International Treaties
The Space Law Convention is a multilateral treaty that underwent extensive drafting and negotiation prior to the onset of the crisis, primarily modeled on the frameworks of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Antarctic Treaty. The Crisis Addendum comprises the core provisions appended to the Convention by major powers following the announcement of the crisis, and serves as the legal basis for the majority of the Council's external affairs.
Key Points of the Space Law Convention
- Prior to the Crisis, the Convention limited its scope of application to solar system resources within the Kuiper Belt.
- The treaty shall remain in force for a period of fifty years.
- The Convention affirms the freedom of space exploration and scientific investigation by all States within the solar system in accordance with international law.
Excerpts from the Space Law Convention
Preamble and Selected Articles of the Space Law Convention (Authentic Chinese Text)
Preamble (Extract)
The States Parties to this Convention, Recognizing that the exploration, exploitation, and utilization of natural resources in the solar system affect the common interests of mankind, and Convinced that the establishment of a legal order to which all States can adhere for this purpose will contribute to the peaceful use of outer space and international cooperation,
Agree as follows:
Article 1 This Convention shall apply to the exploration, exploitation, and other economic activities concerning natural resources in the solar system within the Kuiper Belt.
Article 4 Each State Party shall enjoy freedom of space exploration and freedom of scientific investigation in the solar system in accordance with international law. No State Party may, on the pretext of this Convention, hinder activities conducted by other States Parties in accordance with this Article.
Article 9 Disputes between States Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention shall first be submitted to the Convention Dispute Committee for mediation; if mediation fails, any State Party may submit the dispute to the International Court of Justice.
Article 15 This Convention shall remain in force for fifty years from the date of its entry into force. Prior to the expiration of its validity period, the Conference of the Contracting Parties may decide on the continuation or revision of the Convention.
Status of Ratification and Entry into Force
| Instruments | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Space Law Convention | Open for signature and entry into force prior to the announcement of the Crisis | Ninety-six States are currently Parties; the authentic texts are in the six official languages |
| "Crisis Supplementary Provisions" | Signed by major Powers; entered into force in Year 2 of the Crisis Era | Confirmed by Resolution 5(2) of the Council; applicable to all Parties to the Convention |
Full Text of the Crisis Addendum
Crisis Addendum to the Space Law Convention (Effective Year 2 of the Crisis Era)
Article 1 Development of natural resources in the solar system beyond the Kuiper Belt and other economic activities shall be conducted within the framework of the United Nations.
Article 2 The term "natural resources" as used in this Addendum primarily refers to resources not occupied by civilizations other than humanity.
Article 3 This Addendum provides, for the first time in international law, a definition of the term "civilization": any group of intelligent beings possessing autonomous technological capabilities and capable of establishing facts of development or occupation of solar system resources, regardless of their form of existence, constitutes a civilization within the meaning of this Addendum.
Article 4 The determination of the status of being "occupied by a civilization other than humanity" shall be made by the Planetary Defense Council, and all contracting States shall recognize the validity of such determination.
Article 5 This paragraph shall have the same force and effect as the Space Law Convention, and its validity shall correspond to that of the main text of the Convention.
Commentary on Articles (Public Explanation by the Planetary Defense Council Secretariat)
- The Crisis Supplementary Provisions extend the scope of application of the United Nations framework from within the Kuiper Belt to the entire Solar System, serving as the legal basis for the Council’s coordination of outer Solar System defense projects.
- Articles 2 and 3 together establish an important inference: once the fact of the Trisolaran invasion is confirmed, resources within the Solar System are legally deemed "unoccupied" — human defense is not against property rights, but against existence itself.
- The Stars Plan limits its registration scope to areas more than 100 light-years from the Solar System, precisely to remain consistent with Article 2 of the Supplementary Article.