SCO Nations Demand Outer Space Stay Weapon-Free

Member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are pushing hard to keep outer space free of weapons a call that comes amid rising global tensions over militarization beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

SCO’s Bold Call for a Weapon-Free Outer Space

SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev made a strong appeal at Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue security forum. He urged all member states to keep outer space free from any form of weaponization. The statement came during his formal address at the high-profile international gathering one of Asia’s most watched security summits.

The Shangri-La Dialogue ran from May 29 to May 31 in Singapore. It brought together representatives from 44 nations including 54 ministerial-level delegates making it a major platform for global security debate.

Missile Defense Build-Up Seen as a Threat

Yermekbayev did not stop at outer space. He pointed out that SCO member states view unchecked, unilateral expansion of global missile defense systems as a direct threat to international security. The message was clear unconstrained military build-up in any domain, including space, risks destabilizing world peace.

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RATS Mandate Set for Major Expansion

The SCO chief also revealed a significant institutional development. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure known as RATS will transform into a broader, all-purpose center. It will tackle a far wider range of threats than before.

“The decision has been made, and procedural work is currently underway,” Yermekbayev stated.

The expanded RATS mandate will now go well beyond terrorism, separatism, and extremism. It will also cover border control, cybercrime, and transnational organized crime giving the body a much sharper edge in modern security challenges.

What Is the SCO?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was founded in 2001. Its full members include Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The bloc also has a wide network of partner countries Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Sri Lanka making it one of the world’s largest regional organizations by geographic coverage.