BACKGROUND GUIDE

United Nations Committee on the Peaceful

Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS)

Prevention and Response Methods Against

Extraterrestrial Invasions

Hello delegates!

It is our pleasure to welcome you all to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses

of Outer Space at Raimondi Model United Nations 2018! Our names are Sebastian Morello

and Carlos Marchese and we will be in charge of making the best out of this committee.

My name is Sebastian Morello. I am 19 years old and I am currently in my second year as a

law student at Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Perú. I am very interested in world politics

and international law, especially focused on the regulation of violent non-state actors,

refugees, human rights in times of internal conflicts, and conflict resolution (International

Humanitarian Law). My MUN career started during my senior year of high school, when I

participated in both national and international conferences, and since then, I have continued

with this passion. In my first year of university I decided to continue doing MUN by joining

Peruvian Debate Society and debating in both HNMUN LA 2017 and 2018, and more

recently in HNMUN 2018. In my experience, MUN is one of the very few activities that

enables students to reach their full potential in many aspects of their academic life.

My name is Carlos Marchese and I am in my third year at Universidad del Pacífico studying

Business Engineering and focusing on process and project engineering. I am also currently

working in a consulting office that focuses on projects ranging from cost reduction to overall

business strategy. Other than that, I really like PC gaming, I love going out unless it is

impossible, and I try to go surfing at least thrice a week. I am interested in the interaction

between each country’s individual motivations and international cooperation goals, and how

together they create what we know as international diplomacy. My MUN career started a

couple of years ago when I joined Peruvian Debate Society. I started in the Security Council

at USILMUN, just having found out that MUN existed. Overall it was a fun experience and I

really enjoyed how bringing updates into the committee could make or break a delegate.

After that, my first international conference was DISEC at WorldMUN 2016. It was a really

intense committee that further introduced me into the topics of violent non-state actors and

disputed territories, creating classifications to deal with these issues on many levels. Then,

the next year came along and I joined the HNMUN team of my delegation, preparing to

participate in UNCOPUOS (UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space) to debate

the topic of asteroid related disasters representing the United States.

We are very excited to meet you all! If you have any doubt please feel free to contact us!

Sebastián Morello & Carlos Marchese Co-directors, United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

uncopuos.raimun@prideperu.org

I . HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE Throughout the years, space has not only remained a mystery for humankind, but a constant

rivalry that dates back to the midst of the Cold war. In 1957, the year when the first satellite

orbited the earth, the United Nations started its commitment towards the peaceful use of

the space. The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space war formerly

established as an ad hoc committee by resolution 1348 shortly after the launch of the first

satellite in 1958. However, it was not until 1959 when the General Assembly decided to

institute it as a permanent body of the U.N with the decisions being taken by 84 member

states. This committee also counts with the participation of a number of non-governmental

organizations, which have observer status.

Two sub-committees make up the UN COPUOS: the Scientific, and the Technical and Legal

sub-committee. Their main objectives include the promotion of international cooperation,

the legal matters in outer space, the sharing of global information on the development of

technology and scientific research, and the construction of a collaborative system by which

every state would be able to acquire proper benefits on the use of the outer space. The

mandate of this committee established in Article 1 of the resolution 1472 “International co-

operation in the peaceful uses of outer space” could be summed up as the recollection of

the previously mentioned objectives: “govern the exploration and use of space for the

benefit of all humanity: for peace, security and development”.

In recent years the evolution of technology has allowed humanity to continue its reach upon

the exploration of space. In April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to orbit

our planet and a few years later the Apollo 11 accomplished the first of six US moon

landings. Nevertheless, this progress has not come without risks or immense costs. Space

has become congested, contested and competitive, thus the need to protect it. If there is

anything our years of research have taught us, it’s that space is full of new dangers that we

are not ready to confront. The solely terrifying idea that we are not alone in the universe was

the start of a recent development in the military industry and the scientific community in

order to defend our nations from a possible extraterrestrial invasion.

I I . HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM

The existence of life in other parts of the universe outside the Earth has been a constant

debate through recent years. The problems that could arise from the possibility for other

forms of life to exist is enough to drive member states towards the development of a proper

policy to prepare nations for a possible extraterrestrial invasion. However, the constant

discovery of more evidence of not only the existence of extraterrestrial life but their

interactions with humans since the start of history has raised awareness on the international

community.

The first signs of evidence on the relationship between governments and the existence of

this other beings date back to 1952 when the governments of the United States of America

admits the existence of a sub-group under the Ministry of Defense called the Advanced

Aerospace Threat Identification Program with a budget of 22 million dollars. Its main goal

was to serve as the main organization in charge of reporting and investigating UFO sighting.

