Day 1, Committee Session 2:
The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space 1961 has many partitions among itself. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, cooperating with the United States of America, proposed a piece of legislation that marked the creation of a Global Space Agency, a UN body to monitor space exploration. Although this is supposed to be an equal opportunity for each nation to control space, this resolution gives power to only the USSR and the US, which leads to a highly probable monopoly on space for these two superpowers. Other countries in this committee, such as Brazil, Belgium, Albania, and Canada, voice their concerns about this new space agency and suggest a similar concept of the creating a space agency. However, their resolution provides more proportionate representation to smaller nations that may not have the resources to go to space at this time. This committee is supposed to be collaborating with each other in order to give a more equal opportunity to nations and regions across, but on the other hand, delegates are building a resolution that concentrates all the power in space for only USSR and USA. This I find unfair to many of the delegates present there.
Day 2, Committee Session 1:
After sessions of moderated and unmoderated caucuses, it seems the committee has mutually come to two resolutions on the topic of preventing space from becoming a field for rivalries between superpowers.
One resolution by India, Brazil, the United Kingdom, etc., lays down general laws and sanctions for the use of outer space. This resolution enforces neutrality and promotes a greater scientific understanding of space and that “these innovations be considered public property.” Additionally, it mandates that “international legislation must be made to regulate tensions between superpowers.”
Another resolution by the USSR, Canada, Japan, etc., was the creation of a UN body, the Global Space Agency (GSA) “as a platform to build and expand fairing operations, establish launch facilities and special committees made of nations to conduct research and development.”
Even though the US and USSR are the most technologically advanced countries in space activity, the previous two resolutions, which both did pass, allow for smaller nations to begin space exploration and global cooperation on peaceful uses of outer space, which was the entire purpose of the committee. My initial thoughts on these delegations have changed and I genuinely appreciated how these countries worked together to form resolutions for the greater good of all.
Furthermore, under topic two of preventing space exploitation and monopolization, many countries agree that privatization and monopolization of space is unethical and that corporations should not be allowed to exploit land and profit from space. India proposes a resolution for “the creation of centralized programs for each country,” which would allow governments to regulate corporations and assist in keeping equal opportunity in space for all countries.
The delegates work and debate on the forthcoming resolutions about building a Global Space Agency.
Resolutions 1.1 and 1.2 being displayed and shared to the committee.
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