SWF Statement – UN COPUOS LSC, Agenda Item 15: Legal Models for Space Resource Activities (March–April 2022)

Secure World Foundation provides recommendations for developing legal frameworks to govern the exploration, exploitation, and utilization of space resources, in alignment with the Outer Space Treaty. SWF emphasizes that such frameworks must support both Article I (freedom of exploration and use) and Article II (prohibition of national appropriation).

Key points include:

• Upholding Treaty Principles:
  SWF supports balanced implementation of OST Articles I and II, ensuring access and use without permitting national appropriation. Legal models should enable use, including possession and transfer of resources, without sovereignty claims.
• Sustainability and Governance Needs:
  Effective governance must integrate environmental protection, heritage considerations, safety of operations, and non-interference to ensure long-term, sustainable space activity.
• Working Group Support:
  Welcomes the Subcommittee’s Working Group on Space Resources and supports the inclusion of observer input, noting the importance of interdisciplinary expertise from civil society, NGOs, engineers, scientists, and policy professionals.
• Civil Society Contributions:
  SWF emphasizes the value of civil society participation in building adaptive, inclusive legal frameworks responsive to evolving technologies and practices.
• Reference to Hague Building Blocks:
  Suggests the Hague Working Group’s Building Blocks as a starting point for discussions—though not necessarily to be adopted wholesale.

The Foundation concludes by affirming its commitment to working alongside the Committee in shaping responsible and cooperative space resource governance.

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