For decades, humankind has been looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. Inspired by countless movies depicting first contacts, visits, or invasions, we have scanned the skies in search of any kind of evidence that would confirm we are not alone in the universe. Has anyone stopped to think, however, about the steps we’d need to take if such contact were to be made? Who should be notified first? (The press? The scientific community? Somebody’s very surprised aunt on Facebook?) And let’s not even deal with the conundrum more familiar to our species, one that brings to mind the wee small hours of a Sunday morning: Is it a good idea to reply to this message?
[...]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In other words, it’s better to know how to deal with an ET before one shows up, you’re caught off guard, and you wind up bringing it home with you. In the mid-1970s, the SETI committee of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) began discussing the actions that could be taken subsequent to the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence. They recognized that the initial evidence of detection might be ambiguous or incomplete, making it necessary to conduct a thorough analysis in order to confirm it. The IAA’s SETI committee therefore came to an agreement with the scientific community on a set of guidelines for the dissemination of reports regarding the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.


[...]

In any case, once the extraterrestrial signal is confirmed, the next step would be determining who should respond and in what capacity. Designating the authority who would represent human civilization in a future Alien-Human relationship has always been the subject of major debates, and the matter remains unresolved. If only we could vote for Carl Sagan.

In Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967—the heart of international space law—there is an implicit recognition of the role of the United Nations Secretary-General as the representative of humankind (the responsibilities grow by leaps and bounds). Likewise, another EU treaty, the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, finalized in 1979, provides in Article 5(3) that the States Parties shall notify the UN Secretary-General of any phenomenon they may discover in outer space that could endanger human life or health, as well as any indication of organic life. That’s right, dear extraterrestrials: we have laws for everything. You could sooner escape the laws of gravity than international space law.

For these reasons, even though there is no international document that gives the UN direct responsibility for interactions with extraterrestrials, there’s nothing strange from an international law standpoint about deciding that, should the signal come someday, the UN Secretary-General would be the individual best placed to clear his or her throat, grab the microphone, and ask, on behalf of mankind: “Alien, is that you?”

Mankind has been looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence for decades. We scan the sky trying to find some kind of evidence to confirm we’re not alone in the universe, inspired by an endless number of films in which the first contacts, visits or invasions occurred. But has anyone stopped to think about the procedure that should be followed if such contact were made? Who should be told about it first? The press? The scientific community? Some gobsmacked girl on Facebook? Not to mention that question our species is more familiar with, which takes us back to the early hours of a Sunday morning: is it a good idea to reply to this message?
[...]

It's better to be safe than sorry; or in this case, it's better to know what to do in the presence of an extraterrestrial in advance before one shows up, rather than not having a clue and end up taking it home. In the mid-1970s, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) SETI committee began to debate possible procedures following the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence. They believed the first detection tests could be ambiguous or incomplete, so a thorough analysis was necessary in order to confirm them. This is why the IAA SETI committee agreed a series of principles with the scientific community to spread information on the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.

[...]

Now, once the extraterrestrial sign is confirmed, the next step would be to determine who has to reply, and the role of such person. The matter of designating the authority who should represent human civilisation in a future alien-human relationship has always been an area for big debates and is still not determined. If only we could vote for Carl Sagan.

In article XI of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which represents the legal framework of international space law, the role of the UN Secretary-General is implicitly acknowledged as the authority who shall represent humanity (no sweat!). Furthermore, another UN treaty titled the 'Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies', approved in 1979, stipulates in article 5, section 3 that the state parties shall inform the UN Secretary-General of any phenomenon discovered in ultra-terrestrial space that may put the health or lives of humans in danger, in addition to any sign of organic life. We have laws for everything, dear aliens. Extraterrestrials will have more chance of defying the laws of gravity than our space laws.
Due to all this, and despite the fact that there is no international document which explicitly states that the UN has even considered encounters with extraterrestrials, it is not irrational from the standpoint of international law to establish that, if an alien sign occurs someday, the UN Secretary-General is the best candidate to clear his or her throat, grab the microphone and ask in the name of humanity: 'Alien, is that you?'

The human race has been looking for signs of intelligent life beyond our planet for decades. We’ve scanned the heavens for any scrap of evidence that we’re not alone in the universe. Our hunt is inspired by the endless stream of movies about first contacts, visits, or invasions. But does anyone ever stop to think about the steps that would have to be taken if such contact were made? Who should be the first to know? The press? The scientific community? Your shocked aunt on Facebook? That doesn’t even begin to cover a question our species is more familiar with – one we may have faced late some Friday night: is it a good idea to answer that message?
[...]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That is, it’s better to know how to act around an alien before one shows up and you have no idea what to do, other than cart it back to your place. The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) SETI committee began discussing possible courses of action after detecting extraterrestrial intelligence in the mid-1970s. They understood that initial detection tests could be ambiguous or incomplete, so careful analysis would be needed to confirm such findings. Thus, the IAA SETI and the scientific community established a set of principles to go about distributing information on finding any extraterrestrial intelligence.

