April 24, 2024
Okay. Good afternoon, everyone. For the last several months, the United States and Japan worked hand-in-hand on a UN Security Council resolution, aimed at strengthening and upholding the global non-proliferation regime, including in outer space.
This is a simple matter of maintaining international peace and security, the core responsibility of the Security Council.
Unfortunately, today, Russia abandoned that responsibility by vetoing a straightforward resolution – a resolution that wasn’t just ours, but belonged to all 65 cosponsors.
China abstained on it, preferring to play the junior partner to Russia than uphold the nonproliferation regime.
This resolution would have reaffirmed the shared goal of preventing an arms race in outer space, and urged exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.
It would have reaffirmed the obligations of all States Parties not to place any objects carrying nuclear weapons, or other WMDs, in orbit around Earth, in compliance with the Outer Space Treaty – a treaty that 115 countries have joined, including Russia and China.
It would have called on Member States not to even develop nuclear weapons for this purpose.
And it would have helped prevent the catastrophic consequences of a nuclear detonation in space, which could destroy satellites that are vital to communications, agriculture, sustainable development, national security, and more.
Needless to say, we are incredibly disappointed by the result of today’s vote. But we remain undeterred.
The United States and Japan will continue to model transparency, accountability, and cooperation.
We will continue to show up to the negotiating table in good faith, and encourage bilateral arms control discussions with Russia and China, right now, without preconditions.
And we will continue to work with partners, like those 65 countries that cosponsored today’s resolution, to ensure countries cannot deploy nuclear weapons in outer space.
Today’s vote marks a real missed opportunity to rebuild much-needed trust in existing arms control obligations. Now begins the work of righting that wrong.
Thank you. I’ll take any questions. Sure.
QUESTION: So obviously you are concerned about an arms race in space, and the way through the Security Council is blocked. So, what’s next steps to prevent that? An arms race.
AMBASSADOR ROBERT WOOD: Well, we continue to work everyday in Geneva – and I am speaking now in my national capacity here. We continue to work everyday in Geneva to try to do what we can to prevent the deployment of weapons in outer space.
China and Russia will talk to you about this PAROS Treaty, the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space – there is no consensus in Geneva on that. And one of the reasons is, is because their treaty does not deal with terrestrial based weapons.
And frankly, the second issue is, it’s not verifiable. And experts will tell you it is not verifiable.
However, we will continue – we’ve been looking to try to improve cooperation through confidence building measures in space. So, we’ll continue as Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said in the room: We’ll continue to work on these issues. And we’re prepared to work with Russia and China bilaterally on arms control.
Anyone else? Yeah.
QUESTION: Thank you. My question is in general regarding this issue in terms of – how do you see the role of Iran and North Korea in terms of not abiding by almost anything regarding outer space and nuclear weapons?
AMBASSADOR WOOD: Well, obviously we have been concerned about Iran’s nuclear program and activities for quite some time. And of course, as you know, the DPRK. The DPRK file is an important file here, and we haven’t been able to make progress on that file, because of Russia and China. Basically two countries, that were supportive, that joined a Council consensus on dealing with the DPRK’s nuclear weapons program and ballistic missiles programs. And somehow, they now have left that consensus. And you’ll have to ask them why. But it is very concerning overall about the activities of Iran in the nuclear arena, as well as the DPRK.
Thank you.