AwaitingLaunch_1397728623369

those with assets in space, those that use assets in space, and those that will
use such assets in the future. At the same time, no state or international
organisation possesses the sovereign authority or responsibility for regulating
space.
So as the space sector and our dependence on it continues to evolve rapidly,
it is a continued challenge for the international community to adapt fast in
order to understand how to deal with space security, as a part of the overall
picture of the global security environment. It therefore follows that any
adequate response to ensure space security needs to be a global one, where
the international community works together to prevent significant harmful
behavior.
Unfortunately, the international policymaking community has been unable to
achieve any global tools that will help address the concerns that increasing
outer space activities has led to. Traditional multilateral forums like the CD,
the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) or the UNGA
have failed to achieve any tangible results, largely because international
discussions tend to apply the consensus rule, or the idea that all governments
need to be fully onboard before agreements can be made.
Over the last two decades, most international agreements on security and
disarmament issues have developed through more dynamic processes, with a
smaller group of states driving the agenda forward. Negotiations on issues
like landmines or cluster munitions showed that a committed group of
international policy-makers can take the lead in developing norms to address
global problems, no matter if all governments are initially on board or not.
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The ICoC is, therefore, an example of a recent trend in security policies, to
move beyond deadlocked forums and traditional framing of problems, to
encouraging creative thinking and alternative methods of moving forward.
While the code is intended to be a voluntary and non-binding agreement, it is
a first step towards addressing the global security concerns caused by our
increased presence in outer space. The ICoC is a creative attempt to move a
stagnated issue forward, and with this initiative, the EU might have rescued
the space issue from the deadlocked bodies of the UN. However, the ICoC is
far from a complete solution for the challenges in outer space that the
international community is facing.
120 | Awaiting Launch: Perspectives on the Draft ICoC for Outer Space Activities