Every year at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), IISL holds its annual Colloquium in Session E.7 — one of the most important annual activities of IISL. Renowned space lawyers as well as young professionals convene to present and discuss topical issues and recent developments of space law. The Colloquium usually coincides with the finals of the finals of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition as well as the IISL Gala dinner, which take place during the IAC too.

Become a part of the IISL Colloquium

To take part in the IISL Colloquium as member of the audience, nothing is required except for access to the IAC (regulated by the International Astronautical Federation — IAF). The IISL community welcomes all new participants and we look forward to seeing you there!

To take part in the IISL Colloquium as an author/presenter requires the successful submission of an abstract and paper to the Colloquium. We welcome submissions of abstracts with a usual deadline of around February of same year in which the IAC takes place during September/October. Submissions may be made by both IISL members as well as non-members to the Institute; however, in case of close calls, IISL members will be given preference.

More information on how to become a Member of IISL can be found at our Members’ page.

The papers presented during the IISL Colloquium are published annually in the Proceedings of IISL. More information on the proceedings can be found under IISL Publications — Proceedings.

For the submission of abstracts and papers, the following principles are applied by IISL:

IISL Board IPC Policy for annual submissions to IAC

The following principles apply to submissions made to the IISL Symposium at the annual IACs:

  • Only one submission per Colloquium is permitted; even if abstracts have a different focus or subject matter, only one submission in total per author/IISL Colloquium/year may be submitted;
  • The Interactive IP session was devised and remains a forum for all submissions as an alternative, stand-alone but not as an additional forum to the Colloquium sessions for submissions. Abstracts, even if of a different subject matter, should not be submitted to any other session than IP;
  • The Joint IAA/IISL Round Table remains on invitation basis only;

Policy on the use of Artificial Intelligence tools:

  • Resort to AI tools is a practice that is not recommended. It constitutes a variable degree of plagiarism, depending on the source used, as the algorithm is formally a co-author;
  • Developments in the domain of AI require authors to submit a declaration of originality to IISL at the end of their abstracts as well as their written papers, and to source the AI if used;
  • Responsibility for reliance on AI rests fully with the author, who must accept the consequences of being struck out/withdrawn from the IISL Colloquium;
  • IISL session chairs and IISL retain full discretion to strike out a submission where non-original and/or plagiarism involved/reliance on AI is apparent.

Sources and bibliographies:

  • Short bibliographies and sources used in research for the abstract are mandatory, including those for AI;
  • Full bibliographies are required for the final paper submitted for publication.

General principles:

  • For participation in IISL Colloquium sessions other than E7.1, priority is given to IISL members;
  • The above principles apply in principle to all IISL Colloquium sessions; exceptions may be granted under special circumstances by the IISL Board of Directors.

Submissions by IISL Young Scholars

  • Young scholars up to the age of 35 should submit either to the dedicated E7.1 session OR to the Interactive IP session, but not both;
  • To enhance the value of the individual’s written work, submissions to E7.1 session should be by one single author only (no co-authorship);
  • Following successful submission and publication to an E7.1 annual session, young scholars may thereafter submit to other E7 sessions, including IP;
  • Participation in the E7.1 Young Scholars Session is open to non-IISL members as well as IISL members.

Download the IISL principles below.

The 2024 IISL Colloquium at the IAC in Milan

This year’s Colloquium will feature the following sessions:

Symposium

E7 — IISL COLLOQUIUM ON THE LAW OF OUTER SPACE

Description

The 2024 IISL Colloquium focuses on how the latest technological developments are impacting the development of the law of outer space, and on whether space law should embrace new fields of activities, such as cyber, within its scope. The Colloquium looks at current discussions about questions related to the ethics and understanding of what is meant by treaty law terms freedom of exploration and use. It examines how space situational awareness (SSA), space surveillance and tracking (SST) can be integrated as elements within a greater framework for effective space traffic management. It serves as a forum to discuss developments of national space law as a constitutive element of the overall framework of space law enforcing and detailing the principles and general norms of space law, in particular within the field of security. It looks at whether existing legal concepts, particularly responsibility and liability for autonomous systems driven by artificial intelligence, are sufficiently regulated, and whether there is a homogenous approach to licensing at national level. It also provides insights as to how disruptive NewSpace activities can and should be accommodated by space law.

Sessions
  1. Young Scholars Session with Keynote Lecture
  2. Near Space: Legal Aspects of Aerospace Activities
  3. Artificial Intelligence and Safe Space Communication
  4. Launching into Outer Space
  5. Alternative Space Rules Setting
  6. E3.5. 38th IAA/IISL Scientific Legal Roundtable: “Cyberspace Security in Outer Space: Scientific, Technical and Legal Dimensions of a Dilemma”
  7. Regional Space Legislation

IP. Interactive Presentations – IISL COLLOQUIUM ON THE LAW OF OUTER SPACE

IPC Members

Coordinator: Prof. Lesley Jane Smith, Leuphana University of Lüneburg/Weber-Steinhaus & Smith, Germany;

Coordinator: Dr. Catherine Doldirina, International Institute of Space Law (IISL), Italy;

Coordinator: Dr. Tanja Masson-Zwaan, International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University, The Netherlands.

Update on 2024 Colloquium

IISL is currently in the process of reviewing and consolidating the automatic communications that were recently sent out to authors by IAF on the acceptance status of author abstracts, to ensure conformity with its own submission policy.