2024
IISL publishes Report of IISL Working Group on Legal Aspects of AI in Space
More recent developments of a widespread use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are affecting many areas of human life on Earth, as well as human activities in outer space. In April 2024, the Board of Directors of IISL agreed to form a new ‘Working Group on on Legal Aspects of AI in Space’. The primary aims and objectives of the IISL AI Working Group were to: The Working Group had eight members and was initiated and led by IISL member, Tuana Yazici. The members included: Anne-Sophie Martin, Steven Wood, Lisa Kucher, Roser Almenar, Laura Yvonne Zielinski, Stefan-Michael Wedenig, and Giovanni Tricco. The Working Group completed a comprehensive draft in October 2024 and presented its preliminary findings during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan, Italy. Following this presentation, the Working Group also presented the draft to the IISL Board during their meeting in Milan, where the Board provided constructive comments and suggestions. The study was finalized in December 2024. The final report of the IISL Working Group on on Legal Aspects of AI in Space, titled “Balancing Innovation and Responsibility: International Recommendations for AI Regulation in Space”, can be found here:
Seasonal Greetings
Dear IISL Members,The year is coming to an end and we would like to extend our heartfelt best wishes to all of you and wish you a successful 2025! Thank you for your interest and continued engagement and for making IISL successful and offering a valuable contribution to the space (law) world! As a special seasonal gift to all of you, we are very happy to share with you the link to our newest publication. Our esteemed member and Honorary Director of IISL Dr. Steven Doyle, in meticulous work, has written about the life and work, as well as his personal experience with Andrew G. Haley – one of the very first space lawyers. Enjoy this time travel to the early days of space law and the creation of the IISL, IAA, and IAF, in a well documented and fascinating account of a first hand witness! Click on the gift to open the ebook! With our best wishes, IISL PS. Please note that the date for the next IISL Happy Hour is Thursday, 30 January 2025 at 12:30 – 13:30 h CET.
Submission of the Working Group on the Future of the Moon Agreement to UN COPUOS
On 15 November 2024, the Working Group on the Future of the Moon Agreement submitted an answer to UNOOSA’s Invitation Circular OOSA/2024/43 CU 2024/221. The circular was distributed under the initiative of the Legal Subcommittee’s Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities, and invited Committee members and permanent observers to provide contributions on elements for an initial draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities. The Invitation Circular as well as the IISL Working Group on the Future of the Moon Agreement’s response can be viewed and downloaded below. More information on the Working Group is available on the dedicated IISL website of the Working Group.
IISL General Assembly in 1 hour!
Dear Members, The IISL General Assembly will take place virtually on 14 December at 13:00 h UTC / 14:00 Paris time. IISL Members in good standing have received by email a link to join the meeting and the agenda in the week before the meeting (Subject: IISL General Assembly Meeting; sent on 11 December 2024). Please find the agenda below. Kind regards, The IISL Team
IISL General Assembly to be held on 14 December 2024
Dear IISL Members, The next IISL General Assembly will be held on 14 December, 14:00 h Central European Time (Paris). The event will take place virtually and the meeting link as well as the agenda for the Assembly will be distributed to Members on good standing. The General Assembly will address the activities of IISL since the last assembly, the work of the IISL Committees and Officers, operational matters of IISL, as well as the results of the last IISL elections. The IISL General Assembly will take place virtually on14 December at 14:00 (Paris time).
IISL President speaks at UN Conference on Space Law and Policy
21 November 2024. IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl was invited to speak today at the 2024 United Nations Conference on Space Law Policy in Vienna, Austria, taking place from 19 to 21 November 2024. The UN Conference on Space Law and Policy is part of a long-standing series of capacity-building organizing over 15 workshops and conferences on space law and policy, organised by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. This year the Office has moved back to the traditional style of having it held as an in-person event. More information on the UN Conference on Space Law and Policy is available on the dedicated website of the United Nations. Schrogl spoke on Day 3 of the Conference during the panel on National Space Legislation (Panel 2), which included the following panelists: His presentation is available below. The Conference was attended by many IISL members and was received very well and the Programme is available below. The Conference objectives were met and a final report reflecting the successful discussions was adopted during the closing session of the Conference. The report will be made available on the dedicated UNOOSA webpage for the UN Conference on Space Law and Policy.
