AwaitingLaunch_1397728623369

ICoC: Perspectives from Latin
America and the Caribbean
Roberto Becerra and Romina Acevedo
Introduction
According to Yaw OtuMankantaNyampong (2012), the legal framework for
the activities of states in outer space is classified as follows:
•
•
•
International Space Law. Branch of the international law mainly
consisting of the five outer space treaties of the United Nations,
General international law, conventional and customary law, general
principles, legal decisions and analyses of legal experts from different
nations,
New category of guidelines or "soft law", principles and codes of
conduct - they are not binding on states (similar to the Code of
Conduct for Outer Space Activities, presented by the EU).
From the point of view of international space law (treaties and binding
rules), the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS,
hereafter the Committee), through the Legal Subcommittee, has played a
leading role in the progressive development and codification of this legal
branch, becoming the focal point for international cooperation and for the
establishment of rules of peaceful conduct for states in outer space. Its main
contributions include:
Without judging the
actions of some
space actors, it is
obvious that the
current international
regime in outer space
needs to be
broadened and
modified, as well as
incorporate new
regulations that
address the problem
of space debris and
unequal access to the
geostationary orbit, to
mention just two
aspects of the list of
critical issues that
threaten activities of
states in outer space.
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