More than 130 world leaders just completed a week of meetings in New York for the annual opening of the United Nations General Assembly. This high-level week, as it’s called, began with States adopting U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' "Pact for the Future,” a key document generated as part of the "Summit of the Future."

The goal of the Summit, and the pact, is to recharge the idea of global cooperation, which is facing severe strain amid competition between the United States and its allies on the one hand, and Russia and China and their allies on the other. The U.N. meetings also occurred as conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan, and Myanmar, to name just a few, are killing tens of thousands of people and displacing millions.

What were the key outcomes from the Summit of the Future and how might it shape future global diplomacy? And how can the U.N. more broadly remain relevant amid such geopolitical tensions?

This is the Just Security Podcast. I’m your host, Paras Shah. Co-hosting with me today is Just Security’s Washington Senior Editor, Viola Gienger.

Joining the show to assess the high-level week and the Summit of the Future is Richard Ponzio.

Richard is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Stimson Center’s program on Global Governance, Justice & Security.

Show Notes:

• Richard Ponzio (@RichardPonzio)
• Viola Gienger (@ViolaGienger)
• Paras Shah (@pshah518)
• Richard's Just Security article "The UN's New 'Pact for the Future': A Milestone That Can Set a Path for Change"
• Just Security’s UNGA 79 coverage including expert analysis and resources
• Just Security’s U.N. Security Council coverage
• Just Security’s Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Hamas war, and Sudan confect coverage
• Just Security’s Summit of the Future coverage
• Music: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)

Earlier this month, a SpaceX mission called Polaris Dawn launched four civilians into outer space. The crew completed the first ever “commercial spacewalk” while floating more than 800 miles above the Earth’s surface. But private companies aren’t the only ones interested in exploring the stars. Militaries are increasingly using space for a comparative advantage, from Russia’s plans to place a nuclear weapon into orbit to China’s development of anti-satellite weapons for the final frontier.

And while these “new space races” are full of emerging technology, the law that governs outer space is decades old and incomplete. Much of it was developed in the 1960s and 70s. It remains murky and the legal guardrails, where they exist, are largely untested.

Recently, experts from academia, industry, and government have published the Woomera Manual on the International Law of Military Space Activities and Operations. The Manual is the first comprehensive and detailed articulation of how international law applies to military operations in outer space.

What motivated the project of drafting the Manual, and how was it developed? How might it benefit the future development of space law and where do gaps remain?

Co-hosting this episode is Just Security’s Co-Editor-in-Chief, Tess Bridgeman.

Joining the show to discuss the Woomera Manual are two of its editors, Jack Beard and David Koplow. Jack is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Space, Cyber, and National Security Law Program at the University of Nebraska College of Law. David is the Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center where he specializes in public international law and national security law.

Show Notes:

• Jack M. Beard
• David A. Koplow
• Tess Bridgeman (@bridgewriter)
• Paras Shah (@pshah518)
• David’s Just Security article “In the Woomera Manual, International Law Meets Military Space Activities”
• The Woomera Manual on the International Law of Military Space Activities and Operations
• Just Security’s Space coverage
• Just Security’s International Law coverage
• Just Security’s Law of Armed Conflict coverage
• Music: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)

Next week, world leaders from nearly 150 nations will meet in New York for the annual high-level week during the United Nations General Assembly’s new session. Among the many topics for discussion will be the ongoing wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, efforts to regulate artificial intelligence and get sustainable development back on track, and the role of the U.N. Security Council in international peace and security.

The formal and informal meetings of the week will play out as many of the U.N.’s agencies and institutions – from the Security Council to the International Court of Justice – are under stress and scrutiny. What are the key trends to watch for? How might the upcoming U.S. presidential election shape the discussions and debate?

Co-hosting this episode is Just Security’s Washington Senior Editor, Viola Gienger.

Joining the show to unpack the key themes around this year’s U.N. General Assembly is Richard Gowan. Richard is the U.N. Director at the International Crisis Group, an organization providing independent analysis and advice on how to prevent, resolve or better manage conflict.

Show Notes:

• Richard Gowan (@RichardGowan1)
• Viola Gienger (@ViolaGienger)
• Paras Shah (@pshah518)
• Richard’s Just Security article “Guide to the Formal and Informal Agendas at the 2024 UN General Assembly Summit”
• Just Security’s UNGA 79 coverage including expert analysis and resources
• Just Security’s U.N. Security Council coverage
• Just Security’s Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Hamas war, and Sudan confect coverage
• Just Security’s Summit of the Future coverage
• Music: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)