Outer Space: Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Legal Subcommittee, 64th session, 1089th meeting

Good afternoon. Good afternoon, distinguished delegates. I now declare open the 1089th Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the 35th meeting of the Legal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Distinguished delegates, at the request of Venezuela, we will reopen and hopefully conclude our consideration of Agenda Item 3, General Exchange of Views. We will continue and hopefully conclude our consideration of agenda item 13, proposals to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space for new items to be considered by the Legal Subcommittee at its 65th session. We will then suspend the plenary meeting so that the action team on Lunar Activities Consultation can hold its 3rd meeting. And following that 3rd meeting of the Action Team on Lunar Activities, the plenary will resume here. After the meeting of the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation, we will then proceed to the Working Group on the Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space firstly, and afterwards the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities can meet with a view to adopting their reports.

Thank you.

We will then resume the plenary and continue our consideration of agenda item 6A, matters relating to the definition and delimitation of outer space, with a view to endorsing the report of the Working Group on the Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space.

Thank you.

And we'll hopefully conclude our consideration of 6A. We will reopen our consideration of agenda item 7, future role and method of work of the committee, to invite the co-chairs of the action team to report on the results of its meetings held during this session. And we'll hopefully conclude our consideration of this item too, item 7. We will also continue our consideration of agenda item 8, general exchange of views on potential legal models for activities in the exploration, exploitation, and utilization of space resources, with a view to endorsing the report of the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities. And we'll hopefully conclude our consideration of this item. Are there any questions or any comments on this proposed schedule? I see none. So then, distinguished delegates, We will turn to our first matter of business, which is general exchange of views. And at the request of Venezuela, we will reopen and hopefully conclude our consideration of agenda item 3. And I would now like to invite the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to exercise their right of reply under this agenda item.

Thank you, Madam Chair. As this is a request to exercise the right of reply, I would like to remind delegates that it has been the practice in the work of the committee that a member state cannot request the right of reply more than twice on the same agenda item at a given meeting. Accordingly, the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has the floor.

Thank you very much, Chair. I am exercising my right of reply to respond to a statement delivered by a delegation.

Chair, unilateral coercive measures are illegal, illegitimate, and violate the Charter of the United Nations and international law, causing damage and harm to our peoples and our countries. Unilateral coercive measures violate the human rights of the inhabitants of countries to which they are applied and affect all levels of socioeconomic development in those countries, preventing the development of our peoples. UCMs cause not only constraints on cooperation with other countries on an equal footing, but equally prevent our capacity to access funding mechanisms that would be available to the rest of the international community, as well as restricting the ability of countries subject to UCMs to acquire and attract investment and foreign technology, as well as the necessary goods and services in order to be able to tackle various challenges. The impact of unilateral coercive measures, UCMs, therefore, in no means could be deemed appropriate, legitimate, or humanitarian. Chair, the application of illegal unilateral coercive measures to my country have affected Venezuelan space development in various areas, which has equally affected our regional international cooperation. Acquiring equipment and inputs for preventative maintenance of Earth-based monitoring systems and for satellite applications, inter alia. In this forum, as in other forums, we will continue to demand the revoking of the unilateral coercive measures implemented against our country, calling for international cooperation. These measures are criminal, they are illegitimate, and equally contravene international law. As well as the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Thank you, Chair.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much.

Agradezco a la distinguida—

I thank the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for Thank you very much for her statement. I see that there are no further requests for the floor, and therefore we have concluded our consideration of agenda item 3, General Exchange of Views. And we shall now proceed to take up agenda item 13. Agenda item 13, which is proposals to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space for new items to be considered by the Legal Subcommittee at its 65th session. And the first speaker on my list Is the distinguished representative of Canada. You have the floor.

Thank you, Chair.