[...]

Now, once an extraterrestrial signal has been confirmed, the next step would be figuring out who should respond and in what capacity. Designating which authority would represent our civilization in future human-alien relations was always hotly debated, and this question still hasn’t been resolved. If only we could nominate Sagan.

Article XI of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – the legal core of outer space law – implicitly recognizes the role of the UN’s Secretary-General as a representative of the human race (one of the position’s perks). Another UN treaty entitled the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies was adopted in 1979. Article 5(3) says that States Parties shall inform the UN’s Secretary-General of any phenomena discovered in outer space that could endanger human life or health, as well as any signs of life. We have laws for everything, dear aliens. You’ll find it easier to defy the laws of gravity than the laws of outer space.
So no international document explicitly puts the head of the UN in charge of extraterrestrial relations. Still, current international law doesn’t make it hard to imagine that, if the signal ever does come, the UN’s Secretary-General could be first up to clear their throat, grab the mic, and speak for all of humanity by asking: “That you, alien?”

For decades, humanity has been searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. Inspired by countless movies involving first contacts, visitations, or invasions, we’ve scoured the heavens trying to find some sort of evidence to confirm that we’re not alone in the Universe. But, has anyone ever stopped to think about what steps ought to be taken if such contact were to actually occur? Who do we tell first? The press? The scientific community? Our surprised-as-heck aunt on Facebook? And not to mention that question, so often pondered in the wee hours of Saturday night, one which our species knows all too well: is replying to that message a good idea?
[...]

Better safe than sorry. Or rather, better to know how to handle an ET before one shows up and you have no idea what to do with it and end up taking it home with you. The International Academy of Astronautics’ (IAA) SETI committee began debating possible post-detection protocols in the mid-70s. They understood that the first indications of detection might be ambiguous or incomplete, so a careful analysis would be necessary in order for them to be confirmed. For that reason, the IAA’s SETI committee, along with the scientific community, agreed upon a series of principles for the dissemination of information regarding the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.

[...]

Okay, so, once the ET signal is confirmed, the next step would be to determine whose job it is to respond, and in what capacity. The issue of designating an authority to represent human civilization in a prospective Human-Alien relationship has always been an area of great debate, and it still hasn’t been decided. If only we could vote for Sagan.

Article XI of the 1967 Space Treaty — the legislative centerpiece of Space Law — implicitly recognizes the role of the UN Secretary-General as representative of humanity (chill-ass job). At the same time, another UN treaty, the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies — adopted in 1979 — indicates in article 5, section 3 that Member States shall inform the UN Secretary-General of any phenomenon they may discover in outer space that could put human life or health in danger, as well as any sign of organic life. We’ve got laws for everything, dear extraterrestrials. You’ll be able to escape the laws of gravity more easily than Space Law.
In light of all this, and despite the fact that no international document exists that directly leaves extraterrestrial relations up to the UN, from an international law perspective it’s not so far out to conclude that, if the signal someday arrived, the UN Secretary-General would be the best candidate to clear their throat, grab the mic, and ask, in the name of humanity: “Alien, u up?”

For decades humanity has searched for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. Inspired by countless films depicting first contact, visits, and invasions, we scan the heavens in a bid to find some type of evidence that confirms we are not alone in the Universe. Yet, has anyone ever stopped to think about what to do if such contact actually happens? Who should be told first? The media? The scientific community? A stunned auntie on Facebook? None of which addresses that question from the early hours of Sunday morning, which we, as a species, are much more familiar with: is it a good idea to answer this message?
[...]

Better safe than sorry. Or, in other words, better to decide how to respond to Aliens before one comes along, you have no idea what to do, and you end up taking it home. The SETI Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) started debating possible activities in the event of detection of extraterrestrial intelligence in the mid-70s. They understood that the first evidence of detection might be ambiguous or incomplete and would need careful analysis prior to confirmation. That’s why the IAA SETI Committee agreed upon a series of principles with the scientific community for the release of information on the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.

[...]

Now, once the alien signal is confirmed, the next step would be to decide who would respond and in what capacity. The issue of assigning the authority to represent human civilisation in future Alien-Human relations has always been an area of great debate and is still unresolved. If only we could vote for Sagan.

Article XI of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the basis of Space Law, implicitly recognises the role of the Secretary-General of the UN as humanity’s representative (no pressure in that job). Meanwhile, another UN treaty, the Agreement governing the activities of States on the Moon and other celestial bodies, approved in 1979, stipulates in article 5.3 that States Parties shall inform the Secretary-General of the UN of any phenomenon they discover in outer space which could endanger human life or health, as well as of any indication of organic life. We have laws for everything, dear aliens. You will find it easier to escape the laws of gravity than the laws of Outer Space.
Therefore, even though there is no international document that formally assigns alien diplomacy to the chief of the UN, from an international law standpoint it is not unreasonable to decide that, if ever there is a signal, the Secretary-General of the UN would be the best candidate to clear their throat, pick up the microphone, and, on behalf of humanity, ask “are you there, Alien?”.

