India Urges UN to Adopt Legally Binding Space Arms Treaty
Sudha Murty called for a universally acceptable and verifiable treaty to outlaw the weaponization of outer space during a United Nations session.
Rajya Sabha member Sudha Murty urged the United Nations on October 21 to adopt a comprehensive, legally binding treaty to outlaw the weaponization of outer space. Representing India, Murty stated that any such instrument must be multilaterally negotiated, verifiable, and universally acceptable to be effective.
Murty proposed the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament as the primary forum for these negotiations. She argued that the international community must consider threats to space security and the threshold for the use of force together, warning that a selective focus on certain threats over others would be counterproductive.
The proposal arrives amid deep divisions between global powers. The United States has admitted to deploying on-orbit space control weapons and has previously opposed a 2008 draft treaty introduced by China and Russia, citing vagueness and a lack of verification mechanisms. Conversely, Russia vetoed a 2024 resolution proposed by the United States and Japan aimed at preventing the placement of nuclear weapons in space.