Under this agenda item, the subcommittee has been considering either new items or rearranging items on its agenda, and in that context, Canada wished to raise a comment that it made earlier regarding some of the agenda items. that we currently have. First off, Agenda Item 6A on the definition and delimitation of outer space. As you will have heard in our statement earlier last week, it is Canada's view that this item has been thoroughly debated over several decades and that there does not appear to be any more room or willingness on the part of delegations to further these discussions anymore, and that there's already excellent work that has been done and compiled by the Secretariat. Therefore, Canada proposes that this agenda item be removed from the agenda of the Legal Subcommittee in order to create space for other new agenda items in the future. However, if this proposal does not meet with consensus, the other possibility that Canada would propose would be to suspend the consideration of item 6A until 2028. Giving the Legal Subcommittee time and resources to work on some of the priority matters that the subcommittee may want to complete, such as the work of the Space Resources Working Group, prior to any potential UNISPACE IV conference that may be held in 2027. Reallocating, if you will, the resources of the Legal Subcommittee towards things that have a priority for that time frame would be very useful for the committee and a good stewardship our resources. And therefore, as we are only hearing the working group every other year on definition and delimitation of outer space, Canada would propose then, if removing the item is not acceptable to delegations, that we suspend the consideration of the item 6A and its working group until after any potential UNISPACE conference in 2024— sorry, 2027. Canada had also made another suggestion regarding some of the agenda items, in particular that of small satellites. I believe other delegations also made some comments about where this agenda item could possibly be merged with other agenda items. In reviewing the statements made and discussions had on this agenda over the last several years— and I confess there was some use of AI in this trend analysis— it would seem that some things are very much agreed across all delegations, the first being that International law absolutely applies to the use and deployment of small satellites. There are no exceptions or special rules under the treaties. The second ground of convergence or consensus would be that small satellites offer great opportunities to emerging and/or developing spacefaring nations to engage in space activities, and therefore it is an important contribution, and these satellites should continue to be used in an appropriate, reasonable, and sustainable manner. The most common themes, though, under the agenda item on small satellites is space traffic, either management or coordination, and/or space debris and space situational awareness. So we already have agenda items on space traffic and space debris. Some of the other items that are mentioned under this agenda item are congestion, large constellations, the difficulty in tracking or traceability of these satellites, removal or deorbiting in a responsible manner— that was something that was raised by the G77 in China— as well as registration and the effect of these small satellites, particularly in large numbers, on frequency allocations and orbits. Therefore, it appears as though there's already agenda items and/or other international organizations that cover many of these aspects. And so Canada would propose that we sort of merge or blend the small satellite agenda item into either space traffic and/or space debris and discuss them in that context. So for instance, the agenda item on space traffic then could include something like taking into account, inter alia, the role of or importance of small satellites. And then it could be discussed in the context of space traffic coordination or management where it seems to be most aptly placed. So those would be the suggestions, that we would remove that small satellite item, the, the individual or independent item, and simply discuss it under one of the other 2 items. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Canada for their statement. The next speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of the Netherlands.

Mr.

Chair, thank you for giving me the floor. Mr. Chair, distinguished delegations, as to the management of our agenda, I would like to recall 3 issues. First, the Netherlands maintains its position that we should not add items to the agenda unless we create space for such an item. And we need more space on the agenda, in particular to have sufficient time for the working groups and hopefully also the study group as proposed by the German delegation. So for my delegation, adopting a new item to the agenda at this point in time would not be preferable. As to the creation of more space, I repeat my statement under Agenda Item 7 that we would support the removal of Agenda Item 6B from the agenda as it belongs to the ITU, and also would support the proposal by Canada to either remove Item 6A or alternatively to suspend Item 6A until after 2028, after Unispace And finally, we would also support the proposal by Canada to merge our discussions on small satellites to the items on space debris and space traffic, respectively. Small satellites are, of course, very important to be discussed under both items, but we think the discussions will be more relevant if combined with, um, space debris and, uh, space traffic. And the item on small satellites itself may then be removed.

Thank you.

up from the list. Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you very much, distinguished representative of the Netherlands, for your statement. The following speaker is the distinguished representative of Venezuela.

Thank you very much, Chair.

On behalf of the delegation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, we are pleased to express our support for the statement delivered yesterday By the delegate of Nigeria on behalf of the African Group and other group of countries, we recognize the fundamental importance of the principles enshrined in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and in the Declaration on International Cooperation of 1996, which underscore need to ensure that the exploration and use of outer space is for the benefit of all of humankind with particular attention for developing countries. Promoting equality, sustainability, and benefit sharing is not only a moral imperative but equally a legal obligation which must give rise to tangible actions. To that end, we fully support the inclusion of a specific item on benefit sharing in support of developing countries in the program of the Legal Subcommittee, as was expressed in the statement delivered by the African Group. We trust that this dialogue will make it possible to progress in innovative means to address these principles, guaranteeing that the fruit of space activities will reach all states without discrimination. We restate our commitment to working constructively here in COPUOS and its subcommittees in close coordination with the proponents in order to meet the shared objective.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you very much, distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The next speaker is the distinguished representative of Egypt.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Chair.

