THE OPTIONAL RULES OF ARBITRATION OF DISPUTES RELATING TO OUTER SPACE ACTIVITIES OF THE PERMANENT COURT OF ARBITRATION, A REAL OPTION FOR THE SOLUTION OF CONFLICTS IN SPACE MATTER?

摘要

For some years, a project to create optional rules of arbitration of disputes relating to outer space activities had beendiscussed. The development of this project constitutes a fundamental step in the solution of conicts in space matters andwas adopted in December 2011. Although articleIX to XX of the Convention on International Liability for DamageCaused by Space Objects provides a system of solution of conflicts in space activities, this system has been highlycriticized and rendered useless. Despite having some elements of arbitration, the failure of this system can be attributedto several major flaws. To begin with, the agreement does not foresee the creation of a real court but of a commission.Secondly, it lacks an adequate system of enforcing the award which is not obligatory until the States then accede to this.Finally, not all aspects of the procedure are clear and only states parties have access to the mechanism.By contrast, the new regulation solves the problems addressed in the liability Convention. The current regulationforesees the creation of a real court with a very precise procedure as well as a strong enforcement of the awards. Also,parties must resign their immunity of jurisdiction, however more importantly, the regulation foresees the possibility ofthe submission of a diversity of conicts and not only cases of liability. In addition, the system is exible and applies tonot just countries but also to individuals, which is fundamental in a world in which the development of space activitiesis exponential.Therefore, the document seems to be a de_nitive solution to the ? lagoon ? in the corpus iuris spatialis that existed inthis _eld and can be in an important mechanism for interested persons and as a model worldwide. The analysis that willbe done in this paper will demonstrate that the arbitration in space matters will become the principal method of solutionof conflicts in space activities and it is probable that other courts, organisms and chambers of commerce will follow themovement.