Direct International Responsibility of Non-Governmental Entities in The Utilization of Outer Space

Abstract

Article VI of the Space Treaty of 1967 defines non-governmental entities as legal concept. However, their responsibility in space activities is not defined comprehensively. The Treaty provides that the activity of non-governmental entities shall require authorization and continuing supervision from the appropriate state party to the Treaty. It suggests that non-governmental entities essentially are not the parties with direct international responsibility for their space activities. In other words, they have indirect international responsibility. On the other hand, commercialization and privatization of outer space have taken place intensively in the last two decades. It designs non-governmental entities as main actors in the exploration of outer space. The fact that non-governmental entities only have indirect international responsibility may lead to create difficult and complicated mechanisms, especially if the non-governmental entities are Multinational Corporations (MNCs). This study uses normative legal research, which is based primarily on the secondary data from library research relate to the responsibility of non-governmental entities for their activities in outer space. This study concluded that non-governmental entities should bear direct international responsibility following the current development in international law, of which, non-state legal subjects such as individual have a direct international responsibility for violations of international law they have committed.