The last director of this organization, Luis Elizondo established that the objects observed

excelled human technological capabilities. In an interview with the New York Times he has

also exposed that “the many accounts from the Navy and other services of unusual aerial

systems interfering with military weapon platforms and displaying beyond-next-generation

capabilities.”

The increasing interest in the matter can also be traced back to the Roswell UFO incident. In

1947, a New Mexico farmer reported seeing an unidentifiable shape in his sheep fields. This

was not the only incident in Roswell. On February 25 of 2018 two passenger jet pilots

reported an object of UFO characteristics near the supposed crash. Similar shapes have

been seen across the globe as in 1980 another incident occurred in Rendlehsam forest in the

United Kingdom.

Other forms of evidence appeared in the recent discoveries of other planets with similar

living conditions as Earth. Wolf 1061c, LHS 1140b, Ross 128b, K2-18b are the most recent

examples of planets with proper living conditions.

The Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Simonetta Di Pippo have

established that although astrobiology is one the main topics of research by the UN

COPUOS, there is not a proper protocol of response in the case of an extraterrestrial

communication or future invasion. Uncertainty is the main problem that has affected the

capacity of nations towards the construction of an international response system against this

possibility.

I I I . CURRENT SITUATION For more than 50 years, humanity has been trying to find the answer to the question about

the existence of other forms of intelligent life in the universe. Although, there has been

constant discoveries and theories that could guide us to an answer, the lack of information

continues to be the main problem the International Community has to face for the

development of a defense system for a possible invasion.

In his book “The Third Chimpanzee” Jared Diamond described the catastrophic problems

that could result from the contact between a more advanced societies and us. As the history

of colonialism has been shown, the encounter between two groups is always problematic for

the weaker one. The same fear about the disadvantage that earth could have in the

interaction with another and more advanced society was stated by Carl Sagan as “shouting

into an unknown jungle that we don’t understand”.

Another point that acquired relevance after the 1938 “alien invasion announcement” in New

Jersey by a radio program is the possible reactions of the general public in the case of an

alien invasion. Although the 1938 broadcast was a prank based on the famous H.G. Wells

novel the “War of the Worlds,” it caused major chaos in the city. The imagination of the

public would serve as the main catalyst of fear in the case of alien invasion.

Image 1: Alien invasion as commonly depicted in pop culture

Source: The Evil Wiki

Numerous sci-fi movies portrayed aliens in horrific ways that would certainly have a major

effect in society. However, recent studies conducted by the University of Arizona have

indicated that the discovery of interstellar micro unicellular organisms is much more likely in

contrast with the typical alien we tend to imagine in these cases. These types of organisms

are more common and would be able to resist multiple types of ecosystems.

Image 2: Unicellular organisms

Source: News Medical

The psychologist Michael Varnum, who works with the previously mentioned academic

institution, conducted a series of experiments in order to determine what would be the

psychological outcome of the public in the case of an “invasion” by these microorganisms.

The experiment consisted in a poll given to 500 U.S. citizens in which they were asked to

describe their feelings to the discovery of the existence of these organisms in Earth. The

response was positive and the psychologist described that the majority of people used

positive expressions instead of negative ones. This experiment showed the immense

importance of the sci-fi genre in creating the typical alien that most people would be afraid

of.

Currently, the situation regarding prevention and response to extraterrestrial invasions is

uncertain. It has been historically an issue given to the largest space agencies in the world,

therefore there is no real planetary defense method or mechanism. A few weeks ago, the

President of the United States (Donald Trump) ordered the creation of a U.S. Space force,

but the implication of this force in planetary defense is unknown.

In addition, the issue is mostly represented as a form of fiction in the sci-fi genre, which has

made it increasingly harder to take it seriously. The problem grows bigger when we consider

that some people who claim to take the issue seriously are really just some form of

conspiracy theorists, this makes it even more difficult to have a serious and productive

discussion on the topic.

IV. MAIN CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM

Prevention and response methods towards extraterrestrial invasions has been superficially

handled by the largest space agencies in the world. Furthermore, it has been the subject of

mockery from members of the scientific community in the 20th century, and a great source of

inspiration for science fiction movies since the birth of the genre.

Today, in 2018, we are forced to face the fact that intelligent life somewhere else in the

universe is likely to exist, and that we know absolutely nothing about it. They could be years

ahead of us in every technological aspect imaginable, or they could just as easily be stuck in

an era equivalent to our stone age. The only truth we know is our own uncertainty.