For decades, humanity has been looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. Inspired by countless films where first contacts, alien visits or invasions were made, we swept the sky trying to find some type of evidence that confirms that we are not alone in the universe. But did anyone stop to think what steps should be followed if contact ever occurs? Who should be the one to be told first? The press? The scientific community? An aunt shocked by Facebook? And not to mention the most important question, one better known to mankind: Is it a good idea to answer this message at all?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or better said, it is better to know how to act in front of an alien first, before you have no idea what to do and you take it home. The SETI committee of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) began discussing possible actions after the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence in the mid-1970s. They understood that early screening tests could be ambiguous or incomplete, requiring careful analysis for confirmation. For this reason, the IAA’s SETI agreed with the scientific community to a series of principles to disseminate information about the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Once the extraterrestrial signal has been confirmed, the next step would be to determine who has to respond and what tone the response should be. The question of who should represent human civilization in a future Alien-Human relationship has always been a field of great debate and as of today, is not yet defined. I wish we could vote for Sagan

In Article XI of the 1967 Space Treaty (the legal core of Space Law), the role of the UN Secretary-General as representative of humanity is implicitly recognized (An out of this world kind of job!). Moreover, another UN treaty approved in 1979, the Agreement that should govern the activities of States on the Moon and other celestial bodies, states in Article 5, paragraph 3, that the Member States will inform the UN Secretary-General of any phenomenon they discover in outer space that could endanger human health or life, as well as any evidence of organic life. Dear extraterrestrials, we have laws for everything. It’s easier to escape from the laws of gravity than from Space Law.

Despite the fact that there is no international document that puts alien relationships on top of the UN affairs, from an international law perspective, the UN General Secretary is the best human race representative to address the external signal and inquiry about their intentions

Humans have been searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence for decades. We have swept the sky trying to find some form of evidence to confirm that we are not alone in the Universe, inspired by the countless films depicting first contact, visits and alien invasions. But have we considered what we would do if such contact were ever to occur? Who would we inform first? The press? The scientific community? Or perhaps a shocked auntie on Facebook? Then there is the age-old question: would it be a good idea to respond to the message at all?
[...]

Better safe than sorry. Or, rather, better to know what we’re dealing with before alien life comes here, and then have no idea what to do and whether to take it home with us. The SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) Committee established by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) began discussing the potential response to the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence in the mid-1970s. They understood that initial detection tests could be ambiguous or inconclusive, so detailed analysis would be necessary to confirm the results. Accordingly, the IAA SETI Committee agreed on a set of principles with the scientific community for the dissemination of information regarding the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.
[...]

However, once the extraterrestrial message has been confirmed, the next step would then be to decide who should respond and in what capacity. The question of establishing an authority to represent humankind in a future Alien-Human relationship has always been a matter of great debate and is yet to be agreed. If only we could choose Carl Sagan.
[...]

Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty drawn up in 1967 – the legal basis of space law – implicitly recognises the role of the United Nations Secretary-General as the representative of humankind. Similarly, another UN treaty, the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, adopted in 1979, states in article 5, paragraph 3, that States Parties to the Treaty shall inform the UN Secretary-General of any phenomena they discover in outer space that could constitute a danger to human life or health, as well as any signs of organic life they discover. We have laws for everything, dear aliens. You can escape the laws of gravity more easily than those of space law.
For all these reasons, and despite the fact that there is no international document directly placing relationships with extraterrestrial life at the remit of the UN, from the perspective of international law it is reasonable to conclude that, if such a message were ever to arrive, the UN Secretary-General would be the best port of call to ready their voice, grab hold of the microphone and, on behalf of all humanity, say ‘Aliens, this is Earth speaking’.

For decades, humans have looked for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. We sweep the skies seeking evidence that we are not alone in the universe, inspired by countless movies about first contacts, friendly visits, and less friendly invasions.

But has anyone thought about what happens if aliens do show up? If you're on the receiving end, who should you tell first? The press? The scientific community? Your Facebook friends? And another question that keeps people awake at night is whether we should even respond to the message.

[...]

That said, forewarned is forearmed, and it makes sense to plan what to do if you bump into an alien. Taking it home like ET may not be the best strategy.

SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, is a committee of the International Academy of Astronautics. It began debating possible courses of action back in the mid-1970s, deciding that the first contact might be ambiguous or inconclusive, and require careful analysis before being confirmed. The committee sat down with scientists and agreed a series of principles for sharing information about this historic first encounter.

[...]

Once the contact has been validated, the next step is to decide who should respond, and in what capacity. The choice of a representative for humankind has been the subject of lengthy and inconclusive discussion, though Carl Sagan would have been a good candidate.

Article XI of the 1967 Space Treaty, which forms the nucleus of space law, implicitly recognises the role of the secretary general of the United Nations as humanity's spokesperson. This would be an obvious choice.

