Declaration of Principles on Activities Following Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence

The Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence was adopted in 1989 by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and Endorsed by the SETI League. It sets out a framework for how Researchers, Institutions, and Governments, should handle the detection of potential extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) to ensure scientific rigor, transparency, and international cooperation.

Core Principles Verification Before Announcement: Any individual, public or private research institution, or governmental agency that believes it has detected a signal or evidence of ETI must first verify that the most plausible explanation is indeed ETI, ruling out natural or anthropogenic phenomena.

Independent Confirmation: Before making a public announcement, the discoverer must promptly inform all other parties to the declaration so they can attempt independent verification at other sites and help establish a monitoring network.

No Premature Public Disclosure: Public statements should only be made after the discovery has been assessed as credible evidence of ETI. If the evidence is not confirmed, it should be treated as a discovery of an unknown natural or human-made phenomenon.

National Authority Notification: The discoverer must inform relevant national authorities, in line with the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, which requires States to inform the UN Secretary-General and the public about space exploration activities.

International Transparency: Once credible evidence is established, the discoverer should share the information with the international scientific community and, where appropriate, the public, in a way that maintains scientific responsibility and credibility.

Purpose and Context: The declaration was developed to address the profound implications of detecting ETI, the low probability of such an event, and the need to avoid premature speculation or sensationalism. It emphasizes: Scientific responsibility in interpreting ambiguous signals. International cooperation to confirm and monitor discoveries. Peaceful transparent, and credible communication to the public and scientific community. In practice, this means that if a signal like the famous Wow! signal were detected, researchers would first cross-check it with other observatories, rule out terrestrial or natural causes, and coordinate with global SETI networks before any public statement.

People also ask:

How should a confirmed detection of extraterrestrial intelligence be disseminated?

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Should extraterrestrial intelligence be recorded and stored permanently?










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