The appropriateness of the Moon Agreement for lunar exploration and use

As the race back to the Moon heats up, the search for an appropriate legal regime for this celestial body is becoming critical. Suitable legal principles and rules are imperative not only to avoid international conflict, but also to attract the substantial financial investments required for lunar exploration and use. This paper establishes that, at this stage and to the contrary general belief, there is no need to seek out any other international treaty, since the existing 1979 Moon Agreement is readily available for all States. The paper analyses the key provisions of this 30 years old Agreement with a view to demonstrating that it creates a suitable interim legal regime to govern and guide the initial exploration of the Moon and the use of lunar natural resources by States and their respective entities.