Therefore, it is now unacceptable to let the largest space agencies handle this issue isolated

from the world and each other. As an international community, we must begin to plan for

such an event in a way that allows for effective prevention (or preparation) against an alien

invasion. Not only that, but we must be prepared as well to launch a defense initiative that

would completely overpower our would-be enemy, while at the same time respecting

current (or newly developed) international agreements.

Image 3: Global UFO sightings recorded from 1990 to 2018

Source: National UFO Reporting Center

But aggression is not the only thing we must be prepared for, developing internationally

accepted methods of communication that allow us to assess an alien threat is a crucial

necessity and one of the many things we hope to discuss in this committee.

V. MAIN ASPECTS OF THE PROBLEM

A. DETECTION OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL PRESENCE AND INTEL SHARING One of the larger issues faced by the intelligence community for many years has been Intel

sharing. The possibility of sharing intelligence to achieve common goals has obvious

benefits for each side, but it comes with a fair share of dangers. Members of the intelligence

community worry that intel sharing might pave the way for easier hacking of their systems,

and therefore access to information that was not intended for sharing with other agencies.

Other worries include the possibility of double agents becoming more common given the

easy access of information from both sides. It is imperative that this committee find a way for

space agencies to share Intel related to possible alien presence in order to effectively

prevent what could be an attack on our planet.

B. COMMUNICATION AND THREAT ASSESSMENT Another aspect to consider is the possibility of a friendly extraterrestrial visit. As a

committee, we must develop a method to determine whether the presence of

extraterrestrial beings near or inside earth’s atmosphere represents a threat. The importance

of this lies in the actions that are to be taken after the threat is assessed. If we attack a

peaceful envoy, we might begin the conflict that we were trying to prevent in the first place,

whereas if we do not immediately respond to a hostile invasion it might be too late to fight

at all.

C. PERMISSIONS OVER THE INVADED COUNTRY’S SOVEREIGN SPACE Another big issue to solve is how to allow soldiers from other nations into an invaded

country’s territory. Granting instant permission to all military actors to enter and defend an

invaded country might seem like a great option to fight the invasion, but it also opens up

the country to the entry of foreign militaries that aren’t necessarily friendly or might stop

being friendly after the conflict is over. Therefore, it is important to evaluate how permission

is granted to foreign armies to enter invaded countries with the objective of aiding in the

defense against said invaders. It is also important to evaluate if penalties should be given to

countries that take advantage of those treaties for other purposes.

D. DEFINITION OF AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL INVASION Currently, although there is widespread understanding of what an extraterrestrial invasion is,

there is no internationally accepted legal definition for it. It is important to create such a

definition, given that an invasion will inevitably change the military circumstances of its

location. Ill-willing parties may enter other countries under special circumstances by using a

poorly-made definition of an extraterrestrial invasion. In addition, in case of a change in the

allowed weaponry, defining exactly in which scenario some type of weaponry could be used

is essential for the success of this committee.

E. MILITARIZATION OF THE SPACE

During the last decade, there has been an increasingly strong debate on the militarization of

the outer space. In the case of an extraterrestrial invasion, the presence of this new menace

would therefore create the necessity of the international community to reevaluate the

possibility of utilizing weapons in order to protect Earth’s outer space. On this matter, it is

important to consider that one of the main principles that have guided the exploration and

use of celestial bodies is peace and cooperation between Member States. International law

prohibits a country from using outer space for military purposes, as there has never been an

actual attempt by the International Community to prepare guidelines in the case of an

extraterrestrial invasion.

F. WEAPONRY ALLOWED IN CONFLICT (USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS) The use of nuclear weapons in any scenario has proved controversial in recent years. There

has been a large effort to erase nuclear weapons from our world. It is important for this

committee to define if the use of nuclear weapons against an extraterrestrial invasion would

be allowed, and if so, under which circumstances.

VI. CONSEQUENCES AND IMPACT OF THE PROBLEM The problem to be discussed currently has no consequences, given that we have not (to our

knowledge) faced any extraterrestrial invasion threats before. In any case, the consequences

would arrive with said invasion if we fail to elaborate methods of prevention and response

towards it. That being said, we will try to elaborate on possible consequences of not

responding in any way to an invasion.

The worst-case scenario is obviously extinction, an extraterrestrial invasion looking to

colonize or migrate to our planet would quite likely result in our extermination. For examples

of this, we can look into our own history. The colonization of Africa and America by

European powers hundreds of years ago resulted in the extermination or enslavement of

most natives. Therefore, it is reasonable of us to assume that an extraterrestrial invasion with

goals similar to those early colonizers would behave in a similar way.

