Due to the increased importance of space use and the deteriorating global security situation, the government of the Netherlands has requested the Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) to advise on how the Dutch government should respond to security developments in the space domain. The CAVV is co-advisor in this advisory report.
In Chapter 3, the CAVV addresses the legal regulation of security challenges in space and recommends the government to urgently address the further development of international regulation of security challenges in the space domain.
[The original advisory report in Dutch has been published on June 23, 2025. An English translation of the advisory report has been available since December 10, 2025.]
The CAVV recommends the government the following:
• International space law governs activities in and related to outer space. Other bodies of international law, such as international humanitarian law and the UN Charter, also apply in this domain. The newly established (2024) UN Open-Ended Working Group on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space in All its Aspects under the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) provides an ideal platform for the inclusive development of international regulations addressing security challenges in space. Actively engage in this forum to advocate for widely supported recommendations that aim to prevent further militarisation of space and that can gain widespread support. This includes pushing for the cessation of the development of anti-satellite weapons and emphasising the need for robust regulation of dual-use technologies.
• UNCOPUOS is developing rules and standards to address the non-military security challenges arising from the increasing use of outer space. Advocate for further regulatory development, particularly regarding states’ responsibilities to mitigate and remove their space debris, the consent requirements for debris-removal missions, and the establishment of clear mechanism, modelled on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme. This would enable UNCOPUOS not only to regulate safe practices in space but also to effectively monitor the implementation of the guidelines it develops.
• In this process, ensure that soft law initiatives outside the UN, such as the Artemis Accords, do not conflict with the Netherlands’ existing treaty obligations under the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Agreement. Continue to uphold the widely supported international consensus that the exploration and use of outer space are to be ‘the province of all mankind’ (article 1 of the Outer Space Treaty) and that the Moon, as well as other celestial bodies, shall be used exclusively for ‘peaceful purposes’.