COPUOS: USG APPROACH FOR CONSIDERATION OF SPACE

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000505 SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/SAT, IO/UNP, WHA/CAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPA CA UNGA COPUOS SUBJECT: COPUOS: USG APPROACH FOR CONSIDERATION OF SPACE DEBRIS MITIGATION GUIDELINES REF: A) OTTAWA 435 B) SECSTATE 18202 ¶1. ESTH Counselor spoke on 2/17/05 with the Science and Technology Division of International Trade Canada for further Canadian reaction (ref A) to the demarche requested in ref B. David Church, Deputy Director of the office provided the following points that had been agreed on an interagency basis: -- Canada favors elaboration of a set of guidelines by the STSC, based on, but not limited to, current IADC guideline; -- Canada would favor the periodic review of the guidelines, in order to take into account scientific developments; and -- Canada supports the consideration of legal issues relating to space debris by the legal subcommittee (LSC),following the conclusion of the work of the STSC, and the adoption of "soft law" (such as principles) on space debris mitigation. But like the U.S., Canada would not/not favor the adoption of an instrument that would be binding in interational law. ¶2. Church also said that the GOC would like to have clarification on the extent of annual voluntary reporting that the U.S. envisages, and on the type of situation in which the U.S. would recommend an exemption from the guidelines. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa CELLUCCI