A/RES/42/33
84th plenary meeting
30 November 1987
Prevention of an arms race in outer space
The General Assembly,
Inspired by the great prospects opening up before mankind as a result
of man's entry into outer space,
Recognizing the common interest of all mankind in the exploration and
use of outer space for peaceful purposes,
Reaffirming that the exploration and use of outer space, including
the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit and
in the interest of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or
scientific development, and shall be the province of all mankind,
Reaffirming further the will of all States that the exploration and
use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall be
for peaceful purposes,
Recalling that the States parties to the Treaty on Principles
Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space,
including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, have undertaken, in
article III, to carry on activities in the exploration and use of outer space,
including the Moon and other celestial bodies, in accordance with
international law and the Charter of the United Nations, in the interest of
maintaining international peace and security and promoting international
co-operation and understanding,
Reaffirming, in particular, article IV of the above-mentioned Treaty,
which stipulates that States parties to the Treaty undertake not to place in
orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds
of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies or
station such weapons in outer space in any other manner,
Reaffirming also paragraph 80 of the Final Document of the Tenth
Special Session of the General Assembly, the first special session devoted to
disarmament, in which it is stated that, in order to prevent an arms race in
outer space, further measures should be taken and appropriate international
negotiations held in accordance with the spirit of the Treaty,
Recalling its resolutions 36/97 C and 36/99 of 9 December 1981, as
well as resolutions 37/83 of 9 December 1982, 37/99 D of 13 December 1982,
38/70 of 15 December 1983, 39/59 of 12 December 1984, 40/87 of
12 December 1985, and 41/53 of 3 December 1986 and the relevant paragraphs of
the Political Declaration adopted by the Eighth Conference of Heads of State
or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Harare from 1 to
6 September 1986,
Gravely concerned at the danger posed to all mankind by an arms race
in outer space and, in particular, by the impending threat of the exacerbation
of the current state of insecurity by developments that could further
undermine international peace and security and retard the pursuit of general
and complete disarmament,
Mindful of the widespread interest expressed by Member States in the
course of the negotiations on and following the adoption of the
above-mentioned Treaty in ensuring that the exploration and use of outer space
should be for peaceful purposes, and taking note of proposals submitted to the
General Assembly at its tenth special session and at its regular sessions and
to the Conference on Disarmament,
Noting the grave concern expressed by the Second United Nations
Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space at the
extension of an arms race into outer space and the recommendations made to the
competent organs of the United Nations, in particular the General Assembly,
and also to the Committee on Disarmament,
Convinced that further measures are needed for the prevention of an
arms race in outer space,
Recognizing that, in the context of multilateral negotiations for
preventing an arms race in outer space, bilateral negotiations between the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America could
make a significant contribution to such an objective, in accordance with
paragraph 27 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session,
Noting with satisfaction that bilateral negotiations between the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America have
continued since 1985 on a complex of questions concerning space and nuclear
arms, both strategic and intermediate-range, and in their relationship, with
the declared objective, endorsed in the joint statement of their leaders on
21 November 1985, of working out effective agreements aimed, inter alia, at
preventing an arms race in outer space,
Anxious that concrete results should emerge from these negotiations
as soon as possible,
Taking note of that part of the report of the Conference on
Disarmament relating to this question,
Welcoming the re-establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee on the
prevention of an arms race in outer space during the 1987 session of the
Conference on Disarmament, in the exercise of the negotiating responsibilities
of this sole multilateral negotiating body on disarmament, to continue to
examine and to identify through substantive and general consideration issues
relevant to the prevention of an arms race in outer space,
Noting that the work accomplished in 1987 by the Ad Hoc Committee of
the Conference on Disarmament has contributed to a fuller identification of
issues and a better understanding of a number of problems and to a clearer
perception of the various positions,
1. Recalls the obligation of all States to refrain from the threat
or use of force in their space activities;
2. 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;
3. 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;
4. Calls upon all 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;
5. Recognizes, as stated in the report of the Ad Hoc Committee of
the Conference on Disarmament, that the legal regime applicable to outer
space, as such, is not sufficient to guarantee the prevention of an arms race
in outer space, the significant role that regime plays in the prevention of an
arms race in that environment, the need to consolidate and reinforce that
regime and to enhance its effectiveness, and the importance of strict
compliance with existing agreements, both bilateral and multilateral;
6. Reiterates that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single
multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, has the primary role in the
negotiation of a multilateral agreement or agreements, as appropriate, on the
prevention of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects;
7. Requests the Conference on Disarmament to consider as a matter
of priority the question of preventing an arms race in outer space;
8. Also requests the Conference on Disarmament to intensify its
consideration of the question of the prevention of an arms race in outer space
in all its aspects, taking into account all relevant proposals, including
those presented in the Ad Hoc Committee on the prevention of an arms race in
outer space at the 1987 session of the Conference and at the forty-second
session of the General Assembly;
9. 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 of an
agreement or agreements, as appropriate, to prevent an arms race in outer
space in all its aspects;
10. 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;
11. Calls upon all States, especially those with major space
capabilities, to refrain, in their activities relating to outer space, from
actions contrary to the observance of the relevant existing treaties or to the
objective of preventing an arms race in outer space;
12. Takes note 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;
13. Requests the Secretary-General to invite the views of Member
States 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;
14. Requests the Conference on Disarmament to report on its
consideration of this subject to the General Assembly at its forty-third
session;
15. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the Conference on
Disarmament all documents relating to the consideration of this subject by the
General Assembly at its forty-second session;
16. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-third
session the item entitled "Prevention of an arms race in outer space".
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