The prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS) is one of the historically most significant issues on the multilateral disarmament agenda. Already identified as a priority during the First Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Disarmament (SSOD-I, 1978), it is one of the seven standing items of the Conference on Disarmament (CD), known as the “Decalogue.” The objective is to preserve outer space as a safe, secure, sustainable and accessible environment for peaceful purposes, preventing the development of a military competition that could undermine international security.
The main international legal instrument in this field remains the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits the placement in orbit of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction and establishes the principle of the use of outer space for peaceful purposes. However, the Treaty does not regulate many subsequent technological developments, nor does it comprehensively address modern threats to space systems, including those arising from ground-based capabilities, cyber operations or anti-satellite systems.
For more than forty years, the issue remained largely deadlocked within the Conference on Disarmament, where the absence of consensus on the adoption of a programme of work prevented the launch of multilateral negotiations. In parallel, the General Assembly promoted a number of complementary processes aimed at maintaining dialogue on outer space security. In 2018–2019, a first Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space was convened, followed by a second GGE established pursuant to resolution 77/250, which operated in 2023–2024 and adopted, in August 2024, the first consensus report on PAROS in several decades. In parallel, between 2022 and 2023, a separate Open-ended Working Group (OEWG), established pursuant to resolution 75/36, examined threats to space systems through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviour, although it was unable to adopt a consensus final report. The two tracks were generally regarded as complementary, addressing, respectively, practical measures to prevent an arms race and norms of responsible behaviour in outer space.
In light of the results achieved and the complementarity between the previous processes, the General Assembly adopted decision 79/512 in December 2024, establishing a new Open-ended Working Group on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space in all its aspects for the period 2025–2028. The new Working Group replaced the two OEWGs established by resolutions 78/20 and 78/238, with a mandate to develop recommendations on the prevention of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects, taking into account the outcomes of previous processes and the full range of relevant General Assembly resolutions. The mandate provides for an organizational session and eight substantive sessions to be held between 2025 and 2028, with recommendations to be submitted to the General Assembly at the conclusion of the work.
The new OEWG held its organizational session in February 2025, devoted to the adoption of the agenda and working methods. This was followed by the first substantive session (April 2025), the second substantive session (July 2025), and the third substantive session (July 2026), which progressively examined the main aspects of the mandate. During the first session, held in 2025, discussions focused primarily on the organization of the process, the definition of working methods, and the collection of different perceptions of threats to outer space. The second session, held in Geneva in July 2025, allowed substantive discussions to begin on the main issues under the mandate, including threats to space systems, the growing number of orbital debris, the risks arising from the increasing blurring of the distinction between civilian and military technologies, and the role of responsible behaviour norms as potential elements of a future normative framework. In its national statement, Italy highlighted that space security has become an essential prerequisite for the functioning of modern societies, stressing the need to strengthen the resilience of space infrastructure and to promote the safe, sustainable and peaceful use of outer space. The Italian Delegation also underscored that the development of principles and norms of responsible behaviour constitutes a fundamental step towards the possible negotiation of a legally binding instrument.
The third session, which opened in Geneva in July 2026, continued the examination of the main substantive issues falling under the mandate, with the aim of progressively identifying possible areas of convergence among States ahead of the subsequent negotiating sessions. The debate continues to revolve around a number of key issues, including the definition of threats to space systems, the relationship between voluntary confidence-building measures and future legally binding instruments, and the applicability of existing international law to activities in outer space.
At the political level, significant divergences in approach remain. On the one hand, the Russian Federation, China and several Non-Aligned Movement countries continue to advocate as a priority the commencement of negotiations on a legally binding instrument aimed at prohibiting the placement of weapons in outer space. On the other hand, the European Union and other Western countries consider it a priority to consolidate a shared set of norms and principles of responsible behaviour, accompanied by transparency and confidence-building measures (TCBMs), as a more realistic basis for future normative developments. From this perspective, it is emphasized that the main threats to space systems may arise not only from weapons placed in outer space, but also from ground-based capabilities, cyberattacks, electronic interference and other activities capable of disrupting the functioning of space infrastructure.
Italy’s Participation
Italy actively participates in the work of the OEWG, supporting a pragmatic, inclusive and consensus-oriented approach. In line with the position of the European Union, Italy considers it a priority to preserve outer space as a safe, secure, sustainable and accessible domain, upon which an increasing number of essential services for modern societies depend, including telecommunications, Earth observation, emergency management, food security, climate monitoring and satellite navigation. Italy therefore supports the progressive development of principles, norms and rules of responsible behaviour, accompanied by transparency and confidence-building measures, as tools capable of reducing risks and creating the conditions for future developments of the international legal framework.