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GENEVA 04726 311200Z
ACTION L-03
INFO OCT-01 IO-13 ISO-00 OIC-02 SP-02 DOE-15 ACDA-12
CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-05 INR-10 NSAE-00 NASA-01
NSC-05 SOE-02 SS-15 OES-07 EB-08 /101 W
------------------057179 311211Z /13
R 300822Z MAR 78
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7749
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 04726
E.O. 11652:GDS
TAGS: TSPA, UN
SUBJ: OUTER SPACE LEGAL SUBCOMMITTEE - MOON TREATY
REFS: (A) STATE 077302, (B) GENEVA 04415, (C) GENEVA
04263
1. TREATY ON THE MOON MINIGROUP MET AM 29 MARCH TO CONSIDER REVISED ARTICLES ON NATURAL RESOURCES, REVIEW
CONFERENCE PROCEDURE AND NOTIFICATIONS. US SUGGESTED
REVISION PARA 4 OF RESOURCES ARTICLE IN ACCORDANCE
INSTRUCTIONS REFTEL (A). AUSTRIA WILL REDRAFT ACCORDINGLY. WITH RESPECT TO SUGGESTION FOR "GRANDFATHER"
CLAUSE WITH REGARD TO LUNAR MATERIALS ALREADY REMOVED BY
US AND USSR, THERE HAS BEEN NO RPT NO SUGGESTION FROM
ANY SOURCE DURING CURRENT MOON TREATY DISCUSSION THAT
US OR USSR HAS BEHAVED INAPPROPRIATELY. USES TO WHICH US
HAS PUT THESE MATERIALS ARE CLEARLY IN CONFORMITY WITH
PROPOSED PROVISIONS OF THE DRAFT TREATY. THUS INSOFAR AS
ANY PROBLEM MIGHT EXIST, IT APPEARS BETTER HANDLED BY AN
APPROPRIATE STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD BY THE US WHEN THE
OUTER SPACE COMMITTEE FINALLY CONSIDERS THE MOON TREATY.
US COULD NOTE ON THAT OCCASION THAT US HANDLING AND DISPOSITION OF MATERIALS REMOVED FROM THE MOON IS CONSISTENT
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GENEVA 04726 311200Z
WITH THE TREATY. THERE WOULD BE NO BASIS FOR EXPECTING
ANY CONTRADICTION OR RESERVATION TO SUCH AN OBSERVATION.
2. AUSTRIA INTENDS TO PREPARE CLEAN TEXT OF ENTIRE
TREATY FOR MINIGROUP CONSIDERATION 3 APRIL. AUSTRIAN
HOPE IS THAT MINIGROUP WILL AGREE TO SEND THIS FULL TEXT
TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE'S MOON TREATY WORKING GROUP AND THENCE
Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE. OPTIMUM POSSIBLE RESULT WOULD BE FOR
THE LEGAL SUBCOMMITTEE TO FORWARD THE TREATY TO THE PARENT
OUTER SPACE COMMITTEE FOR FINAL REVIEW AND APPROVAL. HOWEVER, MORE LIKELY COURSE SEEMS TO BE FOR SUBCOMMITTEE TO
FORWARD IT TO THE OSC WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT THE OSC
EITHER REVIEW AND APPROVE THE TEXT AT THE JUNE 1978
SESSION OR RETURN IT TO THE LEGAL SUBCOMMITTEE FOR FINAL
REVIEW AND APPROVAL IN 1979. IN EITHER CASE VARIOUS
DELEGATIONS (E.G., BRAZIL, INDIA AND CERTAIN OTHER LDC'S)
WHO ARE UNCERTAIN WHETHER THEIR GOVERNMENTS WILL STICK TO
THE IDEA OF A PRE-REGIME MORATORIUM ON LUNAR RESOURCE
EXPLOITATION (WHICH THE DRAFT TREATY SPECIFICALLY REJECTS)
WILL PROMPT THE SUBCOMMITTEE TO REPORT THAT IT IS FORWARDING THE TEXT WITHOUT COMMITMENT.
3. UPBEAT CHARACTER OF CURRENT WORK ON PROTRACTED MOON
TREATY NEGOTIATIONS, APART FROM THE MODEST MERITS OF THE
TREATY, SHOULD HAVE LATERAL BENEFIT OF DEFUSING WHAT
MIGHT OTHERWISE BE FOCUSING OF OUTER SPACE COMMITTEE
ATTENTION ON DBS PRIOR CONSENT ISSUE DURING JUNE SESSION.
VANDEN HEUVEL
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Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014