Michael Krepon is co-founder of the Stimson Center and a Diplomat Scholar at the University of Virginia. He is author of <i>Better Safe than Sorry: The Ironies of Living with the Bomb</i> (Stanford University Press, 2009).
An “imperfect” International Code of Conduct can help establish and strengthen norms for responsible space-faring nations. We must make hard choices about which less-than-perfect approach can best serve national and international security.
The earliest years of offsetting nuclear weapon capabilities between rivals can be the most harrowing. India and Pakistan have certainly followed this pattern. But over time, rivals can moderate their competition, especially with regard to nuclear weapons. Formal arms control treaties, like those negotiated between the United States and the Soviet Union, are unlikely for southern Asia. India and Pakistan can, however, employ tacit agreements, confidence-building, and nuclear risk-reduction measures to allay mutual concerns over nuclear weapons.
Space Code of Conduct: Inadequate Mechanism—A Response
An “imperfect” International Code of Conduct can help establish and strengthen norms for responsible space-faring nations. We must make hard choices about which less-than-perfect approach can best serve national and international security.