Ibadan, 2 December 2022. – The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) have agreed to collaborate under the “Space Law for New Space Actors” project. The collaboration will include a technical advisory mission to Nairobi, Kenya, in the first half of 2023 to provide capacity-building and legal advisory services tailored to regulatory authorities in Kenya.
The mission will assess Kenya’s needs in the area of international space law, taking into account the country’s specific judicial, administrative, and technical requirements. In light of this, the project’s primary objectives are to establish a cross-government focal point network to organize international expertise and provide peer-to-peer networking opportunities, in-person training, and joint promotion of the project as it is implemented.
The Space Law for New Space Actors project offers UN Member States ad-hoc capacity-building to draft national space legislation and/or national space policies in line with international space law and the normative framework to achieve the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. Furthermore, the project raises awareness of and promotes adherence to the existing normative framework governing outer space activities, particularly the five international space law treaties developed and concluded under the United Nations, namely the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).
Acting Director of UNOOSA, Niklas Hedman, said: “we are looking forward to the opportunity to deliver capacity-building and advisory services to the country. We are confident that this activity will result in greater acceptance, adherence to, and implementation of the United Nations Treaties on Outer Space, as well as possible new space legislation, policy, or strategies in Kenya.”
Likewise, Kenya Space Agency Ag Director General Brigadier Hillary B. Kipkosgey said: “Kenya appreciates the support and goodwill of France as a donor country to facilitate experts from UNOOSA to offer technical expertise and guidance as we seek to create an enabling policy and legal and regulatory framework for space activities in Kenya. We look forward to future collaborations and partnerships.”
