Further Practical Measures for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 97c Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space, published in 2025.

What other versions does this mandate have?

5 versions · 2018–2025

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/RES/80/21	Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space	1,234	79%Compare
2023	A/RES/77/250	Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space	1,298	77%Compare
2021	A/RES/76/230	Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space	1,031	50%Compare
2019	A/RES/74/34	Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space	702	27%Compare
2018	A/RES/72/250	Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space	593	–

What subjects does this mandate have?

4 subjects

Arms Race Disarmament Agreements Groups of Experts Outer Space

What’s in this document?

13 operative paragraphs

Proclaims it a historic responsibility of all States to ensure that the exploration of outer space is carried out exclusively for peaceful purposes for the benefit of humankind;

Declares that the exclusion of outer space from the sphere of the arms race and the preservation of outer space for peaceful purposes should become a mandatory norm of State policy and a generally recognized international obligation;

Calls upon all States, and above all those with major space capabilities, to this end:

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;

To seek through negotiations the early elaboration of appropriate reliably verifiable legally binding multilateral agreements;

Expresses its deep regret over the years of stalemate in the work of the Conference on Disarmament, and looks forward to the Conference’s again fulfilling its mandate as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum;

Urges the Conference on Disarmament to agree on and implement at its earliest opportunity a balanced and comprehensive programme of work that includes the immediate commencement of negotiations on an international legally binding instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space, including on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space and of the threat or use of force in outer space, from space against Earth and from Earth against objects in outer space;

Acknowledges that the guaranteed prevention of an arms race in outer space will provide an opportunity for the peaceful exploration of outer space and its use in solving acute major problems relating to economic, social and cultural development facing humankind today, as well as in consolidating the efforts of States of the world in this domain;

Welcomes the contribution of the Group of Governmental Experts established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 77/250 to international efforts to conclude an international legally binding instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space, including, inter alia, on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space, as well as to ensure space security and to prevent an arms race in outer space;

Underlines the importance of the substantive report⁶ adopted by consensus by the above-mentioned Group of Governmental Experts, which serves as a reference document for further measures and international negotiations on an international legally binding instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space, including, inter alia, on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space;

⁶A/79/364.

Notes the establishment by the General Assembly in its decision 79/512 of 2 December 2024 of an open-ended working group and the sessions held by the group, and welcomes the adoption by consensus by the group of the agenda⁷ and the indicative timetable for 2025–2028⁸ and the beginning of its substantive work;

⁷A/AC.297/2025/3.

⁸A/AC.297/2025/CRP.2/Rev.5.

Recommends consideration of substantial elements of an international legally binding instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space, including, inter alia, on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space, on the basis of existing achievements in this field, in particular on the considerations, conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the Group of Governmental Experts;

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its eighty-first session, under the item entitled “Prevention of an arms race in outer space”, the sub-item entitled “Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space”.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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