414. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy 1
SUBJECT
- United Nations Outer Space Activities
One matter on which I believe we might proceed promptly to probe Soviet willingness to set up reasonable arrangements for cooperation is the organization of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and initiation by the Committee of the planning of a U.N. scientific conference on the exploration and use of outer space, patterned on the Atoms-for-Peace conferences which have been successfully held in the past.
The General Assembly resolution which established the Committee and called for the conference was adopted in December 1959. A copy is enclosed.2 The vote was unanimous since the resolution combined the U.S.-proposed Committee, which had an agreed membership, and the Soviet-proposed conference. In addition to planning the conference, the Committee is charged with studying scientific and technical cooperation and legal problems. The Committee does not have responsibilities in the disarmament field.
The Committee has not met because the Soviet Union has sought East-West parity in Committee and Conference offices and has held out for voting arrangements which would make possible Soviet obstruction of the Committee’s work. Before the pre-Christmas recess of the General Assembly, agreement had been reached to postpone some of these issues, and only the voting issue was delaying the convening of the Committee. Early discussions by Ambassador Stevenson and Soviet Ambassador Zorin might result in further progress.
Pressing ahead with this matter is desirable. It is useful for the U.S. to continue to take the lead in space cooperation and to support implementation of the resolution which the General Assembly adopted. The [Page 937] Committee would be the logical place to discuss the types of cooperative outer space proposals included in your State of the Union Message, and we are now working out positions and detailed proposals. While troublesome issues can of course be introduced by others in either the technical or legal aspects of the Committee’s work, such issues can in any event be raised in the U.N. if there is a determination to do so, and the Committee might provide a more favorable forum than the General Assembly itself in which to rule such issues out of order or deal with them on their merits.
The proposed conference has been considered in the interest of the U.S. especially if we are successful in arranging for a broad agenda of scientific and technical reports. A broad agenda would give the best opportunity for the U.S. to make a favorable showing in the inevitable competition with the Soviet Union since it would permit fuller appreciation of the variety of programs the U.S. has under way and of our freedom to discuss both our technology and the scientific results achieved. The conference is not intended to take up legal and political issues. Scientific and technical preparations for U.S. participation in the conference have been initiated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in cooperation with the Department of Defense and other agencies active in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space. However, since about eight months would be required to complete preparations, it will be necessary to proceed promptly with conference planning and arrangements to meet the General Assembly’s desire that the Conference be held before the end of 1961.
In view of the nature of the work of the U.N. Committee and of the proposed conference, we can proceed with these activities without prejudice to future reviews of our outer space programs, objectives, and policies. This conclusion has the concurrence of the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and your Special Assistant for Science and Technology.
If you approve, I will instruct Ambassador Stevenson to proceed immediately with discussions with Ambassador Zorin and others in New York in an attempt to get the U.N. Committee organized and conference planning under way.