Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon

Article 12

1. States Parties shall retain jurisdiction and control over their
personnel, vehicles, equipment, facilities, stations and installations on
the moon. The ownership of space vehicles, equipment, facilities,
stations and installations shall not be affected by their presence on the
moon.

2. Vehicles, installations and equipment or their component parts found
in places other than their intended location shall be dealt with in
accordance with article 5 of the Agreement on Rescue of Astronauts, the
Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space.

3. In the event of an emergency involving a threat to human life, States
Parties may use the equipment, vehicles, installations, facilities or
supplies of other States Parties on the moon. Prompt notification of such
use shall be made to the Secretary-General of the United Nations or the
State Party concerned.

Article 13

A State Party which learns of the crash landing, forced landing or other
unintended landing on the moon of a space object, or its component parts,
that were not launched by it, shall promptly inform the launching State
Party and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article 14

1. States Parties to this Agreement shall bear international
responsibility for national activities on the moon, whether such
activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental
entities, and for assuring that national activities are carried out in
conformity with the provisions set forth in this Agreement. States
Parties shall ensure that non-governmental entities under their
jurisdiction shall engage in activities on the moon only under the
authority and continuing supervision of the appropriate State Party.

2. States Parties recognize that detailed arrangements concerning
liability for damage caused on the moon, in addition to the provisions of
the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the
Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other
Celestial Bodies and the Convention on International Liability for Damage
Caused by Space Objects, may become necessary as a result of more
extensive activities on the moon. Any such arrangements shall be
elaborated in accordance with the procedure provided for in article 18 of
this Agreement.

Article 15

1. Each State Party may assure itself that the activities of other States
Parties in the exploration and use of the moon are compatible with the
provisions of this Agreement. To this end, all space vehicles, equipment,
facilities, stations and installations on the moon shall be open to other
States Parties. Such States Parties shall give reasonable advance notice
of a projected visit, in order that appropriate consultations may be held
and that maximum precautions may be taken to assure safety and to avoid
interference with normal operations in the facility to be visited. In
pursuance of this article, any State Party may act on its own behalf or
with the full or partial assistance of any other State Party or through
appropriate international procedures within the framework of the United
Nations and in accordance with the Charter.

2. A State Party which has reason to believe that another State Party is
not fulfilling the obligations incumbent upon it pursuant to this
Agreement or that another State Party is interfering with the rights
which the former State has under this Agreement may request consultations
with that State Party. A State Party receiving such a request shall enter
into such consultations without delay. Any other State Party which
requests to do so shall be entitled to take part in the consultations.
Each State Party participating in such consultations shall seek a
mutually acceptable resolution of any controversy and shall bear in mind
the rights and interests of all States Parties. The Secretary-General of
the United Nations shall be informed of the results of the consultations
and shall transmit the information received to all States Parties
concerned.

3. If the consultations do not lead to a mutually acceptable settlement
which has due regard for the rights and interests of all States Parties,
the parties concerned shall take all measures to settle the dispute by
other peaceful means of their choice appropriate to the circumstances and
the nature of the dispute. If difficulties arise in connexion with the
opening of consultations or if consultations do not lead to a mutually
acceptable settlement, any State Party may seek the assistance of the
Secretary-General, without seeking the consent of any other State Party
concerned, in order to resolve the controversy. A State Party which does
not maintain diplomatic relations with another State Party concerned
shall participate in such consultations, at its choice, either itself or
through another State Party or the Secretary-General as intermediary.

Article 16

With the exception of articles 17 to 21, references in this Agreement to
States shall be deemed to apply to any international intergovernmental
organization which conducts space activities if the organization declares
its acceptance of the rights and obligations provided for in this
Agreement and if a majority of the States members of the organization are
States Parties to this Agreement and to the Treaty on Principles
Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer
Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. States members of
any such organization which are States Parties to this Agreement shall
take all appropriate steps to ensure that the organization makes a
declaration in accordance with the foregoing.

Article 17

Any State Party to this Agreement may propose amendments to the
Agreement. Amendments shall enter into force for each State Party to the
Agreement accepting the amendments upon their acceptance by a majority of
the States Parties to the Agreement and thereafter for each remaining
State Party to the Agreement on the date of acceptance by it.

Article 18

Ten years after the entry into force of this Agreement, the question of
the review of the Agreement shall be included in the provisional agenda
of the General Assembly of the United Nations in order to consider, in
the light of past application of the Agreement, whether it requires
revision. However, at any time after the Agreement has been in force for
five years, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as depository,
shall, at the request of one third of the States Parties to the Agreement
and with the concurrence of the majority of the States Parties, convene a
conference of the States Parties to review this Agreement. A review
conference shall also consider the question of the implementation of the
provisions of article 11, paragraph 5, on the basis of the principle
referred to in paragraph 1 of that article and taking into account in
particular any relevant technological developments.

Article 19

1. This Agreement shall be open for signature by all States at United
Nations Headquarters in New York.

2. This Agreement shall be subject to ratification by signatory States.
Any State which does not sign this Agreement before its entry into force
in accordance with paragraph 3 of this article may accede to it at any
time. Instruments of ratification or accession shall be deposited with
the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

3. This Agreement shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following
the date of deposit of the fifth instrument of ratification.

4. For each State depositing its instrument of ratification or accession
after the entry into force of this Agreement, it shall enter into force
on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of any such
instrument.

5. The Secretary-General shall promptly inform all signatory and acceding
States of the date of each signature, the date of deposit of each
instrument of ratification or accession to this Agreement, the date of
its entry into force and other notices.

Article 20

Any State Party to this Agreement may give notice of its withdrawal from
the Agreement one year after its entry into force by written notification
to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Such withdrawal shall
take effect one year from the date of receipt of this notification.

Article 21

The original of this Agreement, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English,
French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be
deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall
send certified copies thereof to all signatory and acceding States.

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorized thereto by their
respective Governments, have signed this Agreement, opened for signature
at New York on December 18, 1979.

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon, Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon.