Brian Weeden Participates in the Kick-Off Meeting for the McGill Manual on International Law and Military Uses of Outer Space

Friday, October 7, 2016

SWF Technical Advisor Brian Weeden participated in the kick-off meeting for the Manual on International law Applicable to the Military Uses of Outer Space (MILAMOS) Project in Montreal, Canada. The meeting was organized by McGill University, which, along with Adelaide University, are founding institutions in the MILAMOS Project. The purpose of the project is to develop a widely-accepted manual clarifying the fundamental rules of international law applicable to the military use of outer space, in times of peace, as well as in periods of tension and in outright armed conflict. Manuals already exist for other domains such as maritime and cyber, and have proven to be valuable aids for military practitioners in developing rules of engagement and determining the legality of military activities and actions. 

The workshop brought together world-renowned lawyers in space law, international humanitarian law, and public international law, together with military lawyers and technical experts from more than a dozen countries to begin the development of the Manual. The lawyers will be working in groups over the next three years to develop rules for how international law applies to military and intelligence activities in space. Mr. Weeden will serve as a technical expert advising one of the groups.