Space Security-Relevant International Organizations: UN, ITU, and ISO*

Abstract

The rapidly expanding use of space comes with growing challenges to ensuring the safety and security of space assets. As recognition of the many challenges has spread, there is increasing interest by nation states in the development of multilateral approaches. At the same time, there is not any one international organization that is fully mandated to address the risks and threats to space assets – be they commercial, civilian or military or a combination. Instead, the effort to develop multilateral governance regimes for outer space is complicated by the plethora of bodies with individual remits, bureaucracies and political histories. Thus, while there is now momentum for progress in developing multilateral approaches to space security, the actual achievement of progress faces not only competing state interests but also potentially competing bureaucratic interests that may prove difficult to overcome.

*The views expressed in this article are those solely of the author, not those of either the United Nations or UNIDIR.