IISL President and Members speak at AALCO Webinar on Space Law for Emerging Space Actors
20 November 2024. IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl as well as several IISL members were invited to participate today in the Webinar on Space Law for Emerging Space Actors, organised by the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO). The webinar aims to explore the significance of space law-making for new entrants to the space sector, examine how the experiences of mature space powers in Asia, Europe, and North America can inform these processes, and emphasise the importance of aligning national legislation with international space law. The topic “Legal Issues in Outer Space” was incorporated into the Organization’s agenda following a proposal by India at the Sixty-first Annual Session in Bali, Indonesia, in 2023. This initiative was further developed during the Sixty-Second Annual Session held in Bangkok, Thailand, in September 2024, where in-depth deliberations took place. These discussions highlighted the multifaceted challenges arising from the proliferation of space activities by various state and non-state actors, encompassing issues of safety, security, environmental protection, and a myriad of legal complexities. AALCO Member States emphasised the critical need to preserve outer space exclusively for peaceful purposes, expressing concerns about potential weaponization. The Bangkok session also highlighted the importance of capacity-building in space law for emerging space actors. In response to these developments and to support collaborative dialogue on establishing inclusive and peace-oriented governance structures for outer space, the AALCO Secretariat has organised this webinar. More information on the webinar is available in the Concept Note of the event, available below. Schrogl participated as a panelist in Panel 2 of the Webinar on International Experiences in Space Regulation. All invited speakers to the event were IISL members, among which took part in Panel 1: In Panel 2 of the Webinar, IISL members participating were: Moreover, IISL members participated in the audience of the event.
IISL PRISM Committee: Open Call for new members!
Committee on Public Relations Including Social Media – PRISM Dear IISL Members, The IISL Committee on Public Relations Including Social Media (PRISM Committee) is currently reforming. It is the main mission of the PRISM Committee to use all modern means for communication with the general public to raise awareness of and further enhance the visibility of IISL and of the relevance of its activities in order to further the aims and objectives of IISL, in accordance with the IISL Statute and the IISL By-Laws, and to ensure the interests of IISL are properly and in a coherent fashion represented. Work of the Committee includes the IISL’s public appearance, such as on its website, the newsletter, and social media channels. In addition, the Committee works to bring our members together and has initiatives such as the Members’ News and the IISL Knowledge Constellation under its mandate. More information on the IISL Studies and Communications Committees can be found here. If you are interested in joining the PRISM Committee, please send your (informal) expression of interest to prism@iisl.space. The deadline for expression of interest is 15 December 2024. We are looking forward to hearing from you! IISL PRISM CommitteeScarlet O’Donnell, Chair Contact: prism@iisl.space
Save the Date – 13 December 2024: 19th Annual Eilene M. Galloway IISL Symposium on Critical Issues in Space Law
A day of insightful discussions and networking at @Akin Gump in Washington DC. This IISL Symposium is a tribute to the enduring contributions of Eilene M. Galloway to space law and policy. Organized in partnership with McGill IASL and Space Court Foundation. To register, for either in-person or virtual, please go to spacecourtfoundation.org/IISLGalloway.
Call for Participation – Working Group on Indigenous Law and Governance and Non-State Peoples’ Law and Governance in International Outer Space Law
Working Group Overview The expansion of outer space activities, including resource extraction and satellite deployment, necessitates a re-evaluation of existing legal frameworks to ensure globality and inclusivity. This Working Group, under the auspices of the International Institute for Space Law (IISL), aims to address these emerging challenges and opportunities and contribute to the ongoing evaluation of an interplay between international law (lex generalis) and international outer space law (lex specialis). Call for Participation The Working Group endeavours to foster a worldwide, inclusive, and pluralistic process of participation and drafting. We invite expressions of interest from IISL members, and experts from other disciplines to join this initiative. Emphasis will be placed on members’ existing expertise and background in specific topics, while ensuring expansive representation from all global regions. Selection criteria for membership selection In addition to expertise in space law, we are focusing on extensive and demonstrated experience (lived, professional, and academic) in these specialized areas of research and analysis. Call for participation The document providing the call for participation can be found below. More information More information can be found on the dedicated page for the Working Group: