Codification and progressive development of international space law through soft law

Abstract

The article suggests the reinterpretation of classical international law terms: the codification and progressive development, in order to carry out an in-depth analysis of the development processes in international space law. Since no new global treaties in this regard have been made since 1979, an instrument which seems to allow for substantial changes in international space law is soft law norms. In this context, codification in international space law can also be understood as enhancement of the normative importance of standards that are mainly contained in the resolutions adopted by the  General Assembly. Consequently, codification may be considered as a systematisation of guidelines which create no controversies in fields where
there has already been extensive State practice in place. Similarly, progressive development of international space law can be understood as a preparation of drafts of standards on subjects not yet regulated by soft law documents. At the same time, the failure of the initiative of the International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities shows that the soft law method of regulation cannot be considered as a universal remedy to address the difficulties of international communities in the process of norm creation.