Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 56 Prevention of an arms race in outer space, published in 1987.

What else is in this group?

49 documents · 1982–2025

Newer documents in this group exist (latest: 2025).

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/RES/80/19	Prevention of an arms race in outer space	1,395	–
2024	A/RES/79/19	Prevention of an arms race in outer space	1,348	–
2023	A/RES/78/19	Prevention of an arms race in outer space	1,304	–
2022	A/RES/77/40	Prevention of an arms race in outer space	1,265	–
2021	A/RES/76/22	Prevention of an arms race in outer space	1,265	–

This group bundles related documents that are not individually ordered.

What subjects does this mandate have?

13 subjects

Arms Race Disarmament Agreements Disarmament Negotiations Disarmament Research Documents Groups of Experts International Security Outer Space Publications Space Weapons United States Ussr Verification

What’s in this document?

15 operative paragraphs

Recalls the obligation of ali States to refrain from the threat or use of force in their space activities;

Reaffirms that general and complete disarmament under effective international control warrants that outer space shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and that it shall not become an arena for an arms race;

Emphasizes that further measures with appropriate and effective provisions for verification to prevent an arms race in outer space should be adopted by the international community;

Calls upan ali States, in particular those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and to take immediate measures to prevent an arms race in outer space in the interest

of maintaining international peace and security and promoting international co-operation and understanding;

Recognizes, as stated in the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, that the legal régime applicable to outer space, as such, is not sufficient to guarantee the prevention of an arms race in outer space, the significant role that the régime plays in the prevention of an arms race in that environment, the need to consolidate and reinforce the régime and to enhance its etfectiveness, and the importance of strict compliance with existing agreements, both bilateral and multilateral;

Reitera/es that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, has the primary role in the negotiation of a multilateral agreement or agreement~, as appropriate, on the prevention of an arms race in outer space in ali its aspects;

Requests the Conference on Disarmament to consideras a matter of priority the question of preventing an arms race in outer space:

A/so requests the Conference on Disarmament to intensify its consideration of the question of the prevention of an arms race in outer space in ali its aspects, taking into account all relevant proposals, including those presented in the Ad Hoc Committee at the 1987 session of the Conference and at the forty-second session of the General Assembly;

Further requests the Conference on Disarmament to re-establish an ad hoc committee with an adequate mandate at the beginning of its 1988 session, with a view to undertaking negotiations for the conclusion ofan agreement or agreements, as appropriate, to prevent an arms race in outer space in ali its aspects;

Urges the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America to pursue intensively their bilateral negotiations in a constructive spirit aimed at reaching early agreement for preventing an arms race in outer space, and to advise the Conference on Disarmament periodically of the progress of their bilateral sessions so as to facilitate its work;

Calls upon all States, cspecially those with major space capabilities, to refrain, in their activities relating to outer space, from actions contrary to the observance ofthe relevan! existing treaties or to the objective of preventing an arms race in outer space;

Takes note of the fact that the study on disarmament problems relating to outer space and the consequence of extending the arms race into outer space, called for in resolution 41/53, has been prepared by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and that, after a final meeting of the group of experts held in September 1987, the report was finalized and being prepared for publication in autumn 1987;

Requests the Secretary-General to invite the views of Member Sta tes on all aspects of the question of the prevention of an arms race in outer space and to submit a report to the General Assembly at its forty-third session;

Requests the Conference on Disarmament to report on its consideration of this subject to the General Assembly at its forty-third session;

Requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the Conference on Disarmament ali documents relating to the consideration of this subject by the General Assembly at its forty-second session;

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-third session the item entitled "Prevention of an arms race in outer space".

30 November 1987

24 See Reporl of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Ul"es of Outer Space. Vienna. 9-21 August 1982 (A/CONF.101/10 and Corr.1 and 2), para. 426.

2' A/40/1070. annex. 22 Resolution 2222 (XXI), annex.

26 Official Records of the General Assembly. Forry-second Session. 23 See A/41/697-S/18392, annex, para, 36-39.

Supplemenr No. 27 (A/42127). ,ect. III.E.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECLARATION 27 /bid .. fwentieth Sesswn. Annexes, agenda item 105. document A/5975.

28 See A/42/699, annex l.

n A/39/470.

JO Official Records of the General Assembly. Forty-second Se.,sion. Supp/ement No. 42 ( .-\./42/42).

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

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