--- title: "2026 National Rounds of the Manfred Lachs Space Law" description: "2026 National Rounds of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition is a moot court conference in Nairobi, Kenya, Mar 17, 2026." url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/conferences/moot-court/2026-national-rounds-of-the-manfred-lachs-space-law-moot-court-competition-2026" --- # 2026 National Rounds of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition Mar 17, 2026[Nairobi, Kenya](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1\&query=Nairobi%2C%20Kenya)In-person [Registration open](https://ynews.digital/governance/kenya-national-space-law-moot-2026/) The 2026 National Rounds of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition are set to take place in Nairobi, Kenya. This event provides a platform for college-level students to engage with complex issues in space law, honing their advocacy and legal research skills. The competition focuses on hypothetical cases before the International Court of Justice, addressing contemporary challenges in outer space activities. ## Committees & topics - Topics The Evolving Framework of International Space Law · Foundations and Contemporary Pressures on Public International Law ## Why it matters The Manfred Lachs [Space](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/space) Law Moot Court Competition is a critical forum for cultivating expertise in a rapidly evolving legal domain. As space activities proliferate, encompassing everything from satellite deployment to resource exploration, the need for skilled legal professionals who understand the nuances of international space law becomes increasingly vital. This competition helps to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, preparing the next generation of lawyers to navigate the intricate legal frameworks governing outer space. The competition's focus on the International Court of Justice underscores the importance of international cooperation and dispute resolution in space. Participants are challenged to articulate legal arguments grounded in treaties such as the "[Outer Space Treaty](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/outer-space-treaty)", as well as customary international law, reflecting the global nature of space governance. By simulating real-world legal challenges, the event contributes to a deeper understanding of how international law applies to new technologies and emerging spacefaring nations. The event in KEN highlights the growing interest and participation from countries across the globe in shaping the future of space law. ## How to prepare Participants in the Manfred Lachs [Space](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/space) Law Moot Court Competition should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the foundational principles of international space law. This includes a deep understanding of key treaties and conventions, as well as an awareness of current developments and debates in the field. Effective preparation will involve extensive legal research, critical analysis of hypothetical case problems, and the development of persuasive oral and written arguments. Given the competition's format, which simulates proceedings before the International Court of Justice, students must also develop strong advocacy skills. This entails not only presenting clear and concise legal arguments but also responding effectively to judicial questioning and engaging in rigorous debate. Understanding the procedural aspects of international tribunals and the art of legal persuasion will be crucial for success. Teams should also consider the broader geopolitical context of space activities, as this often influences the interpretation and application of space law. ## Country perspectives Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile. [Kenya](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/kenya) [As the host nation, KEN demonstrates a commitment to fostering expertise in space law and engaging with the international space community.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/kenya) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/kenya) [Hosting the national rounds of this competition positions KEN as a growing hub for legal education and discourse on emerging international law topics, particularly in the African region. It signifies an interest in developing domestic capacity in space governance and contributing to global discussions on the peaceful uses of outer space.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/kenya) [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [A major spacefaring nation, the USA emphasizes commercial space activities and the development of international norms.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [The USA is a significant actor in space law, advocating for policies that support private sector innovation while upholding international obligations. Its legal frameworks often influence global discussions on topics such as space debris mitigation and the regulation of new space technologies.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [CHN is rapidly expanding its space capabilities and is increasingly influential in shaping international space law.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [As a leading space power, CHN's approach to space law is characterized by a focus on national interests and a growing role in multilateral forums. Its expanding space program necessitates robust legal frameworks for its own activities and contributes to the evolving landscape of international space governance.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [IND is an emerging space power, balancing national development with international cooperation in space.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [IND's space program, supported by initiatives like "IN-SPACe and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)" and the "Indian Space Policy 2023", is a key player in the global space arena. Its legal and policy developments, including those related to the "Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport", are increasingly relevant to international space law discussions.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Luxembourg](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/luxembourg) [LUX is a pioneer in space resource legislation, advocating for legal frameworks that enable commercial space mining.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/luxembourg) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/luxembourg) [LUX has taken a proactive stance in developing national legislation to facilitate the commercial exploitation of space resources, sparking international debate on the interpretation of the "Outer Space Treaty" regarding property rights in space. Its legal innovations are closely watched by other nations considering similar policies.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/luxembourg) ## Topics & background The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it. 1 ### The Evolving Framework of International Space Law International space law emerged from Cold War anxieties about the militarization of the new frontier opened by Sputnik in 1957. The United Nations responded by establishing the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in 1959, which produced the foundational 1967 Outer Space Treaty (OST). The OST declared space the 'province of all mankind,' prohibited national appropriation of celestial bodies, banned weapons of mass destruction in orbit, and assigned state responsibility for national activities, including those of private actors. It was complemented by four further instruments: the 1968 Rescue Agreement, the 1972 Liability Convention, the 1975 Registration Convention, and the 1979 Moon Agreement, the last of which attracted few ratifications and remains contested. The legal regime was designed for a small club of state launchers, but space activity has since diversified dramatically. Mega-constellations such as Starlink, the rise of commercial launch providers, lunar return programs including Artemis and Chang'e, planned asteroid and lunar resource extraction, and counterspace capabilities demonstrated by destructive anti-satellite (ASAT) tests have all outpaced existing rules. The 2015 U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act and similar laws in Luxembourg, the UAE, and Japan asserted domestic rights to space resources, while the U.S.