UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has cautioned that space weaponization has progressed from theoretical doctrine to operational deployment, making a legally enforceable convention on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) more important than ever as humanity’s survival is becoming more and more dependent on orbital infrastructure.
“We must pursue a comprehensive approach that can preserve outer space as a domain free from conflict for future generations,” during the UN General Assembly’s First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) thematic debate on Thursday, Pakistan delegate Husham Ahmed brought up the fact that weapons in orbit were first formally recognized last month.
He warned that the integration of missile defense with space-based systems jeopardizes the strategic stability of the world and that such deployments run the risk of inciting countermeasures and disrupting international security through an unsustainable arms race.
While the window to prevent the weaponization of outer space has not closed, the Pakistani delegate said, recent announcements have narrowed it and made it far harder to hold ajar, which is precisely why the international community must act now before deployments harden into irreversible facts.
In this regard, Husham Ahmed highlighted the urgent need to establish formal international frameworks to prevent the militarization of space, warning that non-binding guidelines are no longer sufficient to secure the global commons.
The Pakistani delegate emphasized that while transparency and voluntary Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) guidelines are helpful stepping stones, they cannot substitute for a formal treaty. He reiterated Pakistan’s concrete proposals outlining basic obligations for a potential, legally-binding PAROS treaty.
Husham Ahmed made a point, saying, “The OEWG on PAROS in all its aspects offers a unique platform to bridge differences, where useful discussions are taking place.”
“We must build on these discussions to lay the foundation for both legally and non-legally binding measures,” he added.