ASEAN calls on parties to abide by principle of non-appropriation of outer space

Minister Counsellor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen, deputy head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), emphasised the importance of adhering to international law and the principle of non-appropriation of outer space, while representing ASEAN at the 13th meeting of the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (Fourth Committee) of the 79th UN General Assembly on October 30.

Nguyen affirmed ASEAN's stance on ensuring equal access to outer space for all countries, saying the bloc calls on them to enhance dialogue and improve the legal framework to promote cooperation in this field.

As the bloc is marking the 65th founding anniversary of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), it expresses concern over challenges such as the arms race, weaponisation, waste pollution, and satellite collisions; and supports the UN's central role in coordinating international cooperation to address these issues.

ASEAN particularly stresses the importance of sharing space technology and data to tackle environmental issues, promote innovation, and build capacity for post-disaster recovery, especially in the Southeast Asia region, the representative added.