IISL Awards Dinner

IISL Awards Dinner 2024 and IISL Awardees

The IISL Awards Dinner 2024 took place on Thursday, 17 October 2024, at the Palazzo Emilio Turati in Milan — the site of the Milan Chamber of Commerce, where also the IISL Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition took place. In a celebratory and cheerful ambience, the IISL awards were presented by Marco Ferrazzani on behalf of the IISL Awards Committee, composed of K. R. Sridhara Murthi (Chair), Olavo de Oliveira Bittencourt Neto, and Corinne Jorgenson; and Mark Sundahl and Mahulena Hofmann for the Diederiks-Verschoor Committee. The 2024 awards were bestowed as well as some awards from 2023, that could not be presented in person last year. For an overview of all IISL Awardees, see also here. Awardees 2024 Lifetime Achievement The IISL Lifetime Achievement Award recognises outstanding lifetime dedication to the development and furtherance of space law. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Marco Ferrazzani, “[i]n recognition of his many decades of outstanding services to the international space law community and the International Institute of Space Law, to which he has made invaluable contribution as Director and his distinct contributions in the creation of the European Centre for Space Law, his strong stewardship in supporting the Manfred Lachs Moot Court in the European region, and his notable role for capacity building in different regions of the world and for promotion of international cooperation in the field of exploration and peaceful uses of Outer Space”. Distinguished Service The Distinguished Service Award honours extraordinary achievements to the goals of IISL. This year’s Distinguished Service Award was presented to Rafael Moro Aguilar — “a renowned scholar in the field of Space Law, made outstanding contributions in the very challenging role as a co- editor of the annual IISL proceedings for about a decade. Rafael has also richly contributed to the IISL working group on light pollution of the night sky from a space law perspective and has also further strived hard in establishing the linkage with International Astronomical Union. Rafael spearheaded the promotion and dissemination of space law in the Spanish speaking countries and had also undertaken the Spanish edition of Cologne Commentary on Space Law, Volume I”. Certificate of Gratitude The Certificate of gratitude recognises extraordinary services rendered to the Institute. This year, the Certificate of Gratitude was presented to Yu Takeuchi as well as Jairo A. Becerra and Laura Gamarra-Amaya in recognition of their extraordinary support of the Institute. Yu Takeuchi is serving as Co-Chair of the STM WG since 2021 and contributed to presenting WG’s research result at the IAC 2023 and its achievement of promoting legal aspect of STM at COPUOS Legal Subcommittee. He served as Associate Regional Organizer of Asia-Pacific of the Moot Court Competition 2023 and currently is Regional Organizer for 2024 Competition. His contributions had been essential in the increased recognition of the IISL activities among policy makers and by the Japanese government. Jairo A. Becerra and Laura Gamarra-Amaya, as professors at the Faculty of Law of the Catholic University of Colombia have been passionately promoting space law education and research among Latin American students. Their hard work and advocacy over the years led to organisation of a regional round of the Manfred Lachs Competition in Latin America. Young Achiever Award The Space Law Award for Young Achievers was introduced as a new category of award in early 2019 and recognises meritorious contributions or outstanding achievements relevant to the field of space law or distinctive service to the activities, events or goals of IISL by young individuals. This year, the Award was presented to Ruvimbo Samanga and Scarlet O’Donnell. Ruvimbo Samanga, is Space Law & Policy Analyst/Researcher, with mission to collaborate on space-related, capacity building research for the African and the global space sector. She has been the Ambassador of Milo Space Science Institute and had supported international projects. She has been recognised by IAF with the Young Space Leader Award in 2022 , had been serving in the Advisory Board Member Inter Astra Retreat and completed the African Space Policy & Strategy Course from African Space Leadership Institute. Scarlet O’Donnell made scholarly contributions to the principle of international responsibility for activities in Outerspace. She is a doctorate in essential field of space law, supported emerging space faring nations with regard to adherence to space global governance, and had rendered substantive support to IISL in various functions. With the backdrop of work experience in UNOOSA and DLR, and with a continuous engagement of discourses on Space Law tempered with an analytical articulation, Scarlet represents a fine example of the energetic new generation that links the rich traditions of space law with the renewed pathways of future generations. For more information on this year’s young achievers, see also here: Diederiks-Verschoor Award The Diederiks-Verschoor Award 2024 was presented to this year’s winner David Eagleson by Mark Sundahl and Mahulena Hofmann. The IISL Board of Directors additionally annually grants the Prof. Dr I.H.Ph. Diederiks-Verschoor Award, given to the best paper accepted for presentation at the Institute’s Colloquium during the IAC by an author not older than 30 years and who has not published more than five papers in the Proceedings of IISL Colloquia. A medal is donated each year by the initiator of the Award, Prof. Oscar Fernandez Brital from Argentina. Awardees 2023 IISL presented the 2023 Awardees who were not presented with their Awards in person last year, during this year’s ceremony. For a full list of IISL Awardees please see here. Lifetime Achievement Award The Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 was presented to Lesley Jane Smith. Lesley Jane Smith was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for two decades of distinctive contribution to IISL. Various roles, including the current position of Vice-President of the Board of Directors, Director, International Programme Committee Co-Chair to name a few. She also contributed to establishment of strong cooperation between the IISL and the International Astronautical Federation, among other things having served as the legal counsel of the IAF and working tirelessly for over a decade to coordinate