Image 4: Cristobal Colon discovering America

Source: History Channel

VII. RELEVANT PAST ACTIONS The United Nations has had an active role in the development of different guidelines and

international treaties in order to establish the main rules of conduct for member states in

outer space. As it has been established in previous paragraphs, the constant evolution of

technology has allowed nations to explore and even acquire economic benefits from space;

however, there is still no defense mechanism or guideline in the case of a menace that

comes from space. Essentially, the United Nations has to make sure that the outer space

remains demilitarized and without the hegemony of the any member state.

Most of these guidelines have been established in the Treaty on Principles Governing the

Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and

Other Celestial Bodies. The main aspects of this treaty are to establish principles on the

exploration of the outer space. Its Article 1 established equality and nondiscrimination as the

center of the use of the outer space. Another treaty that has acquire importance on the

matter is the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects,

which established the responsibilities that every state that wishes to launch a space mission

or any kind of object to the outer space must assume.

Furthermore, the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other

Celestial Bodies which makes reference to the appliance of international principles in the

Charter of the United Nations and the Principles of International Law in the use and

exploration of the moon and similar objects. This treaty highlights the importance of friendly

relations and cooperation between states. This Treaty also focuses on declaring the

importance of maintaining the space demilitarized.

The Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for

the Benefit and in the Interest of All States adopted by the General Assembly makes

particular focus on the correct distribution of the benefits acquired for the nations that need

the most. This declaration takes into consideration the difference in the capacities of each

individual nation in the acquisition of proper benefits on the use of outer space and in the

same line prevents this from being a problem for the development of space regulations.

Other relevant actions can be seen upon the creation of the International Astronautical

Federation, the only non-governmental organization which focuses on issues regarding the

use and exploration of the outer space. It has 340 members consisting of international space

agencies, telecommunications companies and different scientific institutions.

Most of the actions that have been made through the years have had the objective of

regulating the actions of member states across the outer space. However there is still a lack

of proper international cooperation protocols or set of rules that could guide humanity in

the case of an alien invasion of any kind. Most countries will only be able to rely on their

current military capacities in the case of an invasion causing for developing and conflicted

nations would be suffering the highest amounts of damage.

VIII. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Regarding the sharing of information, the possibility of creating sub-agencies specialized in

planetary defense within larger agencies is always open. Since these sub-agencies would

only have access to the information regarding their area, it might ease some of the typical

worries when it comes to information sharing.

When it comes to threat assessment, many positions are possible. There is the warmonger

solution, which would be to take any extraterrestrial presence as an invasion threat and

engage as fast as possible. We could also assess the threat within a 24-hour period, thereby

limiting the time to be used for that purpose. How to assess the threat could, and most likely

will depend on the actions taken by the potential invaders.

Regarding permissions to enter foreign territory, a process to allow it might be the preferred

option for most countries, but the delay generated by such a process is an important factor

to consider. On the other hand, instant permission in the case of a confirmed invasion could

be risky, as it could be used by countries to enter territory they were not previously allowed

into, and potentially take advantage of that. A middle ground between these two options

could prove beneficial.

Finally, when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons, it is very difficult to say that we as a

species would not do absolutely everything we can to defend our planet. Therefore, it could

be best to evaluate what would be the circumstances and process needed their use to be

allowed.

IX. QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER (QARMAs)

1. How would the intelligence community handle the sharing of information for optimal

detection and prevention of an extraterrestrial invasion?

2. How would we communicate with possible invaders, and if that is not possible, how

would we assess the possibility of a threat?

3. Under which circumstances would a military power be allowed to enter sovereign

territory?

4. In the case of invasion, would there be an instant permission if an invasion is

confirmed or would there be a process to follow?

5. How would we define an extraterrestrial invasion? Would it be an all-or-nothing

system? Or would there be different degrees to an invasion allowing for different

actions?

6. Would the use of nuclear weapons be allowed? If so, which circumstances would

justify the use of such force?

X. CONFERENCE PREPARATION

A. RESEARCH

The success of your experience in RAIMUN will depend heavily on how much preparation

you put in before the conference actually begins. Although research may not seem like the

most fun or exciting activity leading up to a conference, if you put in the necessary effort, it

will definitely pay off during the conference. You will be more knowledgeable, more

prepared, and more confident to deal with whatever comes your way. As you do your

research, you may want to keep a page of notes on key facts, figures, policies and other

important information. Bring a copy of your notes to the conference in order to use them as

a reference (bear in mind that electronic devices are not allowed during committee

sessions).

