The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) was set up by the UN General Assembly in 1959 to govern the exploration and use of space for the benefit of all humanity: for peace, security and development. The Committee was tasked with reviewing international cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space, studying space-related activities that could be undertaken by the United Nations, encouraging space research programs, and studying legal problems arising from the exploration of outer space.

The Legal Subcommittee (LSC) of COPUOS provides a multilateral forum for Committee members to discuss several legal issues and related topics. The United States sends a delegation of representatives from multiple federal agencies, led by the U.S. Department of State, to participate in the discussions and represent U.S. interests. Items on the COPUOS LSC agenda include, among others:

• National legislation relevant to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space;
• Capacity-building in space law;
• Legal mechanisms relating to space debris mitigation and remediation measures;
• Non-legally binding United Nations instruments on outer space;
• Legal aspects of space traffic management;
• Application of international law to small-satellite activities; and
• Potential legal models for activities in the exploration, exploitation, and utilization of space resources.

Request: In alignment with the U.S. Department of State’s notice on “Private Sector Participation in Domestic and International Events on Spaceflight Safety, Sustainability, and Emerging Markets in Outer Space ” of December 20, 2022 (87 FR 77911), the Department is seeking qualified individuals to participate on the U.S. delegation as private sector advisors to the 62nd session of COPUOS LSC.  Interested individuals should:

• Have experience working in the space sector;
• Currently work for a U.S. academic institution, company, or other non-governmental organization that focuses on space issues; and
• Have expertise and relevant experience in at least one of the topics listed above, with a particular priority on the legal aspects of space resources.

If selected, an individual will participate on the U.S. delegation throughout the COPUOS LSC session. Private sector advisors may be invited to attend delegation meetings, provide informed viewpoints to the delegation on relevant topics, and attend relevant sessions or informal meetings of the 62nd session of COPUOS LSC.

Logistics:

• The 62nd session of the COPUOS LSC is scheduled to meet from March 20 to 31, 2023 in hybrid format with an in-person component at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria.
• There will be two, two-hour sessions of the plenary each weekday. Attendance at the plenary sessions is at the participant’s discretion.
• Participants will not receive compensation for their time or travel expenses, if applicable.
• Participation will be subject to the regulations in Public Notice 665: Participation of Private Sector Representatives on U.S. Delegations (44 F.R. 17846  (Mar. 23, 1979)).
• Consistent with current policy, participants may not be, nor have been at any time during the previous year, registered lobbyists as defined by 2 USC §1601 et. seq.

How to Participate:

To express interest in participating as a private sector advisor on the U.S. delegation, please submit the following material by February 27, 2023:

• A brief description of your organization (max 300 words);
• An explanation of why you would like to participate on the delegation to the 62nd session of COPUOS LSC and how your experience and expertise are relevant to the work of COPUOS (max 500 words); and
• A curriculum vitae.

Please e-mail the above materials to FRN-11940@state.gov.

The expressions of interest will be reviewed and individuals will be informed if they are invited to participate on the delegation by March 6, 2023.

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