Innovation and knowledge derived from space exploration and related activities support economic growth, deliver high returns on investment, generate new technologies and job creation. More countries and non-governmental entities than ever are interested in engaging in these activities. As global interest grows, awareness of and adherence to international space law becomes ever more important. In this regard, UNOOSA is the UN entity responsible for the planning and implementation of activities aimed at building Member State capacity in space law and policy. We have been working with established and emerging space-faring nations on such activities since the Office was established by the UN General Assembly in 1958.
Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2017, the UN Outer Space Treaty (OST) serves as the foundation of international space law. Since the OST, governments have agreed, through the UN, a growing list of treaties, principles, and guidelines that, collectively, constitute the normative framework governing activities in outer space. This framework has been instrumental in sustaining over half a century of exponential growth in space activities and the global space economy.
Today, stakeholders around the world are accessing the space environment and investing their political and economic capital in space activities. With this explosion of new actors, there is a pressing need to enhance efforts to raise awareness of, and adherence to, the existing normative framework governing outer space activities.
These activities facilitate, on request, countries to draft national space law and/or policy that is in line with the international normative framework on space. Furthermore, these services contribute to raising global adherence to - and awareness of - the existing international and legal instruments on outer space, for the benefit of established and emerging space-faring nations alike.
If you are interested in UNOOSA capacity-building and advisory services in international space law, please contact us through the contact details below.
Presentation introducing project to delegates at Legal Subcommittee of COPUOS 2021
The overarching project "Space law for new space actors: fostering responsible national space activities" will be delivered by the Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) to the Member States, upon request, in 4 stages over a 12-month duration:
The e-learning course is available to the participants for the recipient country on the legal advisory services provided through the project Space Law for New Space Actors. The participants to the on-site technical advisory mission, who are selected by the recipient government, will be asked to complete the mandatory e-learning course before the event. UNOOSA has developed 4 learning modules available in English, French, and Spanish languages.
As part of the legal advisory services provided through the Space Law for New Space Actors project, the project conducts technical advisory missions on both the regional and national level for selected representatives of relevant organizations. These technical advisory missions are tailor-made to raise the awareness levels of the fundamental principles of international space law as well as enhance the understanding of the importance of bringing space law and policy into the national context.
Technical Advisory Missions are organized based on the 7 key elements of national space law.
"Report of the Working Group on National Legislation Relevant to the Peaceful Exploration and Use of Outer Space on the work conducted under its multi-year workplan" of 3 April 2012 (A/AC.105/C.2/101) notes that the following elements could be considered by States when enacting regulatory frameworks for national space activities, as appropriate, taking into account the specific needs of the State concerned:
Type of Activity | Target Beneficiaries | Location | Language | Date | Sponsor | Programme | ||
Technical Advisory Mission | Stage 3 | National | Thailand | Online | English | 15-16 December 2022 | Government of Japan | Programme in PDF |
Technical Advisory Mission | Stage 3 | Regional | African Countries | In-Person | English/French | 6-8 December 2022 | Government of Luxembourg | Programme in PDF |
Technical Advisory Mission | Stage 3 | National | Malaysia | Hybrid | English | 21-23 November 2022 | Government of Japan | Programme in PDF |
Technical Advisory Mission | Stage 3 | National | Philippines | Hybrid | English | 18-20 October 2022 | Government of Japan | Programme in PDF |
Raising Awareness | Stage 1 | Regional | Chile | Hybrid | Spanish/
English |
6-8 April 2022 | Government of Chile | Programme in PDF |
Technical Advisory Mission | Stage 3 | Regional | Asia and the Pacific | Online | English | 24-26 January 2022 | Government of Japan | Programme in PDF |
Technical Advisory Mission | Stage 3 | National | Rwanda | Online | English | 19-20 January 2022 | Government of Luxembourg | Programme in PDF |
Technical Advisory Mission | Stage 3 | National | Chile | Online | Spanish | 20-21 October 2021 | Government of Chile | Programme in PDF |
Series of 16 Lectures | Global | Online | English | October 2021 -
March 2022 |
Kyutech | Programme in PDF | ||
Raising Awareness | Stage 1 | Regional | African Countries | Online | English | 7 December 2020 | Government of Luxembourg | Programme in PDF |
Technical Advisory Mission | Stage 3 | National | Chile | Online | Spanish | 13-16 October 2020 | Government of Chile | Programme in PDF |
Type of Activity | Target Beneficiaries | Location | Language | Date | Sponsor | Programme | ||
Technical Advisory Mission | Stage 3 | National | Kenya | In-Person | English | April 2023 | Government of France | |
Technical Advisory Mission | Stage 3 | Regional | Member States of APSCO | In-Person | English | June 2023 | Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) |
The Space Law for New Space Actors project is a multi-donor project funded by voluntary contributions.
This project is made possible through the generous support of the following stakeholders:
The project aims to allow UNOOSA to collaborate with Member States and to respond to requests for legal advisory services in a structured and sustainable manner. In this regard, since the launch of the project, the Office has received over 45 such requests from emerging space-faring nations. Thus, to establish this new approach and to make our work possible, UNOOSA is calling on interest parties to consider supporting such efforts through voluntary contributions.
At the of the year 2022, the Office for Outer Space Affairs launched a new platform, called Accessing Space Treaty Resources Online (ASTRO). It is a collection of international and national instruments on space activities developed by UNOOSA with the generous support of the Government of Luxembourg through the provision of financial means. The objective of the platform is to raise global awareness about and adherence to the five United Nations Space Treaties and additional non-binding instruments relevant to international space law, share best practices, and foster the development of national legislation and policy related to space activities.
Please address all email inquiries on the project to: unoosa-spacelaw@un.org
National Space Law Collection
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here to learn more about UNOOSA's work in the field of space law, including the National Space Law Collection
Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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here to learn more about how space is contributing to SDG 16