-led Artemis Accords and the China-Russia International Lunar Research Station offer competing interpretive frameworks for lunar governance. Today, debate focuses on whether the OST regime can absorb these pressures or requires new instruments. UN COPUOS Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines (adopted 2019) address orbital debris and traffic coordination, while the Working Group on Space Resources is drafting recommended principles. Negotiations on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) at the Conference on Disarmament remain deadlocked, and liability for collisions, cyber interference with satellites, and large-constellation interference with astronomy remain unresolved. The Manfred Lachs problem set traditionally requires delegates to apply these treaties to fact patterns involving private actors, dual-use technology, and contested resource rights. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Largest commercial and military space power; leads the Artemis Accords and pioneered domestic space resource legislation.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Historic space power; co-sponsor with China of the draft PPWT treaty against weaponization of space.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Rapidly expanding civil and military space program; partners with Russia on lunar governance alternatives.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [Luxembourg](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/luxembourg) [First European state to enact a space resources law; hub for asteroid-mining ventures.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/luxembourg) - [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Major launching state and ASAT-capable nation following its 2019 Mission Shakti test.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) - [United Arab Emirates](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [Emerging space actor; Artemis Accords signatory with active lunar and Mars science programs.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) 2 ### Foundations and Contemporary Pressures on Public International Law Modern public international law traces its lineage to the Westphalian settlement of 1648 and the writings of Grotius, but its institutional form is largely a twentieth-century creation. The League of Nations (1920) and its successor the United Nations (1945) established the prohibition on the use of force, the principle of sovereign equality, and a framework of multilateral treaty-making. The Statute of the International Court of Justice codified the recognized sources of international law in Article 38: treaties, customary international law, general principles, and, as subsidiary means, judicial decisions and scholarly writings. Subsequent decades produced specialized regimes governing human rights, the law of the sea (UNCLOS, 1982), trade (GATT/WTO), international criminal accountability (the ad hoc tribunals and the 1998 Rome Statute), and the environment. For the purposes of a space law moot, the general international law backdrop is essential because the lex specialis of the OST regime sits atop default rules on treaty interpretation (Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969), state responsibility (ILC Articles, 2001), jurisdiction, attribution of private conduct, and dispute settlement. Concepts such as due diligence, the no-harm principle articulated in Trail Smelter and Corfu Channel, and countermeasures regularly surface when adjudicating cross-border harms in orbit or on celestial bodies. The ICJ's advisory and contentious jurisdiction, arbitration under the PCA, and dispute mechanisms embedded in sectoral treaties provide the procedural architecture moot teams must navigate. Contemporary international law faces significant strain. Great-power competition has weakened the Security Council, the WTO Appellate Body remains paralyzed, and challenges to universal jurisdiction and ICC authority continue. At the same time, new domains — cyberspace, artificial intelligence, the deep seabed, and outer space — test whether existing customary rules can be extended by analogy or whether fresh treaty-making is required. Debates over fragmentation, the persistent objector doctrine, and the binding force of soft-law instruments such as UN General Assembly resolutions and COPUOS guidelines are particularly relevant when moot problems blur the line between emerging norms and established law. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Dominant treaty negotiator and frequent litigant; selectively engages with international adjudication.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [United Kingdom](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [Permanent Security Council member and major contributor to customary law through state practice and ICJ jurisprudence.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) - [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Active proponent of multilateralism, ICC, and codification through the ILC.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Increasingly assertive in shaping international law on sovereignty, development, and new domains.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Veto-wielding Council member; contests Western interpretations of use-of-force and intervention norms.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) - [Netherlands](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/netherlands) [Host of the ICJ, ICC, and PCA; long-standing champion of international adjudication.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/netherlands) ## Resources News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for 2026 National Rounds of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition. Recent reporting to ground your prep [Canada's Saab GlobalEye Deal Shifts Defense](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/canadas-saab-globaleye-deal-shifts-defense) [U.S. House Passes Alert Act for Aviation](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/us-house-passes-alert-act-to-enhance-aviation-safety) [California Chemical Leak Forces Evacuations](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/california-chemical-leak-forces-evacuations) [Isaacman Advocates NASA's Shift to In-House](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/isaacman-uses-huntsville-to-redraw-nasas-boundaries) The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance [Kenya](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/kenya) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/kenya) [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Luxembourg](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/luxembourg) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/luxembourg) [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [United Arab Emirates](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-arab-emirates) [United Kingdom](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-kingdom) [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Netherlands](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/netherlands) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/netherlands) ## Frequently asked questions - - - Free account Save conferences, research any topic with AI, build position papers, and keep your daily prep streak — free. 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