Pakistan assumes presidency of UN Conference on Disarmament

On Monday, Pakistan officially took on the role of presiding over the United Nations Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva. Ambassador Tahir Hussain Andrabi, who serves as the country's Additional Secretary for Arms Control and Disarmament and spokesperson for the Foreign Office, will chair the deliberations on behalf of Pakistan. Andrabi convened a meeting of previous presidents for the 2026 session and engaged in consultations with representatives from regional groups.

Pakistan assumes this position for the final time during the CD's 2026 session. The nation will be responsible for concluding the proceedings and steering negotiations on the Conference's Annual Report and the corresponding resolution within the First Committee of the UN General Assembly. Key issues on the agenda include the cessation of the nuclear arms race, the prevention of nuclear war, and the prevention of weaponization of outer space.

The Conference on Disarmament serves as the world's sole multilateral forum for negotiating disarmament and arms control treaties. Based at the United Nations Office in Geneva, it consists of 65 member states, including all nations possessing nuclear weapons. Pakistan's assumption of the presidency at this critical juncture underscores the international community's confidence in the country's diplomatic capabilities and its constructive role in multilateral arms control and disarmament diplomacy.

Throughout its tenure, Pakistan will participate in the negotiation of significant international security instruments, such as the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.