Article 5.3 of another UN document, the 1979 Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, requires signatories to inform the secretary general of anything they find in space that could be a threat to human life or health, and any signs of organic life. So the legal framework has been pretty well sewn up, and alien visitors may find it easier to escape the laws of gravity than those we have imposed on space.

There is no international agreement specifically making the secretary general responsible for talking to extraterrestrials. But from a legal perspective, if the message does come, they may be the best person to clear their throat, pick up the microphone, and respond on behalf of humankind: "ET, is that you?".

Mankind has been searching for extraterrestrial intelligence signals for decades. We explore the sky trying to find some kind of evidence to confirm that we are not alone in the Universe, inspired by the mass of films where the first contacts, visits or invasions were made. But, has anyone stopped to think what steps should be taken should that contact occur? Who should communicate first? The media? The scientific community? A surprised aunt on Facebook? And not to mention the matter which reminds us of a Sunday morning, one well known to our specie: Is it advisable to respond to this message?

Prevention is better than cure. O, rather, better to be prepared for an ET before one comes, you would have no idea what to do and you may take him or her home. The SETI Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) began discussing possible actions following the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence in the mid 1970s. It was understood that the first screening tests could be ambiguous or incomplete, so a careful analysis was necessary for confirmation. For this reason, the SETI of the IAA agreed to a series of principles with the scientific community to disseminate information concerning the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence.

However, once the ET signal is confirmed, the next step would be to determine who has to respond and by what means. The matter of designating the authority that should represent human civilization in a future Alien-Human relationship was always a topic for great discussion and it is still not yet defined. I wish we could vote for Sagan.

The role of the UN Secretary General (closed role) as the representative for humanity is implicitly recognized in Article XI of the 1967 Space Treaty -legal Space Law nucleus. At the same time, another UN treaty, the agreement that should govern Lunar States activities and other celestial bodies -approved in 1979- indicates in its Article 5, subsection 3, that States Parties will inform the UN Secretary General of any phenomenon discovered in outer space which may endanger human life or health, as well as any indication of organic life. We have laws for everything, dear aliens. The Laws of Gravity can be easier escaped than Spacial Laws.

With all this, and despite the fact that there is no international document which directly places relations with extraterrestrials at the head of the UN, from the perspective of international law, it is not crazy to determine that, should the signal arrive, the UN Secretary General would be the best candidate to clear his or her throat, grab the microphone and, in the name of mankind, ask, “Alien, is it really you?”

For decades, humans have been looking for signs of extra-terrestrial intelligence. Inspired by the numerous films in which the first contacts, visits or invasions have happened, we comb the sky trying to find any evidence to confirm that we are not alone in the universe. But has anyone stopped to think what we should do if this contact happens? Who should we inform first? The press? The scientific community? A stunned aunt via Facebook? That is before we have even thought about the more familiar nagging question to our species: is it a good idea to respond to this message?
[…]

Prevention is better than cure. Or rather, it is better to know how to respond to an alien before you meet one, have no idea what to do, and take it home. The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) SETI Permanent Committee began to discuss what to do after detecting extra-terrestrial intelligence in the mid-1970s. They understood that the initial evidence could be ambiguous or incomplete, requiring careful analysis to confirm. For this reason, the SETI Permanent Committee agreed a series or principles with the scientific community to disseminate information about the detection of extra-terrestrial intelligence.

[…]

Of course, once the extra-terrestrial signal is confirmed, the next step would be to determine who should respond, and how. The issue of which authority should represent human civilisation in future alien-human relations has been hotly debated and remains undecided. If only we could vote for Sagan.

Article XI of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – the legal core of space law – implicitly puts representing humanity within the remit of the UN secretary general. Article 5, subsection 3, of another UN agreement governing the activities of states on the moon and other celestial bodies – approved in 1979 – states that States Parties will inform the UN Secretary General of anything they discover in outer space that could endanger human life or health, as well as signs of organic life. We have laws for everything, beloved extra-terrestrials. You could escape the laws of gravity more easily than space law.

Because of this, and even though no international document directly addresses UN-extra-terrestrial relations, it is not unreasonable to conclude that under international law, if the sign comes one day, the UN secretary general will be best candidate to clear their throat, pick up the microphone, and ask, in the name of humanity, “Alien, is it you?’.

For decades now, mankind has been looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. We search the heavens trying to find some type of evidence to confirm that we are not alone in the universe, inspired by a multitude of films where first encounters, visits, or invasions have been portrayed. However, did anyone stop to think about what steps should be taken if such a contact really occurred? Who should be the first to be informed? The press? The scientific community? A highly surprised aunt by means of Facebook? And not to mention the question that is reminiscent of what happens early on a Sunday morning, a question that is better known to our own kind: Is it a good idea to reply to this message?
[...]

