munich

Member states of the United Nations (UN) have been asked to take steps to increase awareness of the potential impact of space activities on science, and on the economic development of rich and poor nations. Such steps should include exploring the legal aspects of space debris, and protecting some regions of the Earth from radio emissions.

The recommendations are included in the Vienna Declaration on Space and Human Development and a related action plan that were approved last week at the end of the third UN Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space — UNISPACE III — held in Vienna, Austria.

Those attending the conference also urged the creation of a voluntary UN fund to translate the recommendations into action. The two-week meeting was the first UN space conference since 1982. In its technical forums, astronomers expressed serious concern that light pollution, radio interference and space debris are endangering their research.

The delegates recommended holding international meetings of researchers on near-Earth objects, organized by the UN Officer for Outer Space Affairs. They also called for the creation of an international space authority to facilitate cooperation on space debris. This organization should also coordinate the detection of landmines from space, and develop legal frameworks.

The declaration stresses that Third World countries must not be excluded from the benefits of space science.