Digital tools: Space Law for New Space Actors

Result of Service Expected tangible and measurable output(s)/deliverable(s):

• Delivery of the updated list of national space legislation and policy, and the treaty status collected.
• An updated space law for new space actors’ webpage.
• An updated national space law and regulations webpage.
• An updated data converted into the newly developed ASTRO database.
• Delivery of the updated space law e-learning modules.

• Assist the delivery of Technical Advisory Mission, as may be needed.

  Work Location Home-based

  Expected duration 06.02.2023 - 31.07.2023

  Duties and Responsibilities Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2017, the UN Outer Space Treaty (OST) is the foundation of international space law. Since the OST, governments have agreed, through the UN, a growing list of treaties, principals and guidelines that, collectively, constitute the normative framework governing activities in outer space. This framework has been instrumental in sustaining over half a century of exponential growth in space activities and the global space economy.

Today, stakeholders around the world are accessing the space environment and investing their political and economic capital in space activities. With this explosion of new actors, there is a pressing need to enhance efforts to raise awareness of, and adherence to, the existing normative framework governing outer space activities. In particular, the registration of space objects is a key to maintain safe, stable and sustainable environment of outer space.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) works with stakeholders across the legal, policy and capacity building aspects of international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. In this context, UNOOSA offers space law capacity-building and legal advisory services, targeted and tailored, for regulatory authorities of new and emerging space-faring nations.

Such programmatic activities facilitate emerging space faring nations to draft national space law and/or national space policy that is in line with international space law. Furthermore, the project will contribute to raising global adherence to- and awareness of- the existing international and legal instruments on outer space, for the benefit of established and emerging space faring nations alike. Since its launch of the project the request to receive the legal advisory have increased and placing an increasingly heavy workload on the Office.

Under the supervision of the First Reporting Officer, and overall guidance of the Director, the consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Organization of the online kick-off meeting to discuss on the tasks throughout the consultancy period.
• Update the national space law and regulations webpage using online public resources and information provided by Member States.
• Liaise with ITS and Member States on gathering information and developing the database.
• Gather and collect national space legislation data and the treaty status data.
• Convert the national space legislation data and the treaty status data into the newly developed Accessing Space Treaty Resources Online (ASTRO) database.
• Update the Space Law for New Space Actors project webpage.
• Update the national space law and regulations webpage.
• Update of the e-learnings and liaise with staff of Office and UNODC.
• Enable the participants to access the e-learnings under the project.
• Set up the IT related platform in order to organize virtual/hybrid events and meetings, as well as preparing minutes as may be necessary.
• To collect necessary data from participants to technical advisory mission.
• To support the delivery of the technical advisory mission events online and in-person.
• To support drafting narrative section of donor reports.
• To assist publication with EPU for the project report.
• One 5-day mission to Vienna to interact with Vienna based representatives to collect national space legislation data and in-person meetings with representatives seeking for legal advisory services taking advantage of the Legal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space scheduled from 20 to 31 March 2023.

• One 7-day mission to Vienna to interact with Vienna based representatives to collect national space legislation data and in-person meetings with representatives seeking for legal advisory services taking advantage of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space scheduled from 31 May to 10 June 2023 and also to assist the Technical Advisory Mission in Vienna in the week of 12 June 2023.

  Qualifications/special skills - Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in international law, policy or relations is required

• A first level university degree in law or policy in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• At least one (1) year working experience in the field of international relations is required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills is required.
• Experience in managing development of digital tools such as database and e-learning tools is required.
• Experience in maintaining and updating webpages is required.
• Familiarity with outer space activities, and the ability to understand related political and policy developments, is required.
• Experience in drafting terms of reference for digital tools is desirable.
• Experience in communicating with delegates from Member States of the permanent missions is desirable.
• Familiarity with the work of national space legislation is desirable.
• Experience working in international organizations/governmental entities or private sector engaged in activities related to outer space and space exploration is desirable.

• Familiarity with outer space activities, and the ability to understand related political and policy developments, is required.

  Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required; knowledge of another United Nations language is an advantage.

  No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.