Geneva, 4 April 2008
Alex Karl, Co-Chair of the Space Generation Advisory Council addressed the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) annual conference on space security, under the theme of providing security for the Next Generation. The Conference took place from 31 March to 1st April 2008.
UNIDIR is an autonomous institute within the United Nations which is conducting research on disarmament and security with the aim of assisting the international community in their disarmament thinking, decisions and efforts, particularly in the frame of the Conference on Disarmament (CD).
The CD, established in 1979 is the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community. Currently the CD primarily focuses its attention on the following issues: cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament; prevention of nuclear war, including all related matters; prevention of an arms race in outer space; effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons; new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons including radiological weapons; comprehensive programme of disarmament and transparency in armaments.
This year’s UNIDIR space security conference took place under the title: “Security in Space: The Next Generation”. Over the two days of the event, several presentations were given on the general topic of space security, the long term sustainability of space activities and on one of the major issues currently before the Conference on Disarmament, namely the proposed Russian-Chinese draft Treaty to ban space weapons versus Trust and Confidence Building Measures (TCBM).
Speaking on conflict avoidance, Mr Karl said that space weapons and aggressive acts, like Anti-Satellite activities should be prohibited. Space weapons had a negative influence on the space security situation and ASATs were creating large amounts of space debris. Space debris were a serious concern as they might prohibit future generations to access and utilize space in a sustainable manner. “Kinetic ASAT Tests are therefore threatening everything our generation wants to do in the space environment”, said Mr. Karl.
Present at the conference, were many delegations of the members and observer States of the Conference on Disarmament, NGO representatives and other specialists. Addressing the audience were representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US Mission, the Russian Ministry of Defence and the Russian mission, several space law, space security and space specialists, as well as staff form the United Nations Emergency Relief, UNOSAT and the chairman of the UN-COPUOS. Our partners from Secure World Foundation were also present and gave a presentation.
SGAC was represented at the event by a small delegation composed of Alex Karl, SGAC Co-Chair, Ben Baseley-Walker, our newly elected second Co-Chair and Cédric Sapey, European Coordinator and Point of Contact for Switzerland.
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