arms expenditure in many countries, could cause resources to be released for improving social and economic conditions throughout the world ;

7. Believing that Europe has now achieved a sufficient level of capability in space technology to take a credible political initiative towards the setting-up of such an agency- see Resolution 788 (1983) and the report of the Committee on Science and Technology on the European space programme (Doc. 4995) ;

8. Having regard to the fact that the benefits of the European space capability accrue to all states members of the Council of Europe (whether or not they are members or associates of the European Space Agency) ;

9. Believing, therefore, that the member states of the Council of Europe share accordingly an equal responsibility for working towards the realisation of the potential of space technology for contributing to a more stable international political environment and more balanced world development,

10. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers, on the occasion of their forthcoming exchange of views on United Nations matters with the participation of experts, review the state of action on the proposal for the setting-up of an international satellite monitoring agency, and examine possibilities for renewed initiatives in this direction, either individually or collectively or in association with non-European industrialised or developing countries having a space capability.