Dr. Ernst Fasan is among the longest active members of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). Elected a corresponding member of the IAA in 1971, at a time when corresponding members were not yet considered a temporary transitional class of membership, he took a very active part in the new Social Sciences section consisting of lawyers, historians, managers and economists. He devoted his life to law and banking that made him recognized by the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), fi rst as a member and later as a Board member and Secretary, and fi nally as an Honorary Director. Elected a full member of the International Academy of Astronautics in 1986 he has supported numerous IAA activities and attended each year the Academy Day in various countries throughout the world. Among other activities, in 1989 Dr. Ernst Fasan urged the IISL to support with the IAA the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Committee to prepare a position paper on the declaration of principles concerning activities following the detection of extraterrestrial intelligences. This led to the presentation of these principles to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and later with the impetus of Dr. Ernst Fasan, the UN General Assembly endorsed in 2000 the report of the COPUOS at its 43rd session. Dr. Ernst Fasan has shown during his entire career a rare very broad expertise in many fi elds covering technical, juridical, economical and policy making, with a special mention of the numerous articles, papers and manuscripts he published over the years. He has served his country and the international community as a renowned expert and I am proud to honor him. I am very pleased to write this foreword to celebrate a Liber Amicorum in Honor of Ernst Fasan.