ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION As Skolnikoff observes (1993:136), ‘international dependencies are an inherent part of an interdependent world, a natural consequence of the integration made possible and stimulated by technological advances’. In his view, the growth of global technological systems for information and other services-mainly derived from the space-based capabilities that emerged in the late 1950s-represents one of the three generic changes in the character of dependency relations caused by technology. These space-based systems were built up by a mixture of public and private investment, with both sectors having a vested interest in the integration and continued development of associated services. Over time, reliance on these systems grew, ‘with equitable access and assurance of continued availability representing essential elements of system performance’. Several of these global systems originated in national technology programmes-in several cases, from defence needs. However, their control and management is an international issue, with many states-especially those from the Third World-preferring these responsibilities to be located in international organisations. In practice, the industrial countries that first develop and deploy the systems ‘prefer to reap the benefits and to continue their control, rather than submit to international management’ (ibid.: 140).