Good afternoon to you and to all colleagues. I didn't prepare a statement, but I would like to first of all express our delegation's support. We were part of the delegations who made the statement yesterday about a suggestion to add an agenda item to the legal subcommittee for benefit sharing for developing countries. I will raise a couple of points to consolidate this suggestion, and our delegation will be happy to hear substantive points that would probably consolidate or even ameliorate the suggestion that was made yesterday. So, from our understanding, and also to respond to a point that was made yesterday about benefit sharing, benefit sharing is consolidated in the Outer Space Treaty. It's consolidated in the Declaration on International Cooperation on exploration of use of outer space, the UNGA Resolution 51/122. The objective of the international cooperation, as per Article 2, it should be carried out for the benefit and in the interest of all countries. The forms of the benefits expected from this international cooperation, according to Article 3, inter alia, the enhancement of space capabilities of countries, particularly developing countries, and the development of their human and material resources What I'm trying to say is that the instruments, the legal instruments that we have, both OST as well as the Declaration and other— the 5 treaties of the outer space and the international space law addresses the issue of benefit sharing and sharing the benefits of outer space activities. The second point I want to make is that in this very legal subcommittee, we are discussing very various issues starting from space resources, space traffic management, space debris, and other issues that we're discussing here, both positively and negatively affect developing countries. We aspire to share the benefits of these activities, to realize and talk about options— how can we materialize and operationalize the concept of benefit sharing? We've heard a point that was made as well, that benefit sharing can be done through information exchange. I want to say here that as we, Egypt, and as a member of this group of developing countries, we really appreciate all of the bilateral and multilateral cooperation we receive from developed countries to support our program, but information sharing is very important. benefit sharing is a much wider concept, as per the points that I raised earlier. The invitation to add an agenda item in the Legal Subcommittee is relevant because of the topics that we're discussing here. And also, it's relevant as we prepare for Unispace 4. We believe that one of the main objectives of Unispace 4 is to deliver something tangible, operational, for a support to support developing countries. So yesterday was a call to start this conversation, a suggestion to have a platform to have this discussion in order to realize something tangible as we had in previous UNI-Spaces. We had Agenda 2030 as an outcome of one of the UNI-Spaces. So I heard no objection in principle to discuss the issue of further support and consolidate the principle of benefit sharing. I heard also concerns about adding new agenda items. I want— I look forward to hearing more suggestions on what will be the best platform to continue this conversation in LSE, in the STSC, and in COPUS. We think that all of these institutional frameworks can complement each other, so we can arrive at something consensual, something acceptable to all states, and to be able to move forward to implement— first of all, to address options and discuss options on how or why or what this idea would materialize, and then eventually to agree on the way forward. So again, I repeat our our suggestion to have a platform of discussion and to move forward in a consensual manner to discuss the options to further materialize the principle of benefit sharing. Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Egypt. for his statement. The following speaker is the distinguished representative of Mexico. You have the floor.

Thank you very much, Chair.

I would like to follow up as well on the intervention made by the distinguished representative of Nigeria yesterday in this agenda item regarding the proposal to consider an agenda item related to benefit sharing. My remarks are related specifically to the question of whether there could be a possible overlap between the UN Multidonor Trust Fund and any considerations regarding the implementation of the concept of benefit sharing as stated in Article 9 of the Outer Space Treaty. It is our view that the Trust Fund's mandate will be focused on supporting UNOOSA's existing programs, not to act as a mechanism for benefit sharing or targeted support for developing countries. Supporting the Trust Fund is not mutually exclusive inclusive with discussions on supporting developing countries on the basis of benefit sharing. A sufficiently financed UNUSA is for sure in the interest and for the benefit of all member states. While the trust fund will follow or operate under a cooperation scheme, the concept of benefit sharing relates to obligations upon states of a financial and non-financial nature while conducting activities in outer space as an area beyond national jurisdiction. In our view, the essential difference between these 2 schemes further underscores the relevance for having it as an agenda item to explore possible options and solutions to implement benefit sharing to support developing countries in creating space capacities without prejudice of promoting the development and operationalization of the UN Multidonor Trust Fund. Thank you very much, Chair.

