Agenda: The prevention of space militarization.

Outer space has become indispensable to modern society, supporting global communications, navigation, weather forecasting, scientific research, disaster management, and national security. As states grow more dependent on satellites, the line between peaceful and military uses of space has blurred: civilian satellites often provide critical military communications, intelligence, and navigation, making them potential targets during geopolitical tension. Meanwhile, major space powers are developing increasingly sophisticated counterspace capabilities, including anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, electronic warfare, and cyber operations, raising the risk that terrestrial conflicts could rapidly extend into orbit, disrupting essential services worldwide.

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The growing number of objects in orbit has created another concern: space debris. Destructive ASAT tests and collisions generate fragments capable of damaging spacecraft, threatening civilian, commercial, and military missions alike. The rapid expansion of private space companies and satellite constellations has further increased both opportunities and vulnerabilities, as established powers and emerging ones alike race to expand their capabilities. Existing frameworks, particularly the Outer Space Treaty, establish important principles but do not comprehensively address modern weapons, counterspace technologies, or infrastructure protection, risking an environment where defensive capabilities are misread as offensive threats.

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Delegates are expected to approach this issue with strategic foresight, diplomatic restraint, and a commitment to cooperation. Solutions must address both the immediate dangers of ASAT weapons and debris, and the broader competition driving militarization, while developing mechanisms for transparency and responsible behavior that preserve space as a safe, sustainable domain.