Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space resolution A/55/558 UN document
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The report on the Prevention of an Arms Race in
Outer Space contained one resolution
(document A/55/558), which was adopted by a
vote of 163 in favour to none against,
with 3 abstentions
(Federated States of Micronesia, Israel,
United States) (Annex III).
United Nations A/55/558
General Assembly Distr.: General
8 November 2000
Original: English
00-73398 (E) 141100
Fifty-fifth session
Agenda item 72
Prevention of an arms race in outer space
Report of the First Committee
Rapporteur: Mr. Rastislav Gabriel (Slovakia)
I. Introduction
1. The item entitled “Prevention of an arms race in outer space” was included in
the provisional agenda of the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly in
accordance with Assembly resolution 54/53 of 1 December 1999.
2. At its 9th plenary meeting, on 11 September 2000, the General Assembly, on
the recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include the item in its
agenda and to allocate it to the First Committee.
3. At its 2nd meeting, on 14 September 2000, the First Committee decided to
hold a general debate on all disarmament and international security items allocated
to it, namely, items 65 to 81, which was held at the 3rd to 13th meetings, from 2 to
13 October (see A/C.1/55/PV.3-13). Thematic discussions on the items were held,
and draft resolutions were introduced and considered, at the 14th to 21st meetings,
from 13 to 23 October (see A/C.1/55/PV.14-21). Action on all draft resolutions was
taken at the 22nd to 28th meetings, from 25 October to 1 November (see
A/C.1/55/PV.22-28).
4. For its consideration of the item, the Committee had before it the report of the
Conference on Disarmament.1
1 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 27 (A/55/27).
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II. Consideration of draft resolution A/C.1/55/L.25
5. At the 18th meeting, on 19 October, the representative of Egypt, on behalf of
Algeria, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, China, CÙte d’Ivoire, Cuba, the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, the Islamic
Republic of Iran, Kenya, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Russian
Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and the Sudan, subsequently joined by Bahrain,
El Salvador, Kuwait, Malaysia and Togo, introduced a draft resolution entitled
“Prevention of an arms race in outer space” (A/C.1/55/L.25).
6. At its 25th meeting, on 30 October, the Committee adopted draft resolution
A/C.1/55/L.25 by a recorded vote of 154 to none, with 2 abstentions (see para. 7).
The voting was as follows:
In favour:
Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,
Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana,
Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia,
Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica,
CÙte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt,
El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy,
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s
Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali,
Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova,
Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South
Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic,
Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad
and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab
Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United
Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen,
Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Against:
None.
Abstaining:
Israel, United States of America.
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III. Recommendation of the First Committee
7. The First Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the
following draft resolution:
Prevention of an arms race in outer space
The General Assembly,
Recognizing the common interest of all mankind in the exploration and use of
outer space for peaceful purposes,
Reaffirming the will of all States that the exploration and use of outer space,
including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall be for peaceful purposes and
shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interest of all countries, irrespective of
their degree of economic or scientific development,
Reaffirming also the provisions of articles III and IV of the Treaty on
Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer
Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies,2
Recalling the obligation of all States to observe the provisions of the Charter
of the United Nations regarding the use or threat of use of force in their international
relations, including in their space activities,
Reaffirming paragraph 80 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session
of the General Assembly,3 in which it is stated that in order to prevent an arms race
in outer space further measures should be taken and appropriate international
negotiations held in accordance with the spirit of the Treaty,
Recalling its previous resolutions on this issue, and taking note of the
proposals submitted to the General Assembly at its tenth special session and at its
regular sessions, and of the recommendations made to the competent organs of the
United Nations and to the Conference on Disarmament,
Recognizing that prevention of an arms race in outer space would avert a grave
danger for international peace and security,
Emphasizing the paramount importance of strict compliance with existing arms
limitation and disarmament agreements relevant to outer space, including bilateral
agreements, and with the existing legal regime concerning the use of outer space,
Considering that wide participation in the legal regime applicable to outer
space could contribute to enhancing its effectiveness,
Noting that the Ad Hoc Committee on the Prevention of an Arms Race in
Outer Space, taking into account its previous efforts since its establishment in 1985
and seeking to enhance its functioning in qualitative terms, continued the
examination and identification of various issues, existing agreements and existing
proposals, as well as future initiatives relevant to the prevention of an arms race in
2 Resolution 2222 (XXI), annex.
3 Resolution S-10/2.
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outer space,4 and that this contributed to a better understanding of a number of
problems and to a clearer perception of the various positions,
Noting also that there were no objections in principle in the Conference on
Disarmament to the re-establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee, subject to reexamination
of the mandate contained in the decision of the Conference on
Disarmament of 13 February 1992,5
Emphasizing the mutually complementary nature of bilateral and multilateral
efforts in the field of preventing an arms race in outer space, and hoping that
concrete results will emerge from those efforts as soon as possible,
Convinced that further measures should be examined in the search for effective
and verifiable bilateral and multilateral agreements in order to prevent an arms race
in outer space, including the weaponization of outer space,
Stressing that the growing use of outer space increases the need for greater
transparency and better information on the part of the international community,
Recalling in this context its previous resolutions, in particular resolutions
45/55 B of 4 December 1990, 47/51 of 9 December 1992 and 48/74 A of 16
December 1993, in which, inter alia, it reaffirmed the importance of confidence
building measures as means conducive to ensuring the attainment of the objective of
the prevention of an arms race in outer space,
Conscious of the benefits of confidence- and security-building measures in the
military field,
Recognizing that negotiations for the conclusion of an international agreement
or agreements to prevent an arms race in outer space remain a priority task of the Ad
Hoc Committee and that the concrete proposals on confidence-building measures
could form an integral part of such agreements,
1. Reaffirms the importance and urgency of preventing an arms race in outer
space and the readiness of all States to contribute to that common objective, in
conformity with the provisions of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities
of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other
Celestial Bodies;2
2. Reaffirms its recognition, as stated in the report of the Ad Hoc
Committee on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, that the legal regime
applicable to outer space by itself does not guarantee the prevention of an arms race
in outer space, that this legal regime plays a significant role in the prevention of an
arms race in that environment, that there is a need to consolidate and reinforce that
regime and enhance its effectiveness, and that it is important to comply strictly with
existing agreements, both bilateral and multilateral;
3. Emphasizes the necessity of further measures with appropriate and
effective provisions for verification to prevent an arms race in outer space;
4. Calls upon all States, in particular those with major space capabilities, to
contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and of the
prevention of an arms race in outer space and to refrain from actions contrary to that
4 Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 27 (A/49/27),
sect. III.D (para. 5 of the quoted text).
5 CD/1125.
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objective and to the relevant existing treaties in the interest of maintaining
international peace and security and promoting international cooperation;
5. Reiterates that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral
disarmament negotiating forum, has the primary role in the negotiation of a
multilateral agreement or agreements, as appropriate, on the prevention of an arms
race in outer space in all its aspects;
6. Invites the Conference on Disarmament to complete the examination and
updating of the mandate contained in its decision of 13 February 1992,5 and to
establish an ad hoc committee as early as possible during the 2001 session of the
Conference;
7. Recognizes, in this respect, the growing convergence of views on the
elaboration of measures designed to strengthen transparency, confidence and
security in the peaceful uses of outer space;
8. Urges States conducting activities in outer space, as well as States
interested in conducting such activities, to keep the Conference on Disarmament
informed of the progress of bilateral and multilateral negotiations on the matter, if
any, so as to facilitate its work;
9. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-sixth session the
item entitled “Prevention of an arms race in outer space”.