International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation

Bulletin 18 - Space Without Weapons

Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space

Statement by G. E. Mamedov

Distinguished Chairperson,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to thank those who organized the international conference for the opportunity they have given me to open this Symposium on the matters of preventing an arms race in outer space.

We are sincerely grateful to all of you who have responded to the initiative launched by Russian President V.V. Putin at the UN Millennium Summit last September, and have come to Moscow to take part in our forum.

We are happy to note a representative and largescale character of the Conference. It has brought together participants from many States, senior officials of the United Nations and some other international organizations, heads of space agencies, prominent diplomats, experts, scientists, cosmonauts, space engineers and businessmen.

This Conference is not a negotiating forum. Nor is it a purely academic event. We expect its participants to hold an active and free discussion, a sort of "brainstorming" that would help to get a better insight into the core of the problems of common concern to the international community as a whole, and encourage search for their resolution.

Our meeting in Moscow is particularly significant. It is held on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the first manned space flight. This jubilee gives us a good occasion not only to look back at the way passed by the space powers but also to ponder over the direction of further spacerelated technical developments, and trends that will prevail in the policy of the States possessing space potential or interested in its creation.

In his welcoming address to the participants in the Conference President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin noted that the whole international experience in space activity confirms the need for a careful and responsible attitude to space exploration. We must by joint efforts preserve peaceful space. And to do it for ourselves and for future generations. Being the space pioneer Russia has made its choice for the weaponfree space. Today it was reconfirmed by a concrete statement of the President of Russia concerning our readiness as from today to take practical steps and to elaborate together with other countries measures aimed at preventing an arms race in outer space.

And, indeed, speaking of space prospects for the 2lst century, we can not disregard the fact that scientific and technological capabilities of a number of countries have approached now such a level that enables them to implement military programs of preparation for waging 'star wars'. There is no need to expand on such programs' specific aspects they are well known to experts. I would like to emphasize only that Russia can not agree with the opinion that 'star wars', whatever are justifications for the need for preparing to them, are 'fatally imminent' allegedly brought about by technical progress and the logic of the political development of the modern world. We are convinced that aspirations for the socalled 'space weaponisation' are incompatible with the very essence of the strategic stability concept. Their realization would mean not only the broadening of spheres of military rivalry, but its qualitative spur fraught with unpredictable consequences.

Today, Russia says "no" to deploying weapons in outer space, and not only because we want to avoid new and unnecessary military technological rivalry. Having gone through enormous expenses of the Cold War and global confrontation, we are against returning to the times of unrestrained distraction of tremendous funds and resources for purposes which are not compatible with the true needs of our people and the entire mankind. Certainly, the 'military' space has its right to existence to the extent it serves the purpose of maintaining and strengthening strategic stability and is used primarily as a tool to reduce risks of nuclear war, monitor the implementation of agreements in the field of disarmament, etc. But it doesn't mean at all that military activities in outer space should be based on the logic of military confrontation and used for achieving military superiority on the Earth.

Is it real under existing conditions to expect to tackle successfully the task of preventing the weapons from going into outer space? To answer this question let us recall that even in the period of tough confrontation between East and West the international community succeeded in achieving important results in halting the most dangerous lines of militarization of outer space. Thus, the 1963 Treaty on Banning NuclearWeapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water vetoed such tests in outer space. The 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space prohibited deployment of all types of weapons of mass destruction in outer space and on celestial bodies. An important sphere of bans was outlined in the 1977 Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, which included outer space.

The 1972 Treaty between the USSR and the USA on the Limitation of AntiBallistic Missile Systems continues to play an exclusively important role. Under the Treaty the two powers undertook, in particular, "not to develop, test or deploy ABM systems or components which are ... space-based" as well as not to interfere with the national technical means of verification of the other Party".

It is known that our country also undertook unilateral initiatives. In 1983 we undertook not to launch to outer space any kinds of antisatellite weapon, that is we unilaterally decreed a moratorium on such launches as long as other countries, including the USA, abstain from launching to outer space of any antisatellite weapon.

Thus, even in those difficult years we succeeded in creating a certain, even if not perfect, international treaty system which markedly narrowed the sphere of dangerous military use of outer space. Norms have been established to prohibit deployment of particular types of armaments (weapons of mass destruction and anti-ballistic missile systems) in outer space, exclude certain areas (celestial bodies) from the sphere of space military activities, impose a ban on any hostile influence on the natural environment and determine some types of space military activities which are permissible and justified in terms of ensuring global security. But the point is that a vast range of space military activities, especially issues concerning deployment of such weapons in outer space, their use in outer space and from it, still remains outside the scope of limitations, prohibitions and regulations provided by these norms.

Certainly, prospects for protecting outer space from deployment of any kinds of weapons and preserving it for peaceful exploration and use will depend on efficiency and consistency of efforts taken in this direction. And such attitudes of mind exist within the international community. Last November 163 States adopted resolution 55/32 of the UN General Assembly on "Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space". And nobody voted against it. Thus, we can conclude that in the world actually there is a consensus on the urgency of this challenge. It is our conviction that it is now highly important to translate such political attitudes into a multilateral negotiation process. Russia is ready to start an intensive negotiation work at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

Availing myself of this opportunity I would like to share with you some ideas concerning possible basic elements of a multilateral agreement on a space weapons ban. In our view it could include the following principal provisions:

use of outer space in conformity with the international law and in the interest of maintaining peace and security and promoting international cooperation

obligation not to put into the orbit around the Earth any objects with any kind of weapons and not to install such weapons on celestial bodies or deploy them in outer space in any other way

obligation not to resort to use or threat of use of force with regard to space objects

establishment of a mechanism to monitor implementation of this agreement, on the basis of confidence-building measures and transparency of space activities, including earlier submission of comprehensive information about space objects to be launched, inspection of sites from where space objects are to be launched, consultation procedures for settling unclear situations and creation of an appropriate international body to implement such procedures.

Distinguished participants in the Conference!

The third millennium will, certainly, provide us with new opportunities for exploring outer space, which, perhaps, even can not be imagined now.

I would like to express my firm conviction that they will be realised for the sake of peace, international security and cooperation and in the interest of ensuring sustainable development of the mankind as a whole.

Thank you for your attention.

The Statement documented here was given by Georgy E. Mamedov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, at the conference "Space without weapons" in Moscow on April 11, 2001.