''Commercialization and privatization of Outer Space is the way forward''...sadly, n
- Maša Recek
- May 21, 2017
- 4 min read
After the second session of the General Assembly, that resulted in the adoption of no resolution we took the time to communicate with H. E. Mr. Jaka Turšič, Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations General Assembly and one of the sponsors of the Resolution 3.0.
The Interceptor: Mr Turšič, you being the sponsor of the Resolution 3.0, what is the actual position of the USA on the Colonisation of Outer Space?
Mr Turšič: The USA have been working on the space exploration since our national space agency has sent a man to the moon. We are continuing to put large amounts of money into our national space program and we do wish to colonize outer space with the help of private companies as we believe even though we are putting large amounts of financial resources into our space program it is still not enough. With competitiveness of private companies and their help we would be able to achieve this goal.
The Interceptor: But can you ever really trust the incentives and hidden agendas of the private companies, especially when it comes to a subject so delicate?
Mr. Turšič: Of course, we should always take hidden agendas into account. But we can say that about any actor that is involved in this topic. The statement still stands, without private companies, outer space colonization will stay out of reach. If we want to pursue colonization, we need private companies.
The Interceptor: What was the essence behind the Resolution 3.0?
Mr Turšič: The core idea was to put privatization and commercialization of outer space in the agenda of the UN. As before mentioned we believe this is the only way the colonization of outer space may be achieved in the next 20 to 30 years. We are already doing that and as you may know SpaceX is already doing a lot in this particular area, and we hope to add this as a valuable asset, not only for ourselves, but also for the whole mankind.
The Interceptor: What were the expectations regarding the Resolution 3.0 before the session?
Mr Turšič: We knew the opposition would be there, especially when it comes to adding the private sector into the Resolution. We were hoping to get some states that were against privatization to change their minds and to see how important privatization is in getting people into space. We almost managed to do that, we missed by just one vote and maybe next time in another session we will see if we can manage to convince more delegates to vote for it.
The Interceptor: Can we summarize that the biggest difference between the already existing system and the Resolution you have put forward is the bigger acceptance of commercialization and privatization of space, or are there any other specific differences worth of pointing out?
Mr Turšič: We believe that commercialization and privatization are one of the biggest points in this Resolution, but also keeping in mind all the legislation that has already been put forward and signed by majority of the countries, regarding space. One of the resolutions would be the Outer Space Treaty and Non-Proliferation of Weapons in Space would be the second one as well as the liability of damages done by space debris, which has also been signed by most countries. Adhering to the current system and also building upon it.
The Interceptor: How did the negotiating part go? Could you say all of the sponsors have equally contributed to the lobbying?
Mr Turšič: Yes, we believe all of the three sponsors have done their part in trying to persuade countries to vote for this resolution and to see the potential privatization can bring. We had to collaborate with these countries, as we are very controversial countries – USA, People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation. We have made some bilateral agreements among ourselves that set aside our previous grievances and therefore this has made us more ready to cooperate among ourselves and to work on the topics we normally wouldn't. Many believe we cannot cooperate, but we have proven time and time again this is not the case and that we are able to cooperate and improve our relationships.
The Interceptor: What was the biggest impact the USA has left in this Resolution?
Mr Turšič: We have lobbied the privatization of outer space and having the two sponsors that have agreed to it. It was one of our biggest and most impressive feats in the GA as of now.
The Interceptor: Can you tell us about your expectations regarding the future and the colonization of outer space?
Mr Turšič: In the future, as Bill Nye, the Science guy has stated, privatization is the way forward. We believe that this is something that cannot be simply ignored and soon this will be the standard. We hope countries will see this is the case and potential commercialization and privatization can bring, not only financial, but also international cooperation. Thank you.
Knowing more about Jaka and his personal lifestyle : ''Jaka Turšič, 25, a Star Wars enthusiast since the age of 7, he has been collecting Star Wars books since 11 years old, and is in possession of 289 books as of now. He is interested in many things, and picks up new hobbies weekly, this week it would be learning the program language JavaScript. He has an absolute love for coffee, drinks it more than water. Sleeps less, works more. Never backs down from a challenge.''
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