SUDHA MURTY URGES BINDING GLOBAL TREATY TO KEEP OUTER SPACE FREE FROM AN ARMS RACE
October 21, 2026
UNITED NATIONS: Rajya Sabha member and author Sudha Murty has called for a legally binding international agreement to prevent an arms race in outer space, arguing that space should remain a shared domain for humanity rather than become another arena of military rivalry between nations.
Speaking at the United Nations, Murty emphasised that outer space belongs to everyone and that its peaceful use must be protected through collective international responsibility. Her appeal focused on the need for stronger legal safeguards to prevent the militarisation of space from threatening global security and cooperation.
The call comes amid growing international concern over the strategic importance of satellites and other space-based infrastructure. Satellites support essential civilian activities, including communications, navigation, weather forecasting and disaster management, while also serving military and security purposes. Their vulnerability to interference or attack has made the protection of space infrastructure an increasingly important global issue.
Murty’s proposal for a legally binding pact seeks to move beyond general declarations of peaceful intent towards a framework that would establish clearer obligations for states. Such an agreement could help reduce mistrust, strengthen accountability and discourage the development or deployment of weapons that could destabilise the space environment.
The question of preventing an arms race in outer space has long been discussed at the United Nations, where countries have debated how existing international law should be strengthened to address emerging military technologies and changing strategic calculations. However, reaching consensus on new restrictions has proved difficult because of differences over definitions, verification mechanisms and the security interests of major space powers.
A legally binding agreement would therefore require negotiations on the scope of prohibited activities, methods of verification and procedures for addressing alleged violations. International cooperation would also be essential to ensure that measures intended to protect space security do not unfairly restrict legitimate scientific research or peaceful space exploration.
Murty’s appeal highlights the wider consequences of allowing strategic competition to extend beyond Earth. An escalation in space-based military capabilities could threaten not only national security but also the civilian systems on which economies, public services and everyday life increasingly depend.
Her intervention places renewed emphasis on the principle that outer space should be governed through cooperation and shared responsibility. The challenge for the international community is to translate that principle into enforceable rules capable of preventing military rivalry from undermining the peaceful use of space.
As more countries expand their space programmes and rely increasingly on satellite infrastructure, the demand for effective international safeguards is likely to grow. A binding global agreement, if negotiated and accepted by major spacefaring nations, could become an important step towards reducing the risk of conflict beyond Earth.
