NEW YORK (APP): After Russia vetoed a draft resolution aiming at disarmament of the extraterrestrial arms race, Pakistan has called for steps to prevent the weaponization of outer space, saying such a course would avert a grave danger to international peace and security.
During his speech at the UN General Assembly on Monday, Ambassador Munir Akram said that the threats to security in and from outer space have escalated sharply in recent years. This is evident from the placement of weapons in space, and its increasing characterization as the next war-fighting frontier in the military policies and doctrines of major powers.
The 193-member Assembly was debating Russia’s veto in the Security Council last month which blocked a draft resolution aimed at preventing a new extraterrestrial arms race.
Due to the negative Russian vote, the 15-member Council failed to adopt last month’s text, which received 13 votes in favor, with China abstaining. The draft resolution was introduced by the United States and Japan and co-sponsored by over 60 nations.
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In his remarks, Ambassador Akram said that the US-Japan draft resolution rightly recognized that the prevention of an arms race in Outer Space would avert a grave danger for international peace and security; underscored the importance of the Outer Space Treaty; and reiterated that the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament as the sole multilateral disarmament negotiating forum.
Furthermore, Ambassador Akram said, Pakistan has always maintained a principled position that resolutions on global disarmament issues should be deliberated and concluded inclusively and transparently within the appropriate forums — the Conference on Disarmament (CD), the UN Disarmament Commission and the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, which deals with disarmament and international security matters.
The Pakistani envoy regretted that there has been no progress on a Treaty to Prevent an Arms Race in Outer Space for over four decades.
“Initially,” he said, “some dismissed the possibility of an arms race in outer space. Then, they argued that it was too late to prevent its militarization and called for focusing on non-weaponization measures. Now, they want to concentrate on behavior rather than capabilities, ignoring the inherent risks of legitimizing the weaponization of Outer Space.”
Ambassador Akram said Pakistan has been advocating a comprehensive approach with a dual focus on both capabilities and behavior.
“We have consistently advocated urgent negotiations on a legally binding instrument on PAROS (Preventing Arms Race in Outer Space). Concurrently, we have also actively contributed to non-legally binding measures such as Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures (TCBMs),” he added.
Ambassador Munir therefore hoped that this issue of weaponization of Outer Space, which has been raised in the Security Council, would be transmitted to the C.D. for further consideration within the context of negotiations on a Treaty to prevent an arms race in Outer Space.