Prevention is better than cure. Or, rather, it is better to know what to do when faced with an ET before one comes along, rather than having no idea of what to do and taking it home with you. Back in the mid-1970s, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) SETI committee began discussing possible courses of action after the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence. They understood that initial proof of detection could be ambiguous or incomplete and would therefore require careful analysis in order to be confirmed. For this reason, the IAA SETI agreed a series of principles with the scientific community to disseminate information about the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.

[...]

Once the ET signal has been confirmed, the next step would be to determine who has to respond and on what basis. The question of designating the authority that should represent human civilization in a future Alien-Human relationship has always been a subject of great debate and has not yet been clarified. I wish we could vote for Sagan.

In Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which is the legal kernel of Space Law, the role of the UN Secretary General as the representative of mankind is implicitly recognised (establishing the role). In turn, another treaty of the UN, the agreement that is intended to regulate the activities of States on the moon and other celestial bodies which was approved in 1979, determines in Article 5, Subsection 3, that the States party to the agreement shall inform the UN Secretary General of any phenomena that they discover in outer space which could constitute a danger to human life or health, as well as any evidence of organic life. Our dear extraterrestrial beings, we have laws for everything. You will be able to escape more easily from the laws of gravity than from those of Space Law.
All this having been said, and despite the fact that there is no international document that directly establishes relations with aliens as a responsibility of the UN, from the perspective of international law it is not unreasonable to determine that, if such a signal ever arrives, the UN Secretary General would be the best candidate to clear his or her throat, take the microphone and, in the name of mankind, ask “Alien, ¿só vó?”.

For decades, humanity has been searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. We sweep the skies seeking some form of evidence that confirms we are not alone in the Universe, inspired by an endless stream of movies featuring alien first encounters, visits and invasions. But did anyone stop to think what steps should be taken if contact were made? Who should be notified first? The press? The scientific community? Some astounded woman on Facebook? Not to mention the question (one known more by our species and reminiscent of early on a Sunday morning): is it a good idea to reply to this message?
[...]

Prevention is better than cure. In other words, it is better to know how to act when confronted with an ET before one arrives, rather than having no idea what to do and taking it home with us. In the mid-1970s, the SETI Committee of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) began debating possible courses of action following the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence. They understood that initial proof of detection might be ambiguous or incomplete and that careful analysis was needed before confirmation. The IAA SETI Committee and scientific community therefore agreed on a set of principles for disseminating information about the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.

[...]

So now, once an ET signal is confirmed, the next step would be to determine who should respond and in what capacity. The issue of designating the authority to represent human civilisation in any future Alien-Human relations has always been a subject of great debate and has yet to be defined. If only we could vote for Sagan.

Article XI of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty—the legal foundation for Space Law—implicitly acknowledges the role of the UN Secretary-General as a representative of humanity (quite a job). Meanwhile, another UN treaty, the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies—approved in 1979—indicates in Article 5.3 that the States Parties shall inform the UN Secretary-General of any phenomenon they discover in outer space, which could endanger human life or health, as well as any indication of organic life. We have laws for everything dear aliens. You might find it easier to escape the laws of gravity than our laws of space.

In view of all this, and despite there being no international document that directly places the UN at the head of any relations with extraterrestrials, from an international law perspective, it is not so crazy to suggest that if the signal does come one day the UN Secretary-General is the best candidate to take the microphone, clear his throat and, on behalf of humanity, ask “Alien, ees dat you?”

Decades ago, humanity has been searching for signals of extraterrestrial intelligence. We sweep the skies trying to find some hint of evidence that confirms we are not alone in the Universe, inspired by the endless films where first contacts, visits or invasions were made. But, has someone stopped and think which steps should be followed should that contact materialized? Whom should they communicate it first? The press? The scientific community? An aghast Facebook aunt? Not to speak about the question that reminds us of a Sunday's wee hours, one better known by our species: is it a good idea to respond to this message?
[...]

Better safe than sorry. O, better still, better knowing how to act in front of an ET before one comes, you don't have a clue of what to make of it and take it home. The SETI committee of The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) started to debate possible actions after the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence in the mid 70s. They understood that the first detection tests could be ambiguous or incomplete, so careful analysis for its confirmation was paramount. For this reason, the SETI of the IAA agreed a series of principles with the scientific community in order to spread information on the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.

[...]

Now, once confirmed the ET signal, the next step would be to determine who has to respond and in the role of what. The matter of appointing the authority that should represent human civilization in a future Alien-human relationship has always been a field of debate and it has yet to be defined. If only we could vote for Sagan.

In article XI of the Space Treaty 1967 - legal core of Spatial Law - the role of the UN's general secretary is implicitly recognized as representative of humanity (bars the charge). In its turn, another UN treaty, the Agreement that must rule the activities of the Moon Estates and other celestial bodies - approved in 1979 - points out in its article 5, section 3, that the Party Estates shall inform the UN General Secretary on any phenomenon discovered in the ultraterrestrial space that may endanger human life or health, as well as any other hint of organic life. We have laws for everything, dear extraterrestrials. You will scape more easily gravity laws than Spatial Law rulings.
For all these reasons, and despite an unexisting international document that puts directly in the UN's head relationships with extraterrestrials, from the viewpoint of international law it's not mad to determine that, should one day the signal arrived, the UN's general secretary be the best candidate to clear his voice, grab the microphone, and on behalf of humanity ask 'Alien, ¿só vó?.

