Mr. Chairman,
As an important platform of international legislation and cooperation in outer space, COPUOS has made important contributions to the development of humankind's outer space undertaking. Recent years have seen a new situation in which outer space is becoming commercialized and privatized, both the actors in outer space activities and outer space activities per se are increasingly diversified. COPUOS is faced with unprecedented challenges and opportunities. In order to respond to the new requirements, COPUOS, based on its mandate and the recommendations by UNISPACE III, has made new contributions to the development of undertakings in outer space.
Mr. Chairman,
China believes that COPUOS needs to make efforts in the following three areas in its future work:
No.1, COPUOS needs to be more active in promoting the implementation of the outer space treaties. It needs to begin by focusing on materializing the established principles in the treaties, declarations and resolutions governing outer space so that tangible results will be achieved through effective implementation effort. Secondly, COPUOS needs to facilitate a consensus on specific rules which lack unified agreement in outer space laws and improve the legal regime governing outer space.
No. 2, COPUOS needs to be more effective in regulating the new activities in outer space. It needs to promote legislative development and standardization of the new activities in outer space. In particular, COPUOS needs to improve legislation governing the commercial activities and environmental protection in outer space. A good job should be done on regime designs, setting of items and road map planning in order to promote an orderly development of activities in outer space.
No. 3, COPUOS needs to be more practical in promoting international cooperation. It needs to become a leader in the international cooperation in outer space. On the one hand, it needs to enhance coordination with the United Nations and other international organizations which are involved in outer space affairs and promote synergy in international cooperation in outer space. On the other hand, it needs to promote international cooperation with the developing countries, provide them with more public goods in the peaceful use of outer space, improve their capacity to carry out space exploration and space technological application and promote their social and economic development.
Mr. Chairman,
The Chinese delegation would like to work with all parties and jointly promote COPUOS's bigger role in the field of peaceful use of outer space.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.