Also making a presentation to the Legal Sub-committee of COPUOS was Kenya. Emphasis was placed on the need for the space resource States to obtain the prior authorization of equatorial States before stationing space objects in that orbit. In discussions at the Scientific and Technical Sub-committee on February 24, 1978, Colombia and Ecuador supported the positions advanced in the Bogota Declaration. Ecuador specifically identified its sovereignty to include "those segments situated above its mainland territory, its continental territorial sea in the Pacific Ocean and its island territory and territorial sea in Galapagos province." Japan and Australia rejected the sovereign claims of the equatorial States on the grounds that the geostationary orbit was clearly part of outer space. The Soviet Union restated its position that the geostationary orbit was an inalienable part of outer space. Reflecting the general views of the LDCs was the position taken by Egypt on February 24, 1978, namely, that "no country or group of countries had exclusive sovereignty over any part of outer space. Outer space did not belong to the jurisdiction of any country, and its resources were part of the common heritage of mankind." Among the equatorial States there was a willingness to treat the geostationary orbit over the high seas as a common heritage of mankind. U.N. Doc. 105/C.2/SR.280, p. 2, April 7, 1977. U.N. Doc. A/AC.105/C.1/SR.199, p. 6, February 28, 1978. Ibid., pp. 7-8. Ibid., p. 8. U.N. Doc. A/AC.105/C.1/SR.200, p. 3, March 1, 1978. U.N. Doc. A/AC.105/216, p. 26, March 6, 1978.
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