The issue of the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) continues to be one of the central items on the agenda of the United Nations concerning outer space security. Over the past decade, two Groups of Governmental Experts (GGEs) have worked under the auspices of the UN to explore legal and practical ways forward. This post brings together essential documents, reports, and commentaries related to both GGEs, offering a consolidated resource for scholars, practitioners, and institutions.
1. The 2018–2019 Group of Governmental Experts on PAROS
In 2018, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) established the first Group of Governmental Experts on PAROS, which concluded its work in 2019. Among the appointed experts was Sergio Marchisio, who authored a detailed Final Report on the group’s work, available here in both Italian and English.
Although the group did not adopt a consensus final report, it produced a Final Procedural Text, which includes substantive reflections and proposals discussed during the sessions. This document remains a valuable resource for understanding key legal and political positions at that time.
Governmental experts GG 2018-2019 2. Academic insight on PAROS
For an academic perspective, see the recent contribution by Pierfrancesco Breccia on the PAROS process, which offers a legal analysis of the debate, examining the limits of existing treaties and the divergent approaches to future international regulation. Read the abstract and full article here.
3. The 2023–2024 Group of Governmental Experts on PAROS
Following UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/77/250, adopted on 30 December 2022, a second Group of Governmental Experts was established to consider further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space, including elements of a potential legally binding instrument. The GGE met in Geneva over two sessions in 2023 and 2024 and held an informal intersessional meeting in New York, engaging a broad range of Member States.
Its work concluded with the adoption of the 2024 Final Report. Download it here.
4. Expert commentary: practical measures to the 2024 GGE PAROS Report
As a follow-up to the 2024 GGE report, Marchisio has also prepared a commentary, available here, outlining key practical measures for preventing an arms race in outer space, including future recommendations, as outcomes of the 2024 GGE on PAROS. Among others, he focuses on threat and prevention, the importance of international law, definitions and verification, transparency and trust building measures.
