NEW DELHI September 12, 2026 — BRICS countries on Saturday urged the international community to prevent an arms race in outer space and ensure space technologies are used only for peaceful purposes.
The call came in the New Delhi Declaration adopted unanimously at the 18th BRICS Summit, hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam. The two-day gathering, themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” marked two decades of the grouping and brought together leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and counterparts from other member states.
In the declaration, leaders stated they “recognize the need to ensure the use of space systems, as well as the achievements of space science and technologies, for peaceful purposes.” They reasserted support for “the long-term sustainability of outer space activities and prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS) and of its weaponization, as well as the threats or use of force against outer space objects.”
The document also called for negotiations toward a legally binding multilateral instrument on the issue and noted earlier proposals such as the Draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space (PPWT). It highlighted the value of transparency and confidence-building measures alongside work in UN forums.
BRICS members praised progress on their own space cooperation. They welcomed achievements of the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation (RSSC), a virtual network of existing satellites from member countries used to share Earth observation data for climate monitoring, disaster response, and socio-economic development. Leaders also noted a June meeting of BRICS space agency heads in Bengaluru that focused on space debris mitigation and expanding the RSSC to include newer members.
The grouping reiterated a commitment to reducing disparities in space capabilities among its members while stressing international cooperation in the peaceful exploration of outer space. The declaration also marked the 65th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s first human spaceflight.
The space language formed part of a broader 140-point document covering global governance reform, trade, counter-terrorism, and technology cooperation. China will assume the BRICS chairmanship next year.
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