Emerging and Established Spacefaring Nations Discuss the Governing of Space Activity at Wilton Park.

Monday, March 20, 2017

In association with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London; Federal Foreign Office, Berlin; and Airbus Defence and Space; Secure World Foundation co-sponsored "Governing Space Activity in the 21st Century," A Wilton Park Conference.

This event brought together representatives of government, industry, and the scientific community from developed and developing nations to assess the prospects for improving the governance of human activity in outer space. Representatives from 20 countries participated in the conference discussions.

The economic security of countries is increasingly reliant on space-based technology and activities. There has also been a significant shift towards industry, rather than government, being primarily responsible for activity in space. Lines between commercial, government, and defense systems in space have become blurred, and unilateral space activities are being replaced by bilateral, regional and multinational activities.

The growth in amount of human space-activity, coupled with the increased diversity of space operators, makes it both more complicated and more necessary to develop new norms and rules governing human activity in space. This event heard from a diversity of stakeholders on this topic with a particular emphasis on the voice of industry from emerging and established space faring nations.

An event report is forthcoming. For more information see the event page here.