The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) recently conducted a Space Law Technical Advisory Mission in Morocco as part of its ongoing Space Law Project. The event targeted government officials and highlighted the significance and advantages of establishing national space legislation. Discussions centred on authorisation procedures, oversight mechanisms, spacecraft registration, and also strategies for mitigating space debris.
International Collaboration
The mission brought together experts from various countries and industries, including France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Additionally, they shared their practices and insights on critical space legislation and regulation topics.
The event covered five main areas of discussion:
1. Purpose and Scope of National Space Laws: Experts outlined the key elements of national space legislation. Additionally, they emphasised the importance of ensuring compliance with international space law.
2. Authorisation and Supervision: Participants explored the processes of authorising, licensing, and maintaining ongoing supervision of space activities.
3. State Responsibilities: The mission addressed state responsibility, liability, and also the registration of space objects.
4. Industry Perspective: Experts provided insights into how the space industry navigates national licensing procedures.
5. Space Debris Mitigation: Discussions included regulations and strategies for mitigating space debris, an increasingly important issue in space exploration.
The Government of Italy funded the mission through Sapienza University of Rome, highlighting the international cooperation essential for advancing space law and policy. In addition, other collaborations that contributed to the mission are the governments of Morocco and Italy and the Centre for Remote Sensing (CRTS).
This Technical Advisory Mission represents an important step in UNOOSA’s efforts to promote the development of national space laws and ensure responsible practices in space exploration and utilisation.
Space Law for New Space Actors Project
The UNOOSA-led project provides UN member states with legal advisory services, including customised technical advisory missions at regional and national levels for selected organisational representatives. Additionally, these missions increase awareness of fundamental international space law principles while emphasising the importance of integrating space law and policy into national frameworks. On April 2023, UNOOSA jointly organised a similar event with the Kenya Space Agency at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
Source: https://spaceinafrica.com/2024/09/30/unoosa-hosts-space-law-technical-advisory-mission-in-morocco/