Thank you very much to the distinguished representative of Mexico for their statement. The following speaker is the distinguished representative of Panama.

Good afternoon and thank you very much, Chair, for giving me the floor. Our delegation would like to echo what was said yesterday by the distinguished delegate of Nigeria on behalf of the African Group.

Furthermore, we would like to add The following general remarks in supporting this request, which we believe is a timely and necessary one. The international community is at a critical juncture when it comes to the assessment of governance of outer space and to the extent that human abilities are expanding beyond the reach of our planet. This is giving rise to incalculable complexities, all the more making it necessary to guarantee that these activities are conducted in a manner that will ensure a fair distribution of the benefits of such activities. This obligation goes far beyond a mere legal commitment. It is in keeping with the fundamental principles of equity, solidarity, which underpin the international order. It is essential to maintain coherence with international law, with international space law, as is already enshrined in the foundational instruments such as the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and a number of United Nations resolutions on the same matter, affirming that the exploration and utilization of outer space must be carried out for the benefit of all countries regardless of their level of economic or technological development. The equitable distribution of benefits, benefit sharing, is therefore an essential pillar in order to ensure the further advancement of economic justice globally, a world which is hallmarked by severe inequalities when it comes to access to technology, financing, and scientific capacity. This is therefore a responsibility to be shouldered by the entirety of the international community, and in so doing, ensuring that the benefits of the exploration and utilization of outer space are shared, to prevent it from becoming a privilege for a few with greater technological capacity, and that it truly gives rise to shared benefits for all peoples and nations of the world. It is important to promote this equitable distribution of benefits in order to forge a fairer world, as has been stated in the Pact for the Future and in other documents here within the United Nations. At this stage, the proposal is to open the debate, as has been stated, in order to discuss a matter of relevance given the crisis that we were discussing just 30 minutes ago regarding possible solutions as to how to sustain and improve upon our work here in the committee and its subcommittees. And so it really is necessary to find ways, to find options that will make it possible to keep this sustainable over time, not only trying to resolve matters by taking shortcuts. What we need is an earnest debate, a serious debate. We invite all member states in addition to other actors too, to put forward their ideas so that space activity development can be sustainable in the long term and that the benefits can be shared. The benefits that these activities will generate shall be shared amongst all peoples of the world. We believe that the specific models, mechanisms, and channels that might be used in in order to ensure this effective distribution of benefits is in the interest of all states. We must strive to find paths that will allow for inclusive, well-founded negotiation, and these negotiations must be based on the priorities, the needs, and real and diverse aspirations of developing peoples whose voices and perspectives must equally hold pride of place throughout this discussion process. To conclude, we wish to underscore the following by appealing to all member states to engage in an open discussion in order to make a positive contribution to this vital dialogue, to ensure that we have inclusive, sustainable, and equitable governance, one which really reflects the common interests and province of all of humanity, which is outer space. Thank you, Chair.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much, distinguished representative of Panama, for your statement. The following speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of Brazil. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we heard about the proposition made by the Canadian delegation, and of course Brazil, with all due respect, it's against this proposition. Brazil supported the study group in STM because we understand the STM, it's linked to definition and limitation of outer space in many senses. So we understand it's not possible to discuss STM or coordination, without reaching or trying or discussing a prior consensus on the limitation of space or the absence of this limitation. It's impossible to ignore the need to define and limit outer space. It's really intrinsic Related to the item 6A. On the other hand, it's very difficult to present a concrete work plan when the meetings can only be held every 2 years, which made consensus even more difficult. With all due respect, The argument that the subject is discussed for decades, it's not sufficient because it is still relevant, as we saw many, many delegations doing the written and oral presentations in this topic this year. So for this reason, Brazilian delegation disagree with the Canadian delegation's proposal to remove the item 6A, even to discuss in 2028 after UNISPACE 4. I think it's reasonable because the working group on definition of limitation, it's just had meetings in 2 and 2 years. So the next meeting, it will just happen in 2027. So it's reasonable that maintain the working group working this way and to maintain the topic 6A for each year in our— Thank you. Finally, we would also like to express our total support for what was mentioned by the Egyptian delegation, especially regarding the benefit sharing, and that was supported by other delegations, Mexico and Panama as well. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Muchas gracias. Thank you very much, distinguished representative of Brazil. Thank you, Canada, for your statement. The following speaker on my list is the distinguished representative of the United States.

