The final report of the IISL Expert Initiative on Information-Sharing and Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty was submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) ahead of the 2026 session of its Legal Subcommittee.

In early 2026, IISL members were invited to participate in a new format of collaboration: the Expert Initiative, designed as a short, intensive working process to gather input from across the membership. The Initiative’s primary objective was to produce a working paper for submission to UN COPUOS at the sixty-fifth session of its Legal Subcommittee.

The resulting report was reviewed by the IISL Board of Directors at its spring 2026 meeting and approved as an official IISL document prior to its submission to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), which serves as the Secretariat of UN COPUOS.

Members of the IISL Expert Initiative on Article XI Outer Space Treaty

The Expert Initiative operated under significant time constraints and with a clearly defined mandate. Participating experts contributed with remarkable dedication and energy, and IISL expresses its sincere appreciation for their commitment.

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

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

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

Coordinator
Scarlet O’Donnell, Germany

Final Working Paper by the Expert Initiative

Find below the IISL document of the IISL Expert Initiative on Information-Sharing and Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty, entitled: “An Expert Legal Analysis of Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty” and submitted to the 2026 Session of the Legal Subcommittee of UN COPUOS.

More information

More information on the IISL Expert Initiative on Information-Sharing and Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty can be found on its dedicated webpage:

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