mention geostationary orbits. However, in 1973 the IFRB was empowered to effect "an orderly recording of the positions assigned by countries to geostationary satellites." It was authorized to furnish advice to members "with a view to the equitable, effective and economical use of the geostationary satellite orbit," and it was instructed to perform any additional duties "concerned with the . . . utilization of the geostationary satel1ite orbit. ..." One commentator has character!zed the new functions for the IFRB as expanded "recording functions to include the gathering of information on geostationary satellites, yet failed to tell it what to do with the information once it was obtained." The Conference by emphasizing in Article 33 of the Convention the freedom of access by States to the space environment gave its support to Articles 1 through 3 of the 1967 Principles Treaty. The 1973 ITU Conference by according new powers to the IFRB did not impose constraints respecting the use by space objects of the geostationary orbit position. The ITU was not empowered to regulate or allocate the use of orbital slots. The ITU's most recent pronouncement on the subject relates to equitable rights of access to the geostationary orbit spectrum resource. In 1977 it was agreed that members of the ITU Article 10, paragraph 3, 1973 Telecommunication Convention and Final Protocol, TIAS 8572. Rankin, op. cit., p. 169. The tools used by the IFRB allow for the verification of coverage areas of the satellite transmitting antenna beams, verification of link parameters for individual assignments, and for the completion of incompatibility analysis for the WARC BS "Plan." International Telecommunication Union. Seventeenth Report by the International Telecommunication Union on Telecommunication and the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. U.N. Doc. A/AC.105/213, p. 20, December 22, 1977. Annex 6 to Final Acts of the WARC BS, 1977.
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