UK presses for space agreement to impose responsible behaviour
THE UK Government will push for a landmark United Nations resolution to agree responsible behaviour in space, the Foreign Office has announced.
The global economy and systems that people use every day – including mobile phones, online banking and GPS – depend on safe and secure space systems, the statement from the FCO said.
It added that, as space becomes increasingly congested and competed over, the risk of accidents, misunderstandings and miscalculations between nations is escalating.
The department confirmed that the UK is therefore launching a UN resolution calling for a global discussion on what responsible behaviour in space looks like which all countries will be invited to take part in.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “The UK is leading the global discussion on what responsible
behaviour in space looks like. We believe a new approach is urgently needed to increase trust and confidence between countries operating in space to prevent an arms race or a conflict that could have catastrophic consequences.”
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace added: “Conflict in space has potentially profound consequences, and all powers should recognise the importance of this not only to their economies, but to global security. Preventing malign activity and reducing the risk of accidents is incredibly important for the safety of the UK, and to the successful military operations that rely on systems in space.”
While weapons of mass destruction have been banned in space for over 50 years, there are almost no meaningful constraints on the deployment of new weapons or technologies that can damage or destroy space systems, whether from the ground or in space. The Government said UN talks remain stalled as current proposals do nothing to prevent attacks on satellites from the Earth. The UK initiative offers a new approach to increase transparency and reduce the risk of miscalculation between nations that could lead to conflict.