# Exploitation of Space Resources - Multilateralism or Multipolarity? **Date de l'événement :** 24/10/2025 * Publié le 24/10/2025 ### Image ![Group of astronauts and scientists exploring planet surface vector flat illustration. Cosmonauts and rovers doing space researchers. Planet colonization and space exploration mission concept.](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/memory-sp-pr.appspot.com/o/prod%2F1y7CgDOTakHDiB3dgoi0%2FprojectsMedias%2FWj3CykeGzouhJQLEkoVC%2Fthumbs%2Fshutterstock_1994947220_tc1xb_1600x900.png?alt=media&token=afe03b72-0f1c-4f29-bd89-e1b6b5a0c9fc) ## Technological innovation, strategic tension for scarce resources, and novel commercial ambitions have rekindled public interest in space exploration and resource exploitation.  \[....\] From the initial Outer Space Treaty through the establishment of accords joined by a subgroup of countries, her analysis distinguishes between a unilateral trajectory leading to multipolarism and a multilateral approach rooted in international cooperation. Each approach leans on different legal tools and carries distinct interpretations of the non-appropriation principle, the legal nature of celestial body resources, and the meaning of "benefit sharing" under the Outer Space Treaty. Based on this detailed work, Professor Smuclerova outlines the legal consequences and implications of these competing visions for space governance. In particular, the policy brief identifies the guarantees provided by the multilateral approach to all countries, including non-spacefaring and emerging spacefaring countries. The brief culminates in a set of strategic recommendations designed to: * **Leverage multilateral guarantees** embedded in international legal order through active participation in fora such as UN COPUOS * **Support a clear understanding** of current norms and navigate unilateral approaches toward inclusive multilateral forums * **Recognize the legal effects** of silence and inaction in the development of customary international law * **Contribute to the principle of benefit-sharing**, especially for states without independent space resource capabilities * **Acknowledge the special nature** of exhaustible space resources and our common responsibility for sustainable space use This policy brief serves as an essential resource for policymakers, space industry stakeholders, legal experts, and civil society members seeking to understand how space activities intersect with public international law. As technological capabilities advance and commercial interest intensifies, the choices made today will determine whether space becomes a domain of shared prosperity under a rejuvenated multilateral legal order or a multipolar ecosystem structured by geopolitical competition. **Pour lire l'article complet, cliquez sur le lien ci-dessous :** [https://www.sciencespo.fr/api/portal/uploads/Space_Resources_Multilateralism_or_Multipolarity_65946ca32b.pdf](https://www.sciencespo.fr/api/portal/uploads/Space_Resources_Multilateralism_or_Multipolarity_65946ca32b.pdf) ## Auteur(s) Martina Smuclerova ### Date 24/10/2025 ### Type(s) de ressource `#Texte` ### Discipline(s) `#Droit` ### Thématique(s) `#Diplomatie` `#Gouvernance / régulation` ### Langue(s) `#Anglais` ## Crédits photo Pavlo Plakhotia / Shutterstock ### Famille(s) de contenu `#Recherche` `#Vie publique` ### Type(s) d'accès `#Accès libre` ## Droits Les ressources et les images visibles sur Sciences Po Sources sont susceptibles d’être protégées par un droit de propriété intellectuelle (comme par exemple un droit d’auteur ou une marque) qui peuvent appartenir à Sciences Po ou à des tiers. Pour plus de précisions notamment sur les usages autorisés et non autorisés, consulter les [Conditions Particulières d’Utilisation](https://sources.sciencespo.fr/p/cpu). --- ### Navigation pour IA - [Index de tous les contenus](https://sources.sciencespo.fr/llms.txt) - [Plan du site (Sitemap)](https://sources.sciencespo.fr/sitemap.xml) - [Retour à l'accueil](https://sources.sciencespo.fr/)