United Nations A/AC.105/C.1/L.385/Add.

6
General Assembly Distr.: Limited
13 February 2020

Original: English

Committee on the Peaceful

Uses of Outer Space
Scientific and Technical Subcommittee
Fifty-seventh session
Vienna, 3–14 February 2020

Draft report
IV. Matters relating to remote sensing of the Earth by satellite,
including applications for developing countries and
monitoring of the Earth’s environment
1. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 74/82, the Subcommittee
considered agenda item 7, entitled “Matters relating to remote sensing of the Earth by
satellite, including applications for developing countries and monitoring of the
Earth’s environment”.
2. The representatives of Canada, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan,
Mexico, the Russian Federation, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam made
statements under agenda item 7. The observer for the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz
International Prize for Water (PSIPW) also made a statement under the agenda item.
During the general exchange of views, statements relating to the item were also made
by representatives of other member States.
3. The Subcommittee heard the following scientific and technical presentations:
(a) “Overview of the China Earth observation programme”, by the
representative of China;
(b) “System of Earth remote sensing in Space Research Institute (IKI) and
international collaboration”, by the representative of the Russian Federation;
(c) “ASI’s Earth observation missions for environment monitoring”, by the
representative of Italy.
4. In the course of the discussions, delegations reviewed national, bil ateral,
regional and international programmes on remote sensing, in particular in the
following areas: natural resource management; forest management and forest fire
assessment and response; fishery management; environmental monitoring; urban
planning; rural development and human settlement; infrastructure development;
weather forecasting, and cyclogenesis and storm tracking; disaster management
support; cartography applications; oceanography applications for altimetry and ocean
surface wind vector measurements; wetland assessment and monitoring; watershed
monitoring and development planning, and irrigation infrastructure assessment;
paddy monitoring; agriculture, horticulture, and crop production and forecasting;
snow and glacier monitoring and inventory assessment; highway toll applications and

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road use; monitoring of hydrocarbon, water and power transmission infrastructure;

and subsurface water monitoring and leakage assessment.
5. Some delegations expressed the view that the importance of remote sensing of
the Earth could not be overstated, as remote sensing technology and its applications
had proved useful and essential for improving the daily lives of people and in tackling
global issues such as climate change and environmental protection. The delegations
expressing that view also expressed the view that international collaboration in
obtaining and using remote sensing data was essential to effectively addressing th ose
issues.
6. Some delegations expressed the view that technological research and business
development in the area of remote sensing services and applications was facilitated
by the implementation, in accordance with international space law, of national
regulatory frameworks that provided avenues for private sector entities to obtain
authorization to conduct remote sensing activities through licens ing and oversight
procedures that appropriately balanced commercial interests with national security
priorities.
7. The view was expressed that commercial ventures that leveraged remote sensing
technology and applications added significant value to their products and services in
the fields of business analysis, precision agriculture, water quality management and
infrastructure analysis, including by using synthetic aperture radar technology to
identify groundwater leakages and provide municipalities and engineers with
actionable insights to maintain public utilities and conserve water.
8. Some delegations expressed the view that, while national remote sensing
activities and missions were conducted primarily for governmental purposes,
providing international partners with open and free access to data and images, as well
as direct satellite downlinks, encouraged and promoted the use of remote sensing
technology applications to support societal and commercial development.
9. Some delegations expressed the view that the development of mobile device
applications that make use of remote sensing data, products and images were useful
in addressing the diverse challenges faced by end users, such as in the identification,
assessment and emergency management of forest fires, as well as in providing
hands-free access to coastal weather and fishery information, and that further
development in that field would yield additional benefits.
10. The view was expressed that the Office for Outer Space Affairs should further
develop and promote capacity-building initiatives in order to improve, expand and
facilitate access to information and data obtained from space activities involving
remote sensing and its uses.
11. The Subcommittee noted the continued support for the activities of CEOS and
that the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was serving as Chair of CEOS
for 2020. The Subcommittee also noted that the thirty-fourth plenary session of CEOS
would be held in Ahmedabad, India, from 19 to 21 October 2020.
12. The Subcommittee further noted the continued support for the activities of
the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and that the next GEO plenary meeting
and ministerial summit would be held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, from 1 to
6 November 2020.

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XIV. Examination of the physical nature and technical attributes

