Thursday, March 6, 2023
(Virtual)
The first cohort of SWF Space Sustainability Research Fellows will present their research and findings on ‘space as a global commons’ and ‘polycentric approaches to space governance’ on March 6, 2023. Claire Oto researched issues of polycentric governance in outer space. Daniel Patton researched issues of space as a global commons. Claire Oto’s full Report and Executive Summary on polycentricity, and Daniel Patton’s full Report and Executive Summary on the commons in space will be posted online and sent to registrants before the webinar.
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH
Claire Oto, a Senior Policy Analyst at the University of Virginia’s National Security Policy Center, explored issues of polycentric decision-making in global space governance. The research questions posed to Claire included:
- How does the existing body of literature on polycentric governance inform how we should be approaching space governance?
- What are the missing mechanisms, institutions, and stakeholders that need to be created or brought into the discussion?
- What should be the priority in applying polycentric governance concepts in near-term work to bolster space governance and enhance long-term sustainability, safety, and security of outer space?
Daniel Patton, an Environmental Specialist in Huntsville, Alabama, was tasked with developing a better understanding of the question, “Is Outer Space a Global Commons?” The research questions posed to Daniel included:
- Is outer space actually a ‘global commons’ or a ‘common pool resource’?
- How can concepts from the governance of the commons & common pool resources productively inform various space policy discussions?
- Are there approaches from the governance of other shared domains (air, sea, cyber, Antarctica, the environment) that might be usefully transposed to space governance?
- What concepts from those shared domains do not translate well to outer space?
For more information please contact SWF Space Law Advisor, Mr. Christopher Johnson.