Thank you, Chair.

The United States appreciates all the interest being shown in ensuring our agenda is consistent with current needs and interests of the members.

We do agree with Canada's proposal on discussions of the definition of delimitation of outer space. We're open to exploring creative approaches towards eliminating or merging Agenda Item 12, and we would strongly agree with the Netherlands proposal with respect to the potential addition of any new items to the agenda. Thank you.

Thank you very much to the distinguished representative of the United States for their statement. The distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran has requested the floor.

Thank you, Chair. On this agenda item, we have— I just want to add my delegation's voice to those who have spoken in favor of having a new agenda item. On benefit sharing. We believe that a dedicated agenda item provides the necessary space for a structured and inclusive dialogue on innovative mechanisms to operationalize benefit sharing. Having a standalone and independent Item for benefit sharing will provide the environment for us to discuss on the sidelines of the official discussions, also under this agenda item, and we can also hold informal meetings in order to discuss and develop non-papers to reach a common common understanding and a conclusion on how we can move forward. We believe that without such a platform, we risk continued ambiguity and fragmentation, which would delay the emergence of a common understanding on this critical issue. So we are supportive of this item to be included to the agenda of the Leadership Committee in future meetings. Thank you.

Muchas gracias. Thank you very much, distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran. No tenemos más oradores en la.

Sí.

There are no further speakers on the list. Distinguished representative of Egypt, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. Obviously, there are divergent views when it comes to where and how to discuss this. As we heard from many delegations, we are interested to have a platform. We will continue the discussions, and my delegation suggests that these discussions would be informal intersessional discussions on the issue of how to consider the options of operationalization of benefit sharing as a concept, with a view to arrive at a consensual understanding, as well as probably an outcome to present to Unispace 4, to be one of the deliverables and the streams that we can work on. I'll be happy to work with the proponents of this suggestion to have informal discussions with the member states, and probably come back in COPUS with broader understanding and hopefully support how to move forward during COPUS as well as during the STSC all the way until Unispace. Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Egypt for his statement. I was saying that there were no further requests, and in seeking to take stock of what has been raised under this item, the chair would like to submit the following to the consideration of the group whether there is agreement that the— that agenda items 9 and 12 dealing with space debris under item 9 and item 12 dealing with small satellites, that these 2 items could be merged.

I see no requests for the floor.

Might we therefore take it that this joint consideration— I give the floor to distinguished representative of the Russian Federation.

Thank you, Chairperson. In response to the proposal you just made, we would like to respond as follows: We are not in position to support that proposal. We feel that these items are self-standing; each has its own importance, and we would like to. underscore the importance of keeping the item on space debris as a separate item.

So that would be our position.

Thank you.

Thank you very much to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation.

Any further requests?

Then if not, distinguished delegates, we have concluded our consideration then without any modification. Those 2 items will not be merged. And with that, we have concluded our consideration of this agenda item. We will now suspend the plenary meeting so that the Action Team On lunar—

apologies. Representative of Egypt.

Thank you, Chair. Maybe just to add the suggestion that I just suggested to the conclusion of this agenda item, that the subcommittee would agree that we will continue informal consultations on the suggestion of discussing options to operationalize benefit sharing inter-sessionally and to revisit the topic in COPUS, as well as upcoming STSC. Thank you.

Distinguished delegates. Then we shall consider whether the subcommittee may conclude that it will continue its considerations of this matter. Let me try and put it succinctly.

May we conclude, therefore, that the consideration of this matter will be continued between sessions and that the results of these consultations will then be raised in COP+?

