Historical and legal aspect of establishment and activities of Ad Hoc PAROS (Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space) Committee

Abstract

The article examines the historical and legal aspects of the establishment and activities of the Ad Hoc PAROS (Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space) Committee, which operated from 1985 to 1994 as a subsidiary body of the Conference on Disarmament. The historical prerequisites for the creation of the Ad Hoc PAROS Committee and the resolution of the UN General Assembly together with the working documents of the Conference on Disarmament related to the activities of the Committee and the areas of its work were analyzed. Key functions of the Committee included processing proposals of regional groups, holding meetings, involving experts, and developing documentation on issues related to the prevention of an arms race in outer space. Emphasis was placed on the active involvement of delegations in the development of measures to prevent an arms race in outer space, with the aim of preserving its peaceful use for future generations. It was revealed that at the meetings of the Committee, delegations proposed to strengthen the support and the existing international norms and rules; to develop new international agreements that would regulate problematic issues of outer space activity; to create measures to increase transparency and trust between states, through the creation of monitoring international agencies; to promote cooperation and partnership in outer space exploration.
 The article justifies the importance of the Committee's contribution in providing an opportunity to states, which are seeking to settle the issue of disarmament not only on Earth, but also in outer space, to put forward proposals for strengthening confidence and to resolve the issue of the legal vacuum created by the incomplete regulation of the use of outer space. The opinion was expressed that the Committee had great potential to become a permanent body of the Conference on Disarmament and, despite the lack of a negotiating mandate, received the support of states for updating existing international treaties, creating confidence-building measures. However, subsequent historical events made their adjustments, and the Committee was not renewed.