Fifty Years of Women in Space - The Law

WILLIAMS, MAUREEN

Viena

Congreso; Fifty years of Women in Space - The Pioneers; 2013

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affaits

  Space activities and the Law Space activities and the Law (unabridged draft) Maureen Williams It is indeed a privilege to share a few thoughts from the standpoint of international law with scientists of such high calibre in the various fields of outer space activities. I am grateful to CONICET, the National Council for Scientific Research of Argentina for its support be here this afternoon representing  the Latin American countries and GRULAC First of all, Madam Moderator, I was thinking that what better illustration of the importance of the role of women in today´s society than the work carried out by you,  as Director of the Office for Outer Space Affairs in Vienna, and your most dedicated and energetic team.  Fifty years ago women made it to space. Mme. Tereshkova was the first of a now long string of examples some of whom are with us today.  But it was Valentina who made the world stand back in wonder on 16 June 1963 and remains the  icon to inspire generations. No doubt a matter of pride In a world where the interdisciplinary approach to science and the law is the sign of the times it is an immense pleasure to be here this afternoon to share with you a few thoughts on the past, the present and the future of space activities. In the next few minutes some landmarks achieved by the UN in the legal field over the past 50 years will be highlighted.  These means five treaties, all of them in force, three sets of Principles and a number of Declarations. Also, of a very recent vintage, are the Optional Rules for Arbitration of Disputes relating to outer space activities, in the framework of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and in the drafting of which I had the honour to take part].These Rules became effective on 6 December 2011 and their main objective was to fill the gaps left by the Space Treaties ?where only states and other subjects of public international law were admitted to dispute settlement procedures. In the current international settings the activities of private parties in space is constantly growing and the access of developing countries to space technologies grow in an unprecedented scale.