Topic: Private Sector Access to Outer Space
Country: Libya
Delegate Name: Michael Lu
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Libya position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
The possibility of spaceflight was limited to the government in its beginnings in 1950, but a recent shift in technology has made space exploration more accessible to private companies. The U.S. Communications Satellite Act of 1962 authorized the possession and operation of non-government satellites, and lower launch prices after 2010 has brought a second space race between companies instead of government programs. Suborbital spaceplanes orbital rockets, reusable launch vehicles, and expandable test modules are the few of several successes achieved after the revolution in space access. This rapid development in space technology spurred by competition between companies is a clear benefit to humanity with space colonization and tourism becoming a reality. However, without any regulations nor a defined set of rules, private space exploration poses a risk to to the world’s safety and security. Therefore, the United Nations must define these rules and regulations to prevent companies from growing out of hand.
While the Libyan government would like to openly negotiate on private access to space, the state of the country prevents it from committing to an agreement. Space exploration and development is important to humanity, but Libya’s poverty, civil war, environmental degradation, discrimination, and lack of resources prevents any sort of action within space. The country’s second civil war between government factions and islamic militias is still in progress, the Saharan Desert continues to expand into the country, and citizens unable to flee are in constant danger. Due to these internal issues, private space travel is not a possibility in the country so the Libyan government would like to impose strict restrictions. However, if the United Nations can somehow provide assistance with this conflict, these restrictions will happily be negotiated.
The United Nations have been involved in Libya for quite a while, but their actions should be reconsidered if the country ever hopes to recover. Economic sanctions put upon the country by the United Nations in the 1990’s gave rise to poverty while limiting contact with developed countries; Russia refused to arm the Libyan government in its fight against enemy militias until the sanctions were lifted. Along with economic revision, humanitarian efforts must be reconsidered as well. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSML) has been active since its formation in September 2011, but five years later there has been little improvement. Their goals to restore public security and law, promote national reconciliation, extend state authority, protect human rights, and restore national economy has achieved little success amidst the war. Humanitarian efforts, military aid, economic stimulation, and repairing infrastructure is the key to rebuilding the nation. Should these problems be solved by the United Nations, the Libyan government will happily negotiate private access to space. Until then, space travel remains an impossibility, so the Libyan government wishes to impose strict restrictions on private exploration.
