Pakistan has called for urgent steps to prevent the weaponization of outer space after Russia vetoed a Security Council draft resolution aimed at halting an extraterrestrial arms race. Ambassador Munir Akram emphasized the escalating threats to international peace and security posed by the militarization of outer space, citing the placement of weapons in space and the incorporation of space warfare into major powers’ military policies and doctrines.
The vetoed resolution, introduced by the United States and Japan and co-sponsored by over 60 nations, aimed to prevent a new arms race beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Despite receiving 13 votes in favor and China abstaining, the resolution failed to pass due to Russia’s negative vote.
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Ambassador Akram reiterated Pakistan’s principled stance that global disarmament issues should be addressed within appropriate forums such as the Conference on Disarmament (CD) and the UN Disarmament Commission. He expressed regret over the lack of progress on a Treaty to Prevent an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) for over four decades.
Pakistan advocates a comprehensive approach to addressing outer space militarization, focusing on both capabilities and behavior. While supporting non-legally binding measures like Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures (TCBMs), Pakistan emphasizes the need for legally binding instruments to address inherent gaps in the international legal regime.
Despite some states blocking negotiations on a legally binding instrument in the CD, Pakistan hopes that the issue of outer space weaponization, raised in the Security Council, will be addressed within the CD’s framework. Ambassador Akram called for further consideration of this issue in negotiations on a treaty to prevent an arms race in outer space.
