Rules and norms for outer-space behaviour with Aidan Liddle

In the fifth episode of The Arms Control Poseur podcast, host William Alberque is joined by Ambassador Aidan Liddle, the UK's Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, to explore the vital topic of security in outer space. Ambassador Liddle provides an in-depth overview of the history and current state of Outer Space Agreements and the legal frameworks that govern them. He discusses the formation and vision of the Open Ended Working Group on Reducing Space Threats and the importance of establishing norms, rules, and principles for responsible behaviours in outer space. Highlighting the lack of 'rules of the road' and the need for concrete measures to ensure space security, Ambassador Liddle emphasizes the role of Space Situational Awareness in making outer space safer. The episode also delves into his diplomatic career and his growing focus on outer space security, offering valuable insights into this critical aspect of international relations. 

The Arms Control Poseur is a podcast series produced by The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium (EUNPDC).   

We hope you enjoy the episode and please follow, rate, and subscribe to The Arms Control Poseur on the podcast platform of your choice. 

Date of Recording: 6 September 2023 

The Arms Control Poseur is recorded and produced at the IISS in Berlin. 

Episode background reading:

Open-Ended Working Group on Reducing Space Threats, https://meetings.unoda.org/open-ended-working-group-on-reducing-space-threats-2022. 

EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence for a stronger and more resilient European Union, https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-space-policy/eu-space-strategy-security-and-defence_en. 

‘SIPRI expert at UN open-ended working group session on reducing space threats’, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 16 June 2022, https://www.sipri.org/news/2022/sipri-expert-un-open-ended-working-group-session-reducing-space-threats 

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, Outer Space, https://disarmament.unoda.org/topics/outerspace/. 

Aidan Liddle, ‘Responsible behaviours in outer space: towards UNGA 76’, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs, 8 June 2021, https://blogs.fcdo.gov.uk/aidanliddle/2021/06/08/reducing-space-threats-towards-unga-76/.  

Links: 

Funder: www.nonproliferation.eu/. 

IISS research programme: Strategy, Technology and Arms Control | IISS Research programme. 

Music: https://elysiumon37th.bandcamp.com. 

‘The Arms Control Primer’ is a podcast series produced by the IISS Strategy, Technology and Arms Control Programme on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium

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