of the geostationary orbit and its utilization and
applications, including in the field of space communications,
as well as other questions relating to developments in space
communications, taking particular account of the needs and
interests of developing countries, without prejudice to the
role of the International Telecommunication Union
13. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 74/82, the Subcommittee
considered agenda item 17, entitled “Examination of the physical nature and technical
attributes of the geostationary orbit and its utilization and applications, including
in the field of space communications, as well as other questions relating to
developments in space communications, taking particular account of the nee ds and
interests of developing countries, without prejudice to the role of the International
Telecommunication Union”, as a single issue/item for discussion.
14. The representatives of Ecuador, India, Indonesia, the Netherlands and the
Russian Federation made statements under agenda item 17. The observer for ITU also
made a statement. During the general exchange of views, statements relating to the
item were made by representatives of other member States.
15. In accordance with the invitation extended by the Subcommittee at its
fifty-sixth session, in 2019 (A/AC.105/1202, para. 287), the observer for ITU
presented a report concerning the contribution of ITU to the peaceful uses of outer
space, including the use of the geostationary satellite orbit and other orbits. In that
connection, the Subcommittee took note with appreciation of the information
provided in the annual report for 2019 of the Radiocommunication Bureau of ITU on
the use of the geostationary satellite orbit and other orbits (see www.itu.int/en/ITU-
R/space/snl/Pages/reportSTS.aspx), as well as other documents referred to in
conference room paper A/AC.105/C.1/2020/CRP.14. The Subcommittee invited ITU
to continue to submit reports to it.
16. Some delegations expressed the view that the geostationary orbit, as a limited
natural resource clearly in danger of saturation, must be used rationally, efficiently,
economically and equitably. That principle was deemed fundamental to safeguarding
the interests of developing countries and countries with a certain geographical
position, as set out in article 44, paragraph 196.2, of the Constitution of ITU, as
amended by the Plenipotentiary Conference held in Minneapolis, United States,
in 1998.
17. Some delegations expressed the view that the geostationary orbit was an integral
part of outer space and possessed strategic and economic value for States, and that it
should be used in a rational, balanced, efficient and equitable manner, so as to ensure
that it would not be saturated. The delegations expressing that view were also of the
view that, in order to defend the interests of developing countries, and equatorial
countries in particular, the geostationary orbit should be regulated under a special
legal framework or sui generis regime, in line with article 44 of the ITU Constitution.
18. Some delegations expressed the view that the geostationary orbit must be
governed by a special legal framework with the purpose of defending the interests of
developing countries, in particular equatorial countries.
19. The view was expressed that it had become difficult for new space actors to
obtain proper orbit and frequency rights for locations in the geostationary orbit, owing
to the high saturation of that orbit. The delegation expressing that view was also of
the view that the use of the geostationary orbit was not the only way to obtain access
to space; such access could also be gained by obtaining international orbit and
frequency rights from ITU to operate in low Earth orbit, or any other orbit, where
significantly fewer activities involving the development and operation of spacecraft
took place, in comparison with the geostationary orbit. Therefore, the Subcommittee

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should, at future meetings, broaden the scope of the current agenda item to include
the low Earth orbit and other orbits.
20. The view was expressed that, while future mega-constellations of satellites
could bring about new approaches to the establishment of nationwide
telecommunication networks, for some countries, geostationary satellites would
continue to be irreplaceable, owing to the special geographic conditions in which they
operated. In that connection, the delegations expressing that view noted with
appreciation that the Guidelines on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space
Activities contributed to the protection of the geostationary orbit region, although
additional efforts would be required for its preservation.
21. The view was expressed that the decisions relating to the geostationary orbit
taken at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), held in Sharm
el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 28 October to 22 November 2019, would contribute to the
realization of the key principle, namely, equitable access to the orbital and frequency
resources of the geostationary orbit for all interested members of ITU, as well as allow
the efficient use of those resources, taking into particular account the needs and
interests of developing countries.
22. Some delegations expressed the view that, in order to ensure the sustainability
of the geostationary orbit, as well as to ensure guaranteed and equitable access to the
geostationary orbit based on the needs of all nations, taking into particular account
the needs and interests of developing countries, it was necessary to keep the issue on
the agenda of the Subcommittee.

XV. Draft provisional agenda for the fifty-eighth session of the

Scientific and Technical Subcommittee
23. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 74/82, the Subcommittee
considered agenda item 18, entitled “Draft provisional agenda for the fifty-eighth
session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee”.
24. The Subcommittee noted that the Secretariat had scheduled its fifty-eighth
session to be held from 1 to 12 February 2021.
25. The Subcommittee agreed that the following items be proposed to the
Committee for inclusion in the agenda of the Subcommittee at its fifty-eighth session:
1. Adoption of the agenda.
2. Statement by the Chair.
3. General exchange of views and introduction of reports submitted on
national activities.
4. United Nations Programme on Space Applications.
5. Space technology for sustainable socioeconomic development.
6. Matters relating to remote sensing of the Earth by satellite, including
applications for developing countries and monitoring of the Earth ’s
environment.
7. Space debris.
8. Space-system-based disaster management support.
9. Recent developments in global navigation satellite systems.
10. Space weather.
11. Near-Earth objects.
12. Long-term sustainability of outer space activities.
13. Future role and method of work of the Committee.

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14. Use of nuclear power sources in outer space.

(Work for 2021 as reflected in the multi-year workplan of the Working
Group (A/AC.105/1138, annex II, para. 9))
15. Space and global health.
(Work for 2021 as reflected in the multi-year workplan of the Working
Group (A/AC.105/1202, annex III, para. 5, and appendix I))
16. Examination of the physical nature and technical attributes of the
geostationary orbit and its utilization and applications, including in the
field of space communications, as well as other questions relating to
developments in space communications, taking particular account of the
needs and interests of developing countries, without prejudice to the role
of the International Telecommunication Union.
(Single issue/item for discussion)
17. Draft provisional agenda for the fifty-ninth session of the Scientific and
Technical Subcommittee.
18. Report to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

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