For decades mankind has been searching for signs of extra-terrestrial intelligence. We sweep the sky trying to find some kind of evidence which will confirm that we are not alone in the Universe, inspired by the endless number of films which depict the first contacts, visits, or invasions. But has anyone stopped to think what steps should be taken if such a contact were to occur? Who should be told first? The press? The scientific community? A dumbfounded girl on Facebook? And not to mention the question which reminds us of a Sunday morning, one better understood by our species: Is it a good idea to reply to this message?
[...]

Prevention is better than cure. Or, rather, better to know how to behave towards an ET before one arrives and you have no idea what to do, and you take it home. The SETI committee of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) began discussing possible actions following the detection of extra-terrestrial intelligence, in the mid-1970s. They realised that the early indications of detection could be ambiguous or incomplete, and that careful analysis would be required to obtain confirmation. For this reason, the SETI of the IAA agreed a series of principles with the scientific community in order to disseminate information about the detection of extra-terrestrial intelligence.

[...]

Now, once the ET signal has been confirmed, the next step would be to determine who is to respond and in what way. The question of designating which authority should represent human civilization in a future Alien-Human interaction has always been a subject of great debate and has still not been defined. If only we could vote for Sagan.

In Article XI of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty - the legal core of Space Law - the role of the Secretary-General of the UN as representative of humanity is implicitly recognised (a challenging aspect of the office). Similarly, another UN treaty, the Agreement which should govern the activities of States on the Moon and other celestial bodies - approved in 1979 - states in Article 5, paragraph 3, that States Parties will inform the Secretary-General of the UN of any phenomena they discover in outer space which could endanger human life or health, as well as of any indication of organic life. We have laws for everything, dear extra-terrestrials. It would be easier for them to escape the laws of gravity than the regulations of Space Law.
For all this, and despite the fact that no international document exists which specifically states that the UN will take the lead in any interaction with aliens, from the perspective of international law it is not unreasonable to determine that, if the signal arrives one day, the Secretary General of the UN is the best candidate to clear his (or her) throat, take hold of the microphone and, on behalf of humanity, ask the question: “Alien, is that you?”.

Humanity has been searching for signs of intelligent life beyond the earth for decades. We sweep the skies for any sign that we are not alone in the Universe, inspired by the countless films that have been made about first alien contacts, first visits, first invasions. But has anyone thought what we should do if aliens do make contact? Who should be first to know? The press? The scientific community? A very surprised Facebook user? And that’s before we even get to that slightly more familiar, very human, morning-after-the-night-before question: Is replying really a good idea?
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Prevention is better than cure. In other words, it would be better to decide what to do when faced with an ET before one turns up, you have no idea what to do and you end up taking her back to yours. SETI – the International Astronomical Association’s committee tasked with overseeing the search for intelligent life beyond earth – started to discuss what we should do following the discovery of extra-terrestrial life back in the 1970s. They realised that the early signs of contact might be ambiguous or inconclusive, so the evidence would have to be assessed very thoroughly before the discovery could be confirmed. To make sure everybody would be ready, SETI agreed a series of principles around the dissemination of information about the detection of extra-terrestrial life with the scientific community.
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Once ET’s signal has been confirmed, the next step is to decide who should respond and in what capacity. The issue of designating humanity’s representative in a putative Alien-Human encounter has always been a topic of intense debate and is as yet unresolved. If only we could elect Carl Sagan to the job.
Article XI of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – Space Law’s Magna Carta – implicitly recognises the Secretary General of the United Nations as humanity’s representative (by specifically invoking the post). Another UN treaty, the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies – approved in 1979 – states in its Article 5, paragraph 3, that the State Parties shall inform the Secretary General of the United nations of any phenomena that they discover in outer space that could endanger human life or health, as well as any sign of organic life. Humans have a law for everything, dear aliens. You can defy the law of gravity more easily than you will be able to circumvent Space Law.
In the final analysis and despite the absence of an international agreement explicitly appointing the head of the UN to take the lead in humanity’s relations with aliens, from the perspective of international law it is not unreasonable to decide that if one day the signal does come, the Secretary General of the UN is indeed the best person to clear her throat, take the microphone and – in the name of humanity – ask: ‘ET, are you there?’

Humanity has been searching for signs of intelligent life from outer space for decades. We have been scanning the sky trying to find some type of proof that we are not alone in the midst of the Universe, inspired by umpteen films filled of the first contacts, visits or invasions. However, has anyone stopped to think what the procedure should be if we actually receive an answer. Who should we tell it to first? To the press? The scientific community? A surprised aunt in Facebook? And how about the question that brings memories of a sleepless Sunday night, a more common question within our species; is it a good idea to answer a message?

