Business, human rights and international space law: filling the gaps of corporate accountability in the ʼnew space’

Chiara Macchi*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Both policy-makers and scholars have thus far paid limited attention to the human rights and environmental implications of the private sector’s growing involvement in outer space. Moreover, international space law is currently ill-equipped to ensure accountability of corporations for the possible impacts of their outer space activities. The business and human rights movement emerged from similar challenges, including the lack of international human rights law standards enforceable on private corporations and issues of extraterritorial regulation. This Chapter examines the persisting gaps of corporate accountability under international space law and the risk of allowing a ʼnew space race’ to ramp up without adequate multilateral regulations in place. It then looks at the human rights and environmental due diligence legislations currently emerging in Europe to assess whether they could apply to the outer space activities of corporations and contribute to bridge some of these governance gaps.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationRegulation of Outer Space
Subtitle of host publicationInternational Space Law and the State
EditorsClaudia Cinelli
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherRoutledge
Pages51-92
Number of pages42
ISBN (Electronic)9781040216408
ISBN (Print)9781032649061
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Aug 2024

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