On 23 May 2025, Latvia officially accedes to the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, or the Outer Space Treaty. Its aim is to sustain peace and security, reduce conflict risk and promote cooperation in the outer space.
Latvia, together with its allies, considers it of utmost importance to uphold fundamental international norms that ensure the peaceful use of outer space.
Latvia’s accession reinforces its strong commitment to the principles enshrined in the Treaty, including equitable access to space resources and responsible behaviour in space activities. As advancements in new technologies accelerate, the risks to international security grow, and commercial activities in space expand, nations and other stakeholders are confronted with new challenges. These include the need to effectively manage space traffic, regulate resource utilization, and prevent the militarization of outer space or the risk of an arms race. By acceding to the Treaty, Latvia reaffirms its commitment to promoting international cooperation, ensuring the peaceful use of outer space, and contributing to the governance of global space security.
Upon Latvia’s accession, the Outer Space Treaty has now been ratified by 116 states.
The current geopolitical challenges and the efforts of some states to deploy weapons in outer space and utilize it for military prove the importance of the Treaty. It stipulates that outer space is to be freely explored and used by all nations on an equal basis, prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space, opposes an arms race in outer space, and precludes any nation from claiming sovereignty over celestial bodies.
Signed in 1967, the Outer Space Treaty is the first of five UN treaties providing the foundational legal framework for peaceful space activities and are essential for the work of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, to which Latvia acceded in December 2024.
The Outer Space Treaty and its official translation in Latvian.