SWF Statement – UN COPUOS LSC, Agenda Item 6: UN Treaties on Outer Space (April 2024)

Secure World Foundation addresses the evolving membership and treaty status within COPUOS, with a particular focus on the Outer Space Treaty (OST) and the Registration Convention. The statement highlights new treaty accessions, alignment gaps, and pathways for improving participation and governance under existing legal instruments.

Key Highlights:

• COPUOS and OST Alignment:
  • COPUOS has grown to 102 Member States, with Uzbekistan and Guatemala as the newest additions.
  • Panama and Croatia recently ratified the Outer Space Treaty, bringing the total to 114 States Parties, and 22 signatories.
  • 84 States are both COPUOS members and OST Parties, while 10 additional COPUOS members have signed but not yet ratified it.
• Focus on the Registration Convention:
  • Paraguay and Romania joined the Registration Convention in 2023, raising the total to 75 States Parties and 3 signatories.
  • 66 of those States are also COPUOS members, with 3 more being signatories—marking the highest overlap between a UN space treaty and COPUOS membership.
• Implications for Governance:
  • SWF observes that nearly all parties to the Registration Convention may soon be COPUOS members, encouraging a more coherent and inclusive legal dialogue.
  • Liechtenstein—a State Party to the Registration Convention—has applied to be an ad hoc observer at the 2024 session, further closing the alignment gap.
• Call to Consider Treaty Mechanisms:
  • SWF calls attention to Articles IX and X of the Registration Convention, which allow for amendment proposals and conferences of States Parties—tools that could be activated to address emerging space governance challenges.