Better be safe than be sorry, i.e. it’s better to know how to react if you come across E.T. before one arrives, you might find yourself mindlessly taking it to your house. The SETI committee, part of The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), began the debate on possible reactions to detection of intelligent extra-terrestrial life in the mid 1970’s. They took into account that the first pieces of evidence of a detection of life could be ambiguous or incomplete and therefore it was necessary to carry out careful analysis prior confirming proof. Hence, the SETI committee of the IAA agreed with the scientific community a series of principles on how to spread information about detection of extra-terrestrial intelligence.

Now, once the alien signal is confirmed, the following step would be to determine who should reply and in representation of what. The matter of designating the authority who should represent human civilisation in a future Alien-Human relationship has always caused great debate and is still not defined, even today. I wish we could vote for Carl Sagan.

In article XI of the Outer Space Treaty 1967 – the legal core of Space Law – the representative of Humanity would fall on the shoulders of the Secretary General of the UN (take a deep breath!) At the same time, another UN treaty, the Agreement that sets out the activities of the States of the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies – approved in 1979 – states in article 5, subsection 3, that the States parties shall promptly inform the Secretary General of the UN of any phenomenon discovered in outer space that could endanger human life or health, as well as of any indication of extra-terrestrial life. You see we have laws on everything dear aliens. It would be easier for you to go against the laws of gravity than our Laws on Outer Space.

Thus even if there is no international document that directly states that the relationship with aliens be with the head of the UN, from the point of view of international law, it is not madness to believe that, if the signal arrives one day, the Secretary General of the UN be the best candidate to clear his/her throat, grab the mike and, in the name of Humanity, ask “Alien, is that you?”

For decades, humanity have been looking for signs of extraterrestrial life. Inspired by thousands of movies wherein first contact, visits, or even invasions were the main theme, we combed the sky trying to find any hint that proved that we are not all alone in the Universe.
However, did anyone take a breath to think what should we do if that contact ever happened? Who should we notify first? The press? The scientific community? A surprised aunt on Facebook? Not to mention the question that reminds us of a Sunday morning, one very well known by our own species: Is it a good idea to answer that message?

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Better be safe than sorry. Or, in other words, better to know what to do with an ET before one comes to visit you, and not knowing what else to do, you take it home. Back in the mid 70’s, SETI committee of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) started to analyze possible actions post finding extraterrestrial life. They understood that first detected evidence may be ambiguous or incomplete, thus a rigorous analysis was key for confirmation. For that reason, SETI of the IAA agreed with the scientific community a series of principles to broadcast information about extraterrestrial life detection.

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Now, once the ET signal is confirmed, the next step would be to agree who must answer and in character of what. Designating an authority to represent human civilization in a future Alien-Human relationship was always a question of large debates not yet answered. It would be great to vote for Sagan.

It is implicitly recognized in the article XI of the Space Treaty of 1967 –legal core of Space Right- that the representative of humanity is the General Secretary of the UN (quite a position). In the same way, another UN treaty, the Arrangement that controls States’ activity on the Moon and the other celestial bodies –approved on 1979– highlights in its article 5, section 3, that the States Parties would inform the General Secretary of the UN of any discovered phenomenon in the outer space, which could compromise the life or health of humanity. The same would happen with any indication of organic life. We have a law for everything, dear aliens. You better try to escape from the laws of gravity than from the laws of Space Right.
All in all, despite of not having an international document that directly designates the head of the UN as the leader of extraterrestrial relationships, and considering the international rights, it’s not crazy to think that the General Secretary may be our best candidate. If the day ever comes, he could pick up the microphone after clearing his throat, and ask in the name of humanity “Wassup, Alien?”

For decades humanity has been searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. We’ve scoured the skies looking for some kind of evidence to confirm that we aren’t all alone in the universe, inspired by a plethora of films featuring first contact, alien visitation or invasions. But, has anyone stopped to think about how we should act if this contact is ever really made? Who should speak to them first? The press? Scientists? Your sister’s cousin’s postman on Facebook? That’s without even considering the existential angst of our species: is it even a good idea to reply to the message?
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Better to be safe than sorry. Or rather, better to have a plan for meeting an ET than to simply wing it and end up taking it home. The International Astronauts Association SETI committee started discussing possible actions after extraterrestrial intelligence was detected in the mid-1970s. They understood that this first evidence of detection may be ambiguous or incomplete, so careful analysis was required to confirm it. The IAA SETI came to an agreement with the scientific community on a series of principles for sharing information about the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.

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Once signs of extraterrestrial life had been confirmed, the next step was to determine who would respond and how. The issue of deciding who should represent humanity in future alien/human relations will always be up for debate as it still isn’t definitive. If only we could vote for Carl Sagan.

