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Statement by Konstantin Vorontsov, Deputy Director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, at the UNIDIR Outer space Security Conference, Panel III - Preparing for success in future multilateral space security initiatives, Geneva, September 13, 2023

14 September 2023 20:42
1771-14-09-2023

Colleagues,

I am glad to welcome all the participants in the annual UNIDIR Outer Space Security Conference. I would like to thank the organizers of the Conference for the efforts they have made in order to make it happen, including in the hybrid format. I appreciate the opportunity they provided to share the vision of further steps to achieve the goal of the prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS), including the elaboration of a relevant legally binding instrument.

As an author of a number of fundamental PAROS initiatives, Russia has steadily contributed to keeping outer space free from any weapons and preventing it from being converted into another area of tensions and armed confrontation. We have consistently supported preserving outer space for exclusively peaceful activities for all States on the basis of equality.

However, these days the risk of outer space being transformed into springboard for aggression and war is beginning to materialize. Some Western States have pursued a course towards placing weapons in outer space, building capabilities for the use of force against space objects (primarily through the development of weapon systems intended for the threat or use of force in, from and against outer space), and using outer space for combat operations, which further undermines international peace and security, destabilizes the situation in outer space and continues to have negative effect on advancing towards the goal of PAROS.

These circumstances enhance the relevance of the initiatives aimed at preserving outer space for exploration and use for peaceful purposes, preventing an arms race and launching appropriate negotiations in the spirit of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, as envisaged by the decisions of the First Special Session of the General Assembly devoted to Disarmament held in 1978.

In this context, it is important to understand that unless reliable guarantees of keeping outer space free from weapons to be enshrined in an international legally binding agreement on PAROS are provided, addressing issues related to peaceful uses of outer space and ensuring the security of outer space activities would be futile. For these purposes, in 2008, the Russian Federation and China submitted for consideration by the Conference on Disarmament (CD) a draft treaty on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space and the threat or use of force against outer space objects (PPWT) and in 2014 introduced its updated version taking into account comments and proposals made by some States.

We view transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities (TCBMs) as an interim measure to be taken until this legally binding instrument to ensure predictability of strategic situation in outer space is elaborated. We believe that the UN Member States should implement these measures in their national practices on a voluntary basis to the fullest extent possible and practicable, and in a manner consistent with their national interests. At the same time, we would like to stress that the TCBMs should complement, not substitute for, an effective legally binding framework pertaining to outer space. We take note of the fact that this vision, which was first put forward in the final report of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on TCBMs back in 2013, has been upheld in the Recommendations to promote the practical implementation of TCBMs with the goal of PAROS consensually adopted by the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) earlier this year. We welcome the meaningful results achieved by the UNDC at the end of its three-year cycle.

We share the common understanding that TCBMs in outer space have an important role to play as a pillar of an international legally binding instrument on PAROS. TCBMs should aim to completely prohibit the placement of weapons in outer space, the threat or use of force against or by means of outer space objects. These very measures seek, inter alia, to ensure the resolution of disputes related to the implementation of a possible future PAROS treaty.

The international initiative/political commitment on no first placement of weapons in outer space (NFP) remains the only effective TCBM in outer space to prevent the placement of weapons in outer space. The initiative aims to maintain international peace, ensure equal and indivisible security for all and improve the predictability and sustainability of states' activities in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space. More than thirty States have already become its full participants and their number steadily growing.

All States' joining the NFP initiative would in fact lead to a new global political commitment not to place weapons in outer space, thus rendering impractical the development of both space strike weapon systems and anti-satellite defense capabilities. We are convinced that globalizing the political commitment on NFP would constitute a meaningful confidence building measure in states' outer space activities. We regard NFP as a step towards an international legally binding instrument that would contain safeguards against the placement of strike weapons systems in Earth orbit.

The Russian' Federation annually submits to the UNGA First Committee for consideration the draft resolutions on "No first placement of weapons in outer space", "Transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities (TCBMs in outer space)", and "Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space". We intend to submit the updated drafts at the 78 UN General Assembly session. When preparing the documents, we draw on the experience gained in the field of PAROS as well as the outputs of various relevant multilateral formats. We are calling on all States to support and co-sponsor them.

We would like to focus attention on the dangerous tendency among a number of States to use commercial space systems for purposes other than those declared when the systems were put into orbit. There are increasing reports of civilian spacecraft being turned into a tool for interfering in internal affairs of independent states and addressing other geopolitical goals. This creates grave risks for the safety of space operations and the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, which, in turn, is fraught with negative consequences for numerous socio-economic processes on Earth that directly depend on space technologies.

In this context, we plan to submit for consideration of the Fourth Committee of the 78th UNGA session a draft resolution on "Space technology for promoting peace". The document underlines the importance of using space infrastructure in keeping with the declared peaceful purposes. It further highlights the need for a strict compliance with international space law, including with regard to the non-discriminatory access of all states to the benefits of outer space.

At the same time, we deem it essential to clearly distinguish between the issues of space exploration for peaceful purposes addressed by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in Vienna, and those pertaining to PAROS, which fall within the sphere of competence of the UN disarmament triad.

Given the various initiatives on space security submitted by Member States, including the so-called concept of responsible behaviour in outer space, we consider it necessary to focus joint efforts on strengthening the discussion on PAROS and generating a unifying agenda. These tasks are of particular need, taking into account the outcome of the relevant Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) established by UNGA Resolution 76/231. The Group's failure to yield meaningful result shows that the debate within the OEWG, far from helping to bridge the positions of the Member States (which was its initial purpose), has further divided the world community on how to achieve the goals of PAROS. We therefore consider it useless to further discuss the said concept, let alone resuming the OEWG's work.

The commitment made by Washington and a number of the like-minded States not to conduct destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing deserves similar assessments. This measure is purely declaratory and will be of no positive practical value for PAROS.

In the light of the disappointing results of the OEWG, we expect that the Group of Governmental Experts on PAROS established pursuant to UNGA Resolution 77/250 to consider and make recommendations on possible elements of a relevant multilateral legally binding instrument, will give a new impetus to the international community's efforts in this area. I would like to emphasize that we do not view this GGE as a competing initiative to the concept of responsible behaviour in outer space. On the contrary, we hope to use its momentum to make the work of this future GGE as comprehensive and unifying as possible.

We hope that the GGE will be able to agree on consensus recommendations on the elements of a multilateral legally binding instrument to prevent forever the placement of weapons in outer space, the threat or use of force in, from and against outer space, which in turn will make it possible to take a big step forward towards the PAROS goal.

All the preconditions for this are available. We believe it useful to build on the work conducted in previous years, including the 2019 draft report of the GGE on PAROS. We regret to note that it was not adopted for purely political reasons due to the position of a single country expert. Nevertheless, it contains many provisions essential both for further work on PAROS and for strengthening international peace and security.

For my part, I would like to assure you of our absolute readiness to make a constructive contribution to the work of the new GGE. We are open to full-scale, transparent and honest cooperation with both the Chair of the Group and all the nominated governmental experts.

After the GGE completes its work, we believe it necessary to ensure continuity and consistency in the consideration of PAROS issues, as well as predictability of such discussions over the long term. The inclusive nature of future activities in such a responsible area is essential. We believe there is a possibility to achieve meaningful results that can unite the UN Member States in their endeavour to reach the PAROS goals and to develop a relevant legally binding instrument envisaging, as a fundamental element, a ban on the placement of weapons in outer space and the threat or use of force in, from and against outer space.

Thank you for your attention.