Holy See: Outer space must be preserved as a realm of peace, stability, cooperation

Vatican News

Highlighting the fact that outer space is a common good entrusted to the responsibility of the entire human family, Archbishop Christophe El Kassis said its exploration and ensuing scientific advancement must benefit all peoples, and not create new inequalities or exclusions.

Addressing a Committee dedicated to “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space” at the United Nations General Assembly on 28 October, he recalled the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that states that the exploration and utilisation of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, regardless of their degree of development.

The Permanent Observer noted that “space-based technologies represent a valuable means of addressing the pressing challenges facing our planet, including climate change, food insecurity, water scarcity and natural disasters.”

He upheld the need for “greater international cooperation, particularly in terms of capacity-building and sharing of scientific knowledge, so that developing countries can benefit fully from these advances.”

Care for space

Archbishop El Kassis also addressed the need for greater care for the space environment.

“Increasing orbital congestion and space debris, coupled with growing commercial activities, present challenges that require a coordinated international response,” he said.

A responsible stewardship of outer space is imperative, he continued, to ensure that "scientific and technological progress does not compromise its peaceful and sustainable use by future generations.”

International cooperation

Finally, the archbishop reiterated that as space activities continue to expand, dialogue and international cooperation are paramount.

He called for the strengthening of multilateral cooperation and mutual trust “to ensure that these activities are conducted responsibly and peacefully,” and said that States must “pursue their common efforts to preserve outer space as a realm of peace, stability, and cooperation, for the benefit of present and future generations.”