Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Presenter: Mr. Chatura Perera
Location: New York
Statement by Mr. Chatura Perera, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations: First Committee –
Cluster 3 Outer space (disarmament aspects)
81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly: 20 October 2026
Mr. Chair,
My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and wishes to add the following remarks in its national capacity.
For generations, people have looked to outer space with wonder. Today, our lives increasingly depend on space-based technologies and services. For countries like Sri Lanka, space-based technologies support disaster preparedness, climate response, digital infrastructure, telecommunications, and many critical civilian services. This growing reliance underscores the importance of preserving outer space as a domain of peaceful use and international cooperation.
Sri Lanka has long recognized outer space as the common heritage of humanity. We believe that all States, irrespective of their level of economic or scientific development, should have an equal opportunity to explore and use outer space for peaceful purposes and for the common benefit of humankind.
Mr. Chair,
We strongly believe that activities in outer space should be guided by the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, particularly Article 2, including the prohibition of the threat or use of force. We further call for all activities in outer space to align with the existing provisions of the Outer Space Treaty.
Sri Lanka has worked for the prevention of an arms race in outer space for decades. Together with Egypt, we continue to bring the annual General Assembly resolution on PAROS before this body, reflecting our continued commitment to this objective.
We therefore continue to support the early conclusion of a comprehensive, legally binding, and multilaterally verifiable instrument on PAROS.
Voluntary norms, guidelines, and transparency and confidence-building measures (TCBMs) are also vital in reducing mistrust and miscalculation and in building confidence towards our ultimate goal. But they cannot be a substitute for a legally binding and verifiable treaty architecture to prevent the placement of weapons in outer space.
We welcome the work of the Open-ended Working Group on PAROS in all its aspects and encourage all States to engage in it constructively. The distinct approaches of this Working Group can lay the foundation for a common ground towards our shared goal of prevention of arms race in outer space.
Mr. Chair,
It is important that international frameworks relating to outer space also keep pace with rapidly evolving space technologies.
Measures built around specific systems or technologies risk quickly becoming out of date. Any future framework should be broad enough to address emerging developments that could contribute to an arms race in outer space.
The increasingly dual-use character of space technologies, and the expanding role of commercial actors in space, make prohibitions and restrictions more difficult. Any future mechanism will need to be credible and adaptable, and able to keep pace with the technological and operational developments in the space domain.
At the same time, the pursuit of security must never hinder the legitimate peaceful use of outer space by developing countries. It is vital that developing and non-spacefaring nations maintain their right to access space applications essential for climate resilience, disaster management, and sustainable development.
For many of our countries, access to space technologies and data is important to the welfare of our people. Damage to or disruption of space-based infrastructure could have consequences for civilian life well beyond the States directly involved in any conflict. This underscores the importance of ensuring that all States, including developing and non-spacefaring States, have a meaningful role in shaping the rules governing outer space.
Mr. Chair,
In outer space, humanity still holds an opportunity we have too often let slip here on Earth: to prevent an arms race before it takes hold.
We should not regard conflict in outer space as inevitable simply because technology has made it possible.
For centuries, people have looked to the night sky and seen an array of possibilities. Our responsibility is to ensure that future generations can also do the same and realize these opportunities equitably and in accordance with applicable frameworks.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.