THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 12, 2026

BRICS leaders on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space and called for measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of space activities while preventing an arms race and weaponisation of outer space.

The commitment was outlined in the BRICS New Delhi Declaration adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit here, being held from September 12 to 13 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

The leaders underlined the importance of international cooperation in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space, including the peaceful use of space systems, and reiterated their commitment to reducing existing asymmetries in space capabilities among BRICS countries.

They also appreciated the achievements of the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation (RSSC) in harnessing space technology to address global challenges and promote socio-economic development.

The leaders welcomed the outcome of discussions at the BRICS Heads of Space Agencies meeting held in Bengaluru, which highlighted the importance of space debris mitigation for ensuring the long-term sustainability of activities in outer space.

They also welcomed progress towards finalising amendments to the BRICS RSSC Agreement to enable the inclusion of new BRICS space agencies, as well as efforts to draft the Terms of Reference for the proposed BRICS Space Council.

Reiterating their support for preventing an arms race in outer space (PAROS), the leaders stressed that space systems and advances in space science and technology must be used for peaceful purposes.

They also opposed the weaponisation of outer space and threats or use of force against outer space objects, while calling for negotiations towards the adoption of a relevant multilateral legal instrument to strengthen global security.

The leaders noted the submission of the updated Draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects (PPWT) to the Conference on Disarmament in 2014, describing it as an important step towards achieving the objective of preventing an arms race in outer space.

They stressed that practical and non-binding commitments, including Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures (TCBMs), along with universally agreed norms, rules and principles, could contribute to preventing an arms race in outer space.

The leaders also took note of an initiative by some BRICS members at the UN General Assembly to establish a single Open-Ended Working Group to facilitate coherent, inclusive and effective discussions on the issue.

They pledged to engage constructively in the process while building on existing achievements, including substantial elements of a legally binding instrument on PAROS.

The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration and consensus.