the 1970s. Although the space-resource States did not specifically associate their rather luke-warm approval of a new conference to any substantive issue that might be raised, it is possible to conjecture that they wished to have an adequate amount of time to plan their positions relating to solar energy and geostationary level orbits prior to giving full support to the conference. They were aware of the positions that had been taken in COPUOS and at the WARC BS by the equatorial countries relating to sovereignty over spatial areas and the natural resources situated in such areas. Thus, Colombia gave notice that these issues would come before the proposed conference. It stated in 1977 that it had on numerous occasions called attention to the "sovereignty which it exercises over its segment of the geostationary orbit and has expressed its interest in and its position on the possibility of States reaching agreement through joint efforts in a fair and equitable definition of outer space, respecting the rights of sovereignty possessed and exercised by equatorial countries." That the equatorial countries would not be able to count on the support of some of the LDCs was indicated by the position of Papua New Guinea. After noting that the Republic of Indonesia had advised the 1977 WARC BS of its intent to follow the Bogota Declaration and "other principles of international law," Papua New Guinea stated in the event The foregoing positions were advanced by Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union. U.N. Docs. A/AC.105/142/Add. 1 through Add. 14, April 9, 1975 to February 27, 1978. For more specific positions of the United States and the Soviet Union see U.N. Docs. A/AC.105/PV.176, pp. 46 and 56, July 27, 1977, and A/AC.105/PV.178, p. 16, July 28, 1977. U.N. Doc. A/AC.105/Add. 9, p. 3, December 19, 1977.
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