Inaugural discussion examines how commercial space activity and dual-use technologies are challenging an international framework created nearly six decades ago.
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The international rules governing space were written in 1967, when governments dominated activity beyond Earth. Today, thousands of satellites, expanding commercial operations and technologies serving both civilian and security purposes are testing whether that framework can keep pace. That question took center stage on Sept. 28 at the inaugural World Affairs Forum: Conversations with Experts on Global Issues, presented by the International School of Los Angeles (LILA) and Druven Advocacy.
The opening session, “The Global Race for Space: Cooperation vs. Militarization Beyond Orbit,” brought together Adrien Frier, Consul General of France in Los Angeles; Dr. Virgil Adumitroaie, scientist and educator; and Ambassador Geert Criel, Partner, International Affairs at Druven Advocacy and former Consul General of Belgium in Los Angeles. Journalist Guillaume Serina moderated the discussion.
The panel examined a central challenge facing governments and regulators: the same satellites that enable communications, navigation and Earth observation can also support defense and security operations. As the distinction between civilian and military infrastructure becomes increasingly difficult to define, reaching international agreement on responsibilities, limits and enforcement is becoming more complex.
The discussion also addressed the growing role of private companies in orbit. Commercial operators increasingly influence decisions with strategic, economic and security implications, despite not having been represented when the existing international treaty framework was negotiated. Their expanding role raises new questions about accountability and the respective responsibilities of governments and corporations.
“Creating spaces where different perspectives and generations can come together around issues of global importance matters,” said Geert Criel, Partner, International Affairs at Druven Advocacy. “Complex global challenges benefit from informed discussion that brings together expertise, experience and different points of view.”
The event brought students, families, educators and members of the broader LILA community into direct conversation with diplomatic and international affairs practitioners, as well as members of Druven’s international network. Students played an active role in the exchange, questioning the speakers directly and bringing an intergenerational perspective to a debate whose consequences will extend well beyond governments and institutions.
“We’re bringing experts on current affairs into the classroom to debate with and in front of students: a direct antidote to the one-way information streams of unvetted opinions that meander across the web,” said Dr. Conrad Hughes, Head of School at the International School of Los Angeles. “This, to us, is central to a 21st century education.”
The World Affairs Forum connects the LILA community and Druven’s international network with diplomats, policymakers, legal and regulatory experts, business leaders, scientists, academics and other practitioners working on issues with both global and local implications.
“We believe our international network can create value beyond our day-to-day advisory work,” said María José Sandoval, Chief Communications Officer at Druven Advocacy. “Opening that network to educational communities is one way we can contribute to critical thinking and broader social impact.”
Additional sessions are planned, with topics and dates to be announced as they are confirmed. The World Affairs Forum will continue as an ongoing platform for conversations on major international developments and their implications for public policy, business and society.
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About the World Affairs Forum
The World Affairs Forum: Conversations with Experts on Global Issues is an ongoing initiative presented by the International School of Los Angeles and Druven Advocacy. The Forum brings together the LILA community, Druven’s international network and practitioners working across diplomacy, public policy, science, business and other fields for direct conversations on global issues and their local implications.
About the International School of Los Angeles
Founded in 1978, the International School of Los Angeles (Lycée International de Los Angeles- LILA) is a non-profit, independent, international school committed to bilingual education and academic excellence in a nurturing environment. The School offers a preschool through 12th grade curriculum that culminates in the French baccalauréat or the International Baccalaureate®’s Diploma Programme. With four Los Angeles-area campuses (Burbank, Los Feliz, Pasadena, and West Valley), and over one thousand students, LILA holds accreditation from the French Ministry of Education, the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and the International Baccalaureate (IB). For more information about the School, please visit www.internationalschool.la.
About Druven
Druven Advocacy is an international stakeholder advocacy consultancy specializing in public relations, public affairs, and legal and regulatory analysis. With offices in Los Angeles, Brussels and Mexico City, the firm advises organizations operating in complex, high-exposure environments across the United States, Europe and Latin America.
Ana Peral
Druven
+1 213-947-0783
press@druven.us
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