Dr. Ray Williamson, SWF Executive Director, in New York for UN discussions

Dr. Ray Williamson (second from right), SWF Executive Director; Victor Vasiliev, Deputy Permanent Representative to the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN Geneva Office; and Nicolas Gerard of UNIDIR are currently taking part in a panel to members of the United Nations General Assembly chaired by Ambassador Robert Grey of the Bipartisan Security Group.

The panel is discussing transparency and confidence-building measures (TCBMs), the draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects (PPWT), and other key space security issues. Find out more on governmental proposals here.

Dr. Williamson stressed the need to approach all of these issues from both the technical and the political perspective.

Minister Vasiliev stressed that TCBMs are and integral part of the international legal framework and work towards the goal of reaching agreement on prohibiting the placement of weapons in other space. However, they can not substitute for comprehensive legal obligations on a treaty on the prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS).