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of negotiations and creating more incentives for decision-makers to achieve
agreements.
Millions of individuals increasingly rely on space on a daily basis for
providing essential services, including weather forecasting, communications,
search-and-rescue operations and navigation. This issue is, therefore, not
only a concern for government officials and private corporations acting in
space, but should be an interest for the wider public. Civil society
participation is a crucial part of ensuring that this issue gets the attention it
deserves.
Conclusion
The process of developing an ICoC has been a welcome step forward in
addressing the global concerns around sustainable space behaviour. As the
world grow more and more dependent on space activities, governments need
to take responsibility for protecting the global environment and ensuring safe
behaviour. Though not legally binding, an international code could be the
most significant normative step that captures the interests of all current
space faring nations, but also the future ones.
It is encouraging to see a group of governments like the EU taking
responsibility for a global problem and working towards concrete efforts to
solve such issues. This is a part of a bigger trend in international security and
disarmament processes, as it avoids certain states being able to block
progress.
However, these kinds of processes also provide a set of challenges. In order
for the ICoC to become a successful global norm-setting tool, the supportive
states must make more efforts to listen to considerations and concerns from
governments around the world.
However, these kinds
of processes also
provide a set of
challenges. In order
for the ICoC to
become a successful
global norm-setting
tool, the supportive
states must make
more efforts to listen
to considerations and
concerns from
governments around
the world.
The EU needs to continue building support and holding consultations on the
Code, and encouraging governments to engage in the process of finalising
ICoC. The EU should focus on ensuring the broad participation of a wide
range of actors, such as regional diverse group of states, regional and
international organisations and civil society. As the ICoC process is taking
place outside the traditional forums in the UN, it is particularly important to
ICoC for Outer Space Activities: An Industry Perspective | www.orfonline.org 123