Istanbul to host UN space law conference

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) – This September the UN will hold an international conference in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul to discuss issues of space law.

As one of the most significant events of the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs, the UN Conference on Space Law and Policy will be held between Sept. 23-26 with the cooperation of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Space Technologies Research Institute, Turkey Space Agency (TSA), and Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO).

With the founding of the Turkey Space Agency last December, Turkey institutionalized space research and has started to work on the legal and executive dimensions of the issue.

Around 200 international experts who work on space in their own countries as senior executives, lawyers, and academics will attend the UN event, according to TUBITAK.

The extended series of conferences on UN space law and policy, held in 10 different countries since 2002, is meant to enhance the legal and administrative capacity of space activities.

The first conference in the current series, which aims to expand the scope and range of participants, was held in Russia last year. Turkey took part in the conference with both panelists and audience members.

"In today's world, where the number of actors that engage in space activities increases every day, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that all actors comply with the requirements of international space law in developing international and regional space cooperation," the UN said on its website.

The conference, which will be held at Istanbul Technical University, will focus on legal and administrative matters of space activities.

Registration for the conference through the webpages of TUBITAK and the UN will continue through Aug. 9.