Does it reflect—

I see no further requests for the floor, and so we can conclude this item. In light of the conclusion reached that the subcommittee agrees To continue its discussion between sessions so that the outcome of these discussions will be brought to COPUAS. Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, with that, we'll proceed to the next point. We will now suspend the plenary meeting. So that the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation can hold its 3rd meeting. Following the adjournment of the Action Team meeting, we will invite the Working Group on the Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space. Thank you. To followed by the working group on legal aspects of space resource activities to meet with a view to adopting their reports. So we will then resume the plenary once again with a view to proceeding with the endorsement of the respective work. Working group reports. So the meeting is now suspended, and I would like to invite the Bureau of ATAC to take their places.

Distinguished delegates.

Distinguished delegates.

Distinguished delegates, then let us resume under agenda item 7, future role and method of work of the committee, to invite the co-chairs of the action team to report on the results of its meetings. Held during the session and to hopefully conclude our consideration of this item. So I would like to give the floor now to the co-chair of the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation, Ms. Ulpia Elena Bottisatu of Romania, who led the Action Team together with Mr. Hassan Abbas of Pakistan. To present the report of the working group to the subcommittee, you have the floor.

Thank you.

Thank you for giving me the floor, Chair. Chair, distinguished delegates, we appreciate the opportunity to report back to the plenary of this subcommittee regarding the discussions of the Action Team on Lunar Activities consultation of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space held during the 64th Thank you, Madam Chair. The Action Team held 3 formal meetings on May 9th, 12th, and 14th, and 3 informal meetings on May 9th, 12th, and 13th. We extend our sincere gratitude to all delegations for their proactive and constructive engagement, and particularly for their valuable insights and contributions to discussing the draft work plan. The discussions primarily addressed the format of the draft work plan, the linkage between the work plan and initial list of potential priority topics, a potential outcome of the work of the action team based on the work plan, and the participation in the work of the action team and the extent of subject matters to be discussed. Delegations expressed a clear preference for a simplified draft work plan, and significant progress was made based on this draft work plan. A range of views were expressed regarding the necessity of maintaining flexibility with an initial list of potential priority topics, recognizing it as a living document subject to ongoing revisions and expansions as appropriate. It was recognized that the action team is not prejudging the outcome of its multi-year work plan and that the outcome depends on recommendations questions for considerations by the committee. There were also varying perspectives regarding the reflection of views related to the participation in the work of the action team and the extent of subject matters to be discussed in the draft work plan. It was also noted that the work of the action team should not overlap with ongoing works and mandates of other working groups. Further Further discussions are needed to finalize the draft work plan and to elaborate upon subsequent steps regarding an initial list of potential priority topics for endorsement by the committee at the 68th session. To that end, the action team has scheduled 2 intersessional meetings to be held on May 29th and June 17th. States members are encouraged to submit any additional written contributions to the chair and the Secretariat to further update the draft work plan and an initial list of potential priority topics. Additionally, state members are invited to appoint up to 4 representatives to ensure diverse and expert-level exchanges in the ongoing activities of the Action Team. We reiterate our gratitude to all delegations for their invaluable participation and look forward to continuing productive exchanges. Thank you for your attention.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Ms. Ulpia Elena Bottisatou of Romania, for that report of the work of the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation. Thank you not only for the presentation, but thank you equally for all of the work carried out over this past week, this session, and thank you also to the delegations who participated in this team.

Now—

I would like to inform the room that, as you will have noted, we have changed the initial order of items that had been planned for this meeting. We first took up agenda item 7 at the request of the co-chairs of the action team. Once again, allow me to thank them for their ready availability. We will now continue with the following items for today. Turning to item 6A. And to hopefully conclude our consideration of agenda item 6A with a view to endorsing the report of the Working Group on the Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space. And I would like to give the floor to the chair of the Working Group on the Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space, Mr. Ian Grosner of Brazil, to present the report of the Working Group to the subcommittee. And I would also like to thank the Chair for accommodating this change in our planned work for this afternoon. Thank you.

Distinguished Chair, distinguished delegates, it's my pleasure to inform you that the Working Group on the agenda item 6A, Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space, has completed its work at the present session of the Legal Subcommittee. The Working Group will be next reconvened in 2027. In the intervening period, I would call on all delegations to consider what could be a careful compromise, one that finds common ground among different perspectives. I'm available for dialogue and collaboration also in the intercessional periods if anyone wishes to reach out with their ideas. The report of the working group as it has just been adopted, adopted, it is contained in document A/AC.105/C.2/ 2025/DEF/L.1. It's my pleasure to submit the report to the subcommittee for its adoption. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and it was a pleasure to work with you and all delegations. Thank you so much.

