Security Council Fails to Adopt First-Ever Resolution on Arms Race in Outer Space

The Security Council on 24 April failed to adopt its first-ever resolution on outer space. The proposed resolution was aimed at affirming the obligation of all States parties to fully comply with the Outer Space Treaty, including not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner.

The draft text was introduced by the United States and Japan. 

By a vote of 13 in favour to 1 against (Russian Federation), with 1 abstention (China), the Council then rejected the draft resolution, owing to the veto by a permanent member.

Russia and China tabled an amendment for an additional paragraph, which would have had the Council call on “all States, and above all those with major space capabilities, to take urgent measures to prevent for all time the placement of weapons in outer space and the threat or use of force in outer space, from space against Earth and from Earth against objects in outer space, and to seek through negotiations the early elaboration of appropriate reliably verifiable legally binding multilateral agreements.”

By a vote of 7 in favour (Algeria, China, Ecuador, Guyana, Mozambique, Russian Federation and Sierra Leone) to 7 against (France, Japan, Malta, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, United Kingdom and United States), with 1 abstention (Switzerland), the Council rejected the amendment, owing to the failure to obtain the required number of votes.

Five Council members voted in favour of both the amendment and the resolution, namely, Guyana, Algeria, Ecuador, Mozambique and Sierra Leone. Guyana’s representative observed that both texts sought to promote peaceful use of outer space and prevent the placement of weapons there.