Property Rights: Statement of the Board of Directors of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), 22 March 2009

摘要

In 2004, the Board of Directors of the IISL, an international non-governmental organisation, issued a statement relating to the issue of 'property rights' in outer space. The statement can be found on the website of the IISL, at http://www.iislweb.org/ publications.html.rnIn view of recent misleading views and discussions on this subject in the press, the Board considers that it is appropriate to further clarify a number of salient points as follows:rnInternational Law establishes a number of unambiguous principles, according to which the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is permitted for the benefit of mankind, but any purported attempt to claim ownership of any part of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, or authorisation of such claims by national legislation, is forbidden as following from the explicit prohibition of appropriation, and consequently is prohibited and unlawful.