Nationaal statement in reactie op de vernietiging van Cosmos-1408
Nederlandse diplomatieke verklaring, in reactie op de vernietiging van Cosmos-1408 (Engels).
- The deliberate, and unnecessary, creation of space debris through the intentional destruction of Cosmos-1408 by a direct-ascent anti-satellite missile on 15 November is a threat to the safety, sustainability and security of outer space and therefore irresponsible.
- Space technology is widely used by many nations in economic, social, scientific and security-related applications. At the same time, there is a genuine risk that space debris, whether intentionally created or not, results in large-scale disruptions or permanent damage to space systems; related miscalculations and misunderstandings can negatively affect strategic stability.
- The international community has a collective responsibility to address this issue, as space is a domain that no country is able to – or ought to handle on its own. The Netherlands strongly believes that further efforts to strengthen, and re-inforce international agreements by means of adequate trust and confidence building measures, space behaviour norms, rules and principles, can serve as a first step towards legally binding agreements. Our national contribution to UNGA Resolution 75/36 and our support for the follow-on resolution that was recently adopted by the UN First Committee is a testimony of this commitment.
- We call on all states to take their responsibilities in respect to space debris mitigation and remediation measures, as well as in constructively engaging in international discussions on outer space to realize a sustainable, safe and secure space domain.