Topic: Peaceful Use of Outer Space
Country: New Zealand
Delegate Name: Bob Wang
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All New Zealand position papers GLIMUN 2010 committees
The world is currently in a position where public and private interest in space can only grow. That growth marks the beginning of a new era that could potentially be good and bad. Previously, space had been dominated by the U.S. and Russia, but now new countries, specifically in Asia, have begun to enter the space race. Countries like China, Japan, and India have already launched multiple space probes and satellites and others, with the assistance of Russia and China, have began to start a space program in their country as well.
New Zealand, as well, has tried to join the new growing space race. However, their progress has been minimal. The only involvement with space that New Zealand has experienced is from a private company, not the government, which shot a rocket called the ATEA-1 that barely made it into the region known as space. Thus, the country of New Zealand can be now officially known as a “space nation”.
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) has already adopted many resolutions dealing with activities in space. New Zealand has voted in favor of resolutions that keep international peace, like the one for the “Prevention of an arms race in outer space”. However, in some other resolutions, such as the resolution for the “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space”, New Zealand has abstained due to their previous lack of participation in space activities.
Above all, New Zealand believes that the main issue with the topic of space is that the countries that are more involved in space would want to use space for their military needs, gains, and benefits. However, what those countries must see is that although the decision may be good for the country, for the international relationship within the world, using space for military uses would be devastating. The space race has already become an oligopoly, in which the U.S. and Russia as the top main countries with the Asian countries swiftly gaining ground behind them. If those countries did decide to launch weapons out into space, it would only cause uneasiness and even a form of panic to spread throughout the world. Thus, the country of New Zealand believes that the use of space should not be used for military purposes to preserve the peace and stability on the earth.