Article 11 of the 1967 Space Treaty - the legal essence of Space Law - implicitly recognises the role of the UN Secretary as a representative for humanity (a meticulous role). At the same time, another UN treaty, the Moon Agreement of 1979 which regulates different Countries’ activities on the moon and other celestial bodies, states in Article 5 Paragraph 3, that member states will inform the Secretary-General of any phenomena they discover in outer space that may place human life or health at risk, along with any sign of organic life. We have laws for everything my dear ETs and you’ll find navigating the laws of gravity much easier than navigating our Space Law.
Actually, there is no international document that directly places the UN at the head of extraterrestrial relations, from an international law perspective isn’t it a bit ludicrous to suggest that, if one-day signs of extraterrestrial life arrive, the secretary-general of UN is the best candidate to clear his throat, grab the mic and in the name of humanity ask the alien, “Is that you?”

Humans have for decades been searching for signs of extra-terrestrial intelligence. We sweep the heavens trying to find any kind of evidence to confirm that we are not alone in the Universe. We have been inspired by the endless array of films depicting first contacts, visits or invasions. But did anyone stop to think what steps we should take if that contact really happens? Who should we tell first? The press? The scientific community? An aunt who is shocked even by Facebook? And don’t even mention the question that reminds us of Sunday mornings, one better known by our species: is it a good idea to answer this message?
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Prevention is better than cure. Or, rather, it's better to know how to act when faced with an ET before one arrives. Don’t get the idea that what you should do is to take it home. The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) committee of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) began in the mid-1970s to discuss possible actions after the detection of extra-terrestrial intelligence. They understood that the first evidence of detection could be ambiguous or incomplete and require careful analysis before confirmation. For this reason, the IAA SETI agreed a series of principles with the scientific community for disseminating information about the detection of extra-terrestrial intelligence.
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So once the signal from ET has been confirmed, the next step would be to determine who should respond and in what capacity. The question of designating the authority that should represent human civilization in a future Alien-Human relationship was always a field of great debate and has still not been defined. If only we could vote for Carl Sagan.
Article XI of the 1967 Space Treaty - the legal core of Space Law - implicitly recognizes the role of the UN Secretary General as the representative of humanity (it’s part of the job). Meanwhile, another UN treaty, the Agreement that should govern the activities of States on the Moon and other celestial bodies., which was approved in 1979, states in Article 5, paragraph 3, that the Participating States shall inform the Secretary General of the UN about any phenomenon they discover in outer space that could endanger human life or health, as well as any evidence of organic life. We have laws for everything, dear extra-terrestrials. You will find it easier to escape the laws of gravity than the laws of Space Law.
For all of this, and despite the fact that there is no international document that directly places responsibility for relations with aliens at the head of the UN, from the viewpoint of international law, it is not so crazy to decide that, if the signal ever does arrive, the Secretary General of the UN is the best candidate to clear his throat, grab the microphone and, in the name of humanity, ask 'Alien, how d’you do?'.

For decades, humanity has been searching for signs of extraterrestrial life. Inspired by countless movies depicting first encounters, visitations, or invasions. We scan the sky trying to find some type of evidence to confirm that we are not alone in the Universe. But, has anyone stopped to think about the steps that should be taken if an alien encounter turns into a reality? Who should communicate first? The press? The scientific community? A shocked aunt on Facebook? Not to mention the question we often ponder early on a Sunday morning, the most common one asked by our species: Is it a good idea to answer this message?
[...]

Better safe than sorry. Or, rather, it is better to know how to act in the presence of an ET before it arrives. You would have no idea what to do and you might end up bringing it home. In the mid 70’s, the International Academy of Astronautics’ (IAA) SETI committee started discussing possible actions after detecting extraterrestrial intelligence. They understood that early signs of detection could be ambiguous or incomplete, which is why a careful analysis was necessary in order to confirm it. This is why the IAA’s SETI agreed with the scientific community on a series of principles to disseminate information regarding the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence.

[...]

That said, once an ET signal is confirmed, the next step would be to determine who must respond and in what form. The question of who to designate as the authority that should represent human civilization in a future Alien-Human relationship has always been an area of great debate, and one that is still not resolved. I wish we could vote for Sagan.

Article XI of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty - the core principles of Space Law - implicitly recognizes the UN Secretary-General as the representative for humanity (the depositary). In turn, another UN treaty, the agreement that regulates the States’ activities on the Moon and other celestial bodies - approved in 1979 - notes in article 5, paragraph 3, that the State Parties will inform the UN Secretary-General about any phenomenon that they discover in Outer Space that can endanger human health or life, as well as any sign of organic life. We have laws for everything, dear extraterrestrials. You can escape the laws of gravity much easier than the laws of Space Rights.
Therefore, despite the fact that an international document does not exist that places the UN at the head of extraterrestrial relations, from the perspective of international law, it is not crazy to say that if one day a signal arrives, the UN Secretary-General would be the best candidate to clear their throat, grab the microphone, and in the name of humanity, ask “Alien, is that you?”