SETI Post-Detection Protocols: Progress Towards a New Version
- Paper ID
99704
- DOI
- author
- company
University of Manchester; York University; Law Offices of Sterns and Tennen; Macquarie University
- country
United Kingdom
- year
2025
- abstract
The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) has long provided guiding principles for the response to a potential SETI signal detection. The foundational Declaration of Principles Concerning Activities Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence, first formulated in 1989, has been widely recognised by the international scientific community. A supplemental set of draft protocols addressing the possibility of a reply to an extraterrestrial signal was prepared in 1995, with both documents presented in a position paper to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. In keeping with the evolving landscape of SETI research, the IAA SETI Protocols were streamlined and updated in 2010. Recognising the need for continued adaptation, the IAA SETI Committee established a Task Group in 2022 to re-examine the protocols in light of recent advances in search methodologies, the expansion of international participation in SETI, and the increasing complexity of the global information environment. As SETI operates in a rapidly changing world, the protocols are considered a living document, requiring ongoing refinement to remain relevant and effective. A preliminary report was presented at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Baku in 2023, outlining proposed revisions. This effort continued through the IAC 2024 in Milan, where a Draft Revised Declaration of Principles was presented, and initial feedback was received from the community, including members of the IAA SETI Committee. Since then, we have continued to seek broader community input, refining the proposed updates based on further discussions and consultations. At IAC 2025 in Sydney, we wish to present the outcomes and convergence of this process, including the finalised text of the revised protocols.