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