I would like to thank Mr. Ian Grossner of Brazil, in his capacity as the chair of the Working Group on the Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space, and equally to thank all those who participated in that working group during the session. Distinguished delegates, I would now like to endorse the report of the Working Group on the Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space. Space as contained in the document AAC 105 C2 2025/DD/L1. Do I take it that the subcommittee endorses the report of the working group on the definition and delimitation of outer The report of the Working Group on the Definition and Delimitation of Outer Space is endorsed. Thank you very much. Distinguished delegates, we have now concluded our consideration of agenda items 6A, matters relating to the definition and delimitation of outer space. We shall now continue and hopefully conclude our consideration of agenda item 8. Agenda item 8, which is the general exchange of views on potential legal models for activities in the exploration, exploitation, and utilization of space resources, with a view to endorsing the report of the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities. And I would like to give the floor to the chair of the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities, Mr. Stephen Freeland of Australia, to present the report of the working group to the subcommittee. You have the floor.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Chair, distinguished delegates, it is my pleasure to inform you that the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities established by this Subcommittee under the Agenda Item 8, quote, General Exchange of Views on Potential Legal Models for Activities in the Exploration, Exploitation, and Utilization of Space Resources, close quotes, has completed its work at the present session of the Legal Subcommittee. It's my pleasure to inform you about the progress of the Working Group. The Working Group met under the 5-year work plan as contained in Document A/AC.105/1260 Annex 2 Appendix, and held 6 formal and 4 informal meetings to discuss relevant information and exchange views on the initial draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities. The Working Group agreed to apply a step-by-step approach to the discussions on the initial draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities, beginning with the draft headings of the principles, followed by its preambular paragraphs. The working group agreed that on the basis of the discussions held at this session, the chair and vice chair of the working group would prepare an updated draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities in accordance with its work plan that would be disseminated in a timely manner to states members of the committee in July 2025. In the intercessional period, the working group agreed to hold one or more online intercessional meetings to advance its discussions on the initial drafts set of recommended principles for space resource activities. Chair, distinguished delegates, with this overview, it is my pleasure to submit to the subcommittee for its endorsement the report of the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities contained in document A/AC.105/C.2/2025/ Thank you. And that concludes the SRA/L.1 as amended, which has been adopted by the Working Group. Let me end again by thanking you, Chair, and the Secretariat for your wonderful support and guidance, and all delegations for their constructive support and constructive contributions. Thank you, Chair, and distinguished delegates.

Thank you very much. Distinguished delegates, first of all, allow me to thank Professor Friedland as the chair of the working group. Thank you for all of the work accomplished. Thank you to the delegations for participating. And I would now like to endorse the report of the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities as amended. May I take it that the subcommittee endorses the report of the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities, as amended. Then, distinguished delegates, the report of the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities, as amended, is endorsed. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

We have concluded our consideration of agenda item 8, general exchange of views on potential legal models for activities in the exploitation, exploration, and utilization of space resources. Distinguished delegates, we will continue our consideration of agenda item 5. As you know, agenda item 5 is the status and application of the 5 United Nations treaties on outer space and ways and means, including capacity building, to promote their implementation. So we will take up agenda item 5 with a view to endorsing the report of the working group on the status and application of the 5 United Nations Treaties on Outer Space and hopefully conclude our consideration of Agenda Item 5. Distinguished delegates, I will shortly adjourn this meeting. Before doing so, I would like to inform delegates of our schedule of work for tomorrow morning. We will meet promptly at 10:00 a.m. We will suspend the plenary meeting so that the Working Group on the Status and Application of the 5 United Nations Treaties on Outer Space can meet with a view to adopting its report, and then we will resume the plenary and continue our consideration of Agenda Item 5 with a view to endorsing the report. Of the Working Group on the Status and Application of the 5 United Nations Treaties on Outer Space, and hopefully to conclude our consideration of this item. Time permitting, we will begin our consideration of Agenda Item 14, which is the report to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Are there any questions or any comments on this Any objections to the proposed schedule for tomorrow morning? I see none. And therefore, distinguished delegates, this meeting is adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. Thank you very much.