EU Presidency Statement - Outer Space

First Committee (UNGA59)
Cluster: Outer Space

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honour to take the floor on behalf of the European Union. The candidate countries Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Croatia*, the countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro, as well as the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

Mr. Chairman,

1. The EU is conscious of the growing involvement of the international community in outer space activities for development and progress, and is actively co-operating in various space initiatives. Such activities should be developed in a peaceful environment: an arms race in outer space should be prevented.

2. Since it is our belief that the Conference on Disarmament is the only international multilateral negotiating forum for disarmament, it is within the CD that any decision should be taken regarding work on the prevention of an arms race in outer space.

3. The EU supports the establishment of a subsidiary body at the CD to deal with this matter on the basis of a mandate, which will be the subject of an agreement by all.

Thank you, Mr Chairman.

* Croatia continues to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process

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• EU Presidency Statement - Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (12/10/2004)
• EU Presidency Statement - Draft resolution on Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (27/10/2003)