Norms for Outer Space: A Small Step or a Giant Leap for Policymaking?

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Norms for Outer Space: A Small Step or a Giant Leap for Policymaking?

Space is increasingly critical to modern life on Earth. But there is growing concern that, as it becomes more economically and strategically important, tensions between different space actors are heightening in a manner that could lead to conflict. The accelerating proliferation of counterspace capabilities, as well as the enactment of national policies that deem space an operational or warfighting domain, underlines the very real nature of threats that exist and highlights the importance of keeping space peaceful.

To address these challenges, some experts in space security have called for more robust norms of behaviour in outer space. At this event, space security experts explored the role of norms as a mechanism to regulate behaviour in outer space, as well as the role they can play in contributing to the prevention of an arms race in outer space.

A recording of the event is available on the UNIDIR YouTube channel (see below).

AGENDA

13:00 Opening Remarks

  • Pedro Arostegui (Deputy Director General of Non-Proliferation & Disarmament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Spain)

13:15 Discussion

  • Almudena Azárate Ortega (UNIDIR)

  • Jessica West (Ploughshares Project)

  • Jinyuan Su (Wuhan University)

  • Moderator: James Revill (UNIDIR)

14:15 Closing Remarks

  • Simon Cleobury (Deputy Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, United Kingdom)

WHERE

Tuesday 30 November 2021 | 13h00–14h30 CET | online.