A/RES/78/21 GA

United Nations A/RES/78/21 General Assembly Distr.: General 6 December 2023 23-24515 (E) 141223 *2324515* Seventy-eighth session Agenda item 97 (b) Prevention of an arms race in outer space: no first placement of weapons in outer space Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/407, para. 15)] 78/21. No first placement of weapons in outer space The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 69/32 of 2 December 2014, 70/27 of 7 December 2015, 71/32 of 5 December 2016, 72/27 of 4 December 2017, 73/31 of 5 December 2018, 74/33 of 12 December 2019, 75/37 of 7 December 2020, 76/23 of 6 December 2021 and 77/42 of 7 December 2022, and its resolutions 45/55 B of 4 December 1990 and 48/74 B of 16 December 1993, which, inter alia, confirm the importance of transparency and confidence-building measures as a means conducive to ensuring the attainment of the objective of preventing an arms race in outer space, Recognizing the common interest of all humankind in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, Seriously concerned about the possibility of an arms race in outer space and of outer space turning into an arena for military confrontation, and bearing in mind the importance 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,1 Conscious that the prevention of an arms race in outer space would avert a grave danger to international peace and security, Reaffirming that practical measures should be examined and taken in the search for agreements to prevent an arms race in outer space in a common effort towards a community of shared future for humankind, Emphasizing the paramount importance of strict compliance with the existing legal regime providing for the peaceful use of outer space, __________________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 610, No. 8843. A/RES/78/21 No first placement of weapons in outer space 23-24515 2/2 Reaffirming its recognition that the legal regime applicable to outer space by itself does not guarantee prevention of an arms race in outer space and that there is a need to consolidate and reinforce that regime, Convinced that such measures could critically improve conditions for efficiently addressing the threat of an arms race in outer space, including the placement of weapons in outer space, Welcoming, in this regard, the draft treaty on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space and of the threat or use of force against outer space objects, introduced by China and the Russian Federation at the Conference on Disarmament in 2008,2 and the submission of its updated version in 2014, 3 Considering that transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities are an integral part of the draft treaty referred to above, Stressing the importance of the political statements made by a number of States 4 that they would not be the first to place weapons in outer space, 1. Reaffirms the importance and urgency of the objective of preventing an arms race in outer space and the willingness of States to contribute to reaching this common goal; 2. Reiterates that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral negotiating forum on this subject,5 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; 3. Urges an early commencement of substantive work based on the updated draft treaty on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space and of the threat or use of force against outer space objects, introduced by China and the Russian Federation at the Conference on Disarmament in 2008, under the agenda item entitled “Prevention of an arms race in outer space”; 4. Stresses that, while such an agreement is not yet concluded, other measures may contribute to ensuring that weapons are not placed in outer space; 5. Encourages all States, especially spacefaring nations, to consider the possibility of upholding, as appropriate, a political commitment not to be the first to place weapons in outer space; 6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session, under the item entitled “Prevention of an arms race in outer space”, the sub-item entitled “No first placement of weapons in outer space”. 42nd plenary meeting 4 December 2023 __________________ 2 See CD/1839. 3 See CD/1985. 4 Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) and Viet Nam. 5 See resolution S-10/2.

UN Project. “A/RES/78/21.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-78-21/. Accessed .

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