The BRICS member countries are strongly opposed to the arms race in space and advocate the development of a document on ensuring global security in this area. This became known after the signing of the Kazan Declaration of the XVI BRICS Summit.
The text of the declaration notes that the countries are "in support of ensuring the long-term sustainability of space activities and preventing an arms race in outer space (PAROS) and the placement of weapons in outer space, including through negotiations on the adoption of an appropriate legal multilateral document to ensure global security." It also indicates that the space arms race can be prevented by "practical, non-legally binding obligations, such as transparency and confidence-building measures, as well as universally recognized norms, rules and principles."
We consider the introduction of an updated draft treaty on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space, the use of force or the threat of force against space objects for consideration within the framework of the Conference on Disarmament in 2014 to be an important step towards achieving this goal [] We welcome the consensus adoption of the report of the UN Group of Governmental Experts on further practical measures to prevent an arms race in outer space (PAROS) on August 16, 2024, which contains the fundamental elements of a legally binding document on PAROS.
Earlier in May 2024, the UN Security Council did not adopt Russia's draft resolution on preventing an arms race in space and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in it.
The initiative for its adoption had to be adopted by nine countries out of fifteen, but in fact only seven votes were collected. Russia was supported by China, Algeria, Guyana, Ecuador, Mozambique and Sierra Leone. The United States, France, Great Britain, Japan, Slovenia, the Republic of Korea and Malta voted against. One country, Switzerland, abstained from voting.
Later in September 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore agreed not to be the first to deploy weapons in space. In October, it became known that Russia was beginning to rearm and re-equip the Space Forces. More than 50 ground-based systems and complexes of a new generation are under development.
Read materials on the topic:
Russia is beginning to rearm and re-equip the Space Forces
Russia may begin to use Resurs-P satellites for military purposes
Great Britain is building a satellite station to protect against space threats from Russia and China
