Committee Mandate
1. Sponsor at least one session devoted specifically to space law topics at the ILW held in October in NYC.
2. Jointly sponsor with other ABILA committees another session on topics directly relevant to space law but have clear analogies to topics of interest to other committees of ABILA. The Committees on the Law of the Seas, International Commercial Law, United Nations Law, and International Environmental Law would be obvious candidates for joint sessions.
3. Undertake Research Projects on Space Law Activities
a. A broad research/panel topic focused on unresolved issues of liability for accidents in space that would address possible changes to the current Liability Convention.
b. A second topic on the emerging issue of how to manage both the scientific and commercial utilization of resources in space as the technology of the 21st Century develops sufficiently to enable governments and companies to reach and use those resources that are found on the Moon, Asteroids, and other planets such as Mars.
4. Issue Periodic reports as appropriate based on summaries of the panel presentations and discussions, additional research by members of the Committee, and notes on issues of current importance.
ILW 2024 Panel: Empowering international law to address rising tensions in outer space: The Woomera Manual on the International Law of Military Space Activities and Operations
ILW 2023 Panel: Outer Space and Earth Interactions within Environmental Governance and Accountability Regimes
ILW 2022 Panel: The International Trade Regime’s Foundations in an Era of Increased Geopolitical Conflict