BIO

Dr. Setsuko AOKI is Professor of Law at Keio University Law School, Japan since April 2016. Previous positions include: Professor of Law (2004-2016) and Associate Professor of Law (1999-2004), Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University, Japan; Associate Professor (1995-1999) and Assistant Professor (1994-1995), School of Social Science, National Defense Academy, Japan (1994-1999); and Assistant, Faculty of Law, Rikkyo University, Japan (1991-1993).

She specializes in public international law especially space law and arms control. She obtained Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L.) from McGill University, Montreal, Canada in June 1993. She has B.C.L. (1983) and LL.M. (1985) from Faculty of Law and Graduate School of Law, Keio University, Japan.

She is a vice-president of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) (since October 2017). She is also a vice-president of Japan Association of Disarmament Studies (since May 2021) and a director of the Japanese Society of International Law (since July 2022). She is the Chair of the Experts Committee for the Economic Security Promotion Act and its Implementation Plans, Cabinet Secretariat of Japan (since November 2021). Previously, she was the Chair of the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) (2020-2021 session); and she was also a member of the Committee on the National Space Policy (CNSP), Cabinet Office of Japan (July 2012 - July 2022).

Her main English articles published since 2021 include: “Nationality of the Space Object as an Indispensable Device for the Exploitation of the Moon and Mars, Proceedings of the International Institute of Space Law 2021 (Eleven, 2022), pp. 67-78; “The Implications of the Registration of Space Objects in the 2020s: Possibility of the UK and Dutch Practice in Enhancing Registering Space Objects”, in Comitato Promotore, (eds.), Liber Amicorum Sergio Marchisio, vol. II (Editoriale Scientifica, 2022), pp. 943-957; “The Use of Force and Planetary Defense”, in Irmgard Marboe, (ed.), Legal Aspects of Planetary Defense (Brill/Nijhoff, 2021), pp. 209-225; and “State Responsibility Facing the Growing Diversity of Space Projects and Actors: The Case of Satellite Deployment from an International Space Station”, in Maritetta Benkö and Kai-Uwe Schrogl (eds.), Outer Space Future for Humankind (Eleven, 2021), pp. 393-411.