Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic efforts are being pursued to establish binding norms of responsible behaviour in outer space.

The UK is leading diplomatic efforts to reduce space threats through norms of responsible behaviours, including at the United Nations General Assembly First Committee session in New York this month (October 2026). We participate in the UN Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on Preventing an Arms Race in Outer Space in All its Aspects which has a mandate to consider both legally and non-legally binding measures. Our priority is agreeing upon non-legally binding measures to reduce the risks of miscalculation, escalation, and conflict in space. We remain open to legally binding measures where, for example, robust verification is feasible.