Moorad
SETI League Policy Manual
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Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities
Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Note: By resolution of the Board of Trustees on 17 August 1997, The SETI
League, Inc. officially endorses the following Protocols, and respectfully
requests that our members embrace them.
Adopted by the International Academy of Astronautics, 1989
We, the institutions and individuals participating in the search for
extraterrestrial intelligence,
Recognizing that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is an integral
part of space exploration and is being undertaken for peaceful purposes and
for the common interest of all mankind,
Inspired by the profound significance for mankind of detecting evidence of
extraterrestrial intelligence, even though the probability of detection may
be low,
Recalling the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the
Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial
Bodies, which commits States Parties to that Treaty "to inform the Secretary
General of the United Nations as well as the public and the international
scientific community, to the greatest extent feasible and practicable, of
the nature, conduct, locations and results" of their space exploration
activities (Article XI),
Recognizing that any initial detection may be incomplete or ambiguous and
thus require careful examination as well as confirmation, and that it is
essential to maintain the highest standards of scientific responsibility and
credibility,
Agree to observe the following principles for disseminating information
about the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence:
1) Any individual, public or private research institution, or governmental
agency that believes it has detected a signal from or other evidence of
extraterrestrial intelligence (the discoverer) should seek to verify that
the most plausible explanation for the evidence is the existence of
extraterrestrial intelligence rather than some other natural phenomenon or
anthropogenic phenomenon before making any public announcement. If the
evidence cannot be confirmed as indicating the existence of extraterrestrial
intelligence, the discoverer may disseminate the information as appropriate
to the discovery of any unknown phenomenon.
2) Prior to making a public announcement that evidence of extraterrestrial
intelligence has been detected, the discoverer should promptly inform all
other observers or research organizations that are parties to this
declaration, so that those other parties may seek to confirm the discovery
by independent observations at other sites and so that a network can be
established to enable continuous monitoring of the signal or phenomenon.
Parties to this declaration should not make any public announcement of this
information until it is determined whether this information is or is not
credible evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. The
discoverer should inform his/her or its relevant national authorities.
3) After concluding that the discovery appears to be credible evidence of
extraterrestrial intelligence, and after informing other parties to this
declaration, the discoverer should inform observers throughout the world
through the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams of the International
Astronomical Union, and should inform the Secretary General of the United
Nations in accordance with Article XI of the Treaty on Principles Governing
the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space,
Including the Moon and Other Bodies. Because of their demonstrated interest
in and expertise concerning the question of the existence of
extraterrestrial intelligence, the discoverer should simultaneously inform
the following international institutions of the discovery and should provide
them with all pertinent data and recorded information concerning the
evidence: the International Telecommunication Union, the Committee on Space
Research, of the International Council of Scientific Unions, the
International Astronautical Federation, the International Academy of
Astronautics, the International Institute of Space Law, Commission 51 of the
International Astronomical Union and Commission J of the International Radio
Science Union.
4) A confirmed detection of extraterrestrial intelligence should be
disseminated promptly, openly, and widely through scientific channels and
public media, observing the procedures in this declaration. The discoverer
should have the privilege of making the first public announcement.
5) All data necessary for confirmation of detection should be made available
to the international scientific community through publications, meetings,
conferences, and other appropriate means.
6) The discovery should be confirmed and monitored and any data bearing on
the evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence should be recorded and stored
permanently to the greatest extent feasible and practicable, in a form that
will make it available for further analysis and interpretation. These
recordings should be made available to the international institutions listed
above and to members of the scientific community for further objective
analysis and interpretation.
7) If the evidence of detection is in the form of electromagnetic signals,
the parties to this declaration should seek international agreement to
protect the appropriate frequencies by exercising procedures available
through the International Telecommunication Union. Immediate notice should
be sent to the Secretary General of the ITU in Geneva, who may include a
request to minimize transmissions on the relevant frequencies in the Weekly
Circular. The Secretariat, in conjunction with advice of the Union's
Administrative Council, should explore the feasibility and utility of
convening an Extraordinary Administrative Radio Conference to deal with the
matter, subject to the opinions of the member Administrations of the ITU.
8) No response to a signal or other evidence of extraterrestrial
intelligence should be sent until appropriate international consultations
have taken place. The procedures for such consultations will be the subject
of a separate agreement, declaration or arrangement.
9) The SETI Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics, in
coordination with Commission 51 of the International Astronomical Union,
will conduct a continuing review of procedures for the detection of
extraterrestrial intelligence and the subsequent handling of the data.
Should credible evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence be discovered, an
international committee of scientists and other experts should be
established to serve as a focal point for continuing analysis of all
observational evidence collected in the aftermath of the discovery, and also
to provide advice on the release of information to the public. This
committee should be constituted from representatives of each of the
international institutions listed above and such other members as the
committee may deem necessary. To facilitate the convocation of such a
committee at some unknown time in the future, the SETI Committee of the
International Academy of Astronautics should initiate and maintain a current
list of willing representatives from each of the international institutions
listed above, as well as other individuals with relevant skills, and should
make that list continuously available through the Secretariat of the
International Academy of Astronautics. The International Academy of
Astronautics will act as the Depository for this declaration and will
annually provide a current list of parties to all the parties to this
declaration.
Courtesy of The SETI Institute
entire website copyright © The SETI League, Inc.
this page last updated 23 August 1997