B. POSITION PAPERS

A Position Paper is a policy statement in which delegates analyze and present their country’s

view on the issue being discussed, also focusing on past national and international actions in

order to propose innovative but viable solutions. Your position paper should always include

a heading with the title (“Position Paper”), your delegation (the country you are

representing), your committee (full name), the topic you are discussing (as stated in your

study guide), your full name and the name of your school. Additionally, a standard position

paper is comprised of three paragraphs:

• Your first paragraph should include a brief introduction to the topic, always

connecting the issue to your country. Try to include statistics, data and catchy

phrases that may apply. Always bear in mind that you should be focusing on

answering the question “Why is the issue relevant to my country?” and explain your

country’s situation and policy in relation to the issue.

• Your second paragraph should include a brief summary of past UN action related to

the issue being discussed, always expressing the opinion of your country in relation

to the measures that you are mentioning. Try to focus on which specific actions have

had an impact on your country, and explain how you believe that these measures can

be improved.

• Your third paragraph should focus on proposing solutions, always according to your

country’s policy. Try to be creative and propose original ideas that will help other

delegates (and your dais) to remember your contribution to the debate. Finally, do

not forget to write a strong closing sentence.

Each delegation is responsible for submitting a Position Paper to

uncopuos.raimun@prideperu.org by August 31st. The general format of Position Papers is

one page long, single-spaced, with size 11 Times New Roman font. Please make sure to cite

every source that you use in your Position Paper.

C. RULES OF PROCEDURE The Rules of Procedure will guide a delegate’s participation throughout the debate. They

contain the rules governing the debate, speeches, points and documents, as well as the

rules governing the vote. The Rules of Procedure may be found on our webpage:

www.mun.raimondi.edu.pe. Nevertheless, delegates shall bear in mind that the Secretariat

and the Committee Directors may provide variations to these rules.

D. WRITING RESOLUTIONS The purpose of the debate, as stated in our philosophy, is to encourage you to develop

comprehensive and pragmatic solutions to the topic being discussed. These solutions

should be embodied in a document called a resolution. The process of drafting a resolution

consists of two main written stages: the Working Paper and the Draft Resolution. Working

Papers are a point of reference for discussion in committee that contain concrete ideas on

the topic under discussion. They do not require a specific format. In contrast, Draft

Resolutions are a formal document in which the committee determines the actions to be

taken in order to solve the problems under discussion. They have a specific format and must

include a certain number of signatories (this will be defined by the dais at the start of the

debate).

XI. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sullivan, W. (1993). We are not alone: the continuing search for extraterrestial

intelligence. New York: Dutton, c1993 Rev. ed.

Kopel, V. (1986). International Law Implications of the Detection of Extraterrestial Intelligent

Signals. Proc. on L. Outer Space, 29, 118.

Birnes, W. J. (2011). The Everything UFO Book: An investigation of sightings, cover-ups, and

the quest for extraterrestial life. Simon and Schuster.

Ksanfomality, L. V. (1991). A possible way for evolution of the intellect of intelligent beings.

In Bioastronomy The Search for Extraterrestial Life—The Exploration Broadens (pp. 364-364).

Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

Shakouri Hassanabadi, B. (2018). Space Force and International Space Law.

White, D. R., & Wang, A. Y. (1999). Through the Dark Mirror: UFOs as a Postmodern

Myth?. CTheory, 1-6.

Gabrynowicz, J. I. (2004). Space law: Its Cold War origins and challenges in the era of

globalization. Suffolk UL Rev., 37, 1041.

Howell.,E. (2018, April 30) How Would Humanity React If We Really Found Aliens?. Retrieved

from: https://www.space.com/40435-finding-aliens-humanity-reaction.html

Lewin.S (2017, December 27) The Most Intriguing Alien Planet Discoveries of 2017. Retrieved

from: https://www.space.com/39185-most-intriguing-alien-planets-2017.html

Shostak, S (2018, July 24) Could We Be Alone in the Cosmos?. Retrieved from:

https://www.seti.org/could-we-be-alone-cosmos

XII. DISCLAIMER

This background guide has been created by its authors for Promotora Internacional de

Debate (PRIDE Perú) and meant to be used exclusively for Raimondi Model United Nations

(RAIMUN) 2018. The authors of this background guide claim no copyright or any kind of

intellectual property or legal right for the content of this document. However, this document

may not be distributed or reproduced without the express written consent of its authors,

unless used exclusively for educational purposes.