Non-State Actors in Outer Space
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 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.
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.
IISL President keynote and interview during SDSC 2024
29 October 2024. IISL President Kai-Uwe Schrogl spoke in the context of the Software Defined Space Conference with Remco Timmermans, independent online marketing consultant for space. Schrogl (IISL, ESA) gave a keynote speech together with Tomas Hrozensky (ESPI) and Paul Liias (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, Estonia) on the topic of New Space Policy Initiatives on Day 1 of the Conference. In the interview with Timmermans, he spoke about why the Outer Space Treaty is still as relevant today as when it was drafted in 1967. They also covered how having a national space law supports the development of a space economy in countries like Estonia, and the importance of regulating behaviour of states and commercial actors in space. The interview is available on LinkedIn.