IISL Expert Initiative on Information-Sharing and Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty

Note: The work of the Expert Initiative has been concluded.

Overview of the Expert Initiative

In early 2026, IISL members were invited to participate in a new format of collaboration: the IISL Expert Initiative.

This short-term, intensive process aimed to produce a working paper for submission to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) at the sixty-fifth session of its Legal Subcommittee.

The resulting report was reviewed at the IISL Board of Directors’ spring 2026 meeting and approved as an official IISL document. It was subsequently submitted to the Secretariat of UN COPUOS ahead of the 2026 Legal Subcommittee session.

Members of the Expert Initiative

The IISL Expert Initiative on Information-Sharing and Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty comprised the following experts:

Coordinator
Scarlet O’Donnell, Germany

Advising Expert and Chair of UN COPUOS WG TRE
Franziska Knur, Germany

Members
Neha Dagley, United States
Sanchi Dhamija, India
Farah Diya Yasmine, Indonesia
Tate Few, United States
Radhakrishnan Mahalingam, India
Larry Martinez, United States
Rhoda Obi-Adigwe, Nigeria
Maria A. Pozza, New Zealand
Mila Spence, United Kingdom
Mary-Christine Sungaila, United States
Beauler Wozhele, Zimbabwe
Khafayat Yetunde Olatinwo, Nigeria

Contact the Expert Intiative at exp_articlexi@iisl.space.

Conducted Work of the Expert Initiative

Background to the Choice of Topic

As a permanent observer to UN COPUOS and its subcommittees, IISL contributes to ongoing discussions on the implementation of international space law.

Information-sharing and implementation of Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty is currently addressed by the Legal Subcommittee (LSC) under the agenda item entitled “Status and application of the five United Nations treaties on outer space, and ways and means, including capacity-building, to promote their implementation”. It is further considered within the LSC’s Working Group on the Status and Application of the Five United Nations Treaties (WG TRE) under its current topic “Exchange of views on the implementation of Article XI OST”.

Recent working papers and discussions within WG TRE have highlighted key challenges, possible reporting structures, and guiding questions for the consideration of Committee members.

Relevant COPUOS documents

  • Report of the Chair of WG TRE (A/AC.105/C.2/2025/TRE/L.1), including the Working Group’s workplan through 2027
  • Secretariat background paper on the implementation of Article XI and related provisions (A/AC.105/C.2/L.338)
  • Non-paper submitted by Belgium on Article XI implementation
  • Non-paper by the WG Chair on a draft reporting template
  • Submissions under Article XI

Aims of the IISL Expert Initiative

Building on the momentum of the work of WG TRE, the Expert Initiative examined how Article XI is currently interpreted and implemented, and how transparency and information-sharing could be improved in light of evolving space activities.

The initiative was conducted in early 2026 in preparation for the Legal Subcommittee session.

The work focused on:

  • Analysing the requirement to inform the UN Secretary-General of the “nature, conduct, locations and results” of space activities
  • Reviewing and comparing approaches proposed in WG TRE documents
  • Assessing current State practice and identifying gaps or inconsistencies
  • Exploring options to improve reporting, including in the context of commercial missions, rideshare launches, on-orbit operations, lunar activities, and space security
  • Preparing IISL’s written contribution to the 2026 Legal Subcommittee session

Output of the Expert Iniative

Contribution to the 2026 Session of the UN COPUOS Legal Subcommittee.

IISL Expert Initiative on Art XI OST_submission for LSC 2026Download

Governed by the IISL Copyright Policy

The written output arisen from the Expert Initiative, including any contributions made by participants, is governed by the IISL Copyright Policy. Copyright in the final work remains with IISL and reflects the collective input of all participants. The output is published under the name of IISL and will not attribute authorship to individual participants. Participants may state that they contributed to the work as part of the collective Expert Initiative, but may not claim individual authorship or ownership of the output.

Archive: Call for Participation

IISL Expert Group Art XI_callDownload

Archive: Posts