Pakistan assumes presidency of UN disarmament conference: FO

Pakistan has taken on the role of chairing the United Nations Conference on Disarmament (CD), according to the Foreign Office (FO). This announcement came on Monday, with FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi set to chair conference meetings. The CD serves as the world's sole multilateral platform for negotiating disarmament and arms control treaties, gathering 65 member states, including all states possessing nuclear weapons.

The conference's agenda covers essential topics such as halting the nuclear arms race, averting nuclear war, and preventing the militarization of outer space. This will be the CD's final presidency for the 2026 session before concluding its proceedings for the year. During the presidency, Pakistan will lead discussions on the CD's Annual Report and the relevant resolution in the UN General Assembly's First Committee.

Pakistani diplomats have already initiated consultations in their capacity as the CD president, holding a meeting of past presidents for the 2026 session and speaking with regional group representatives. The FO highlighted that the CD and its predecessor bodies have negotiated some of the most significant international security agreements, including the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

Pakistan's assumption of the CD presidency at this crucial time underscores the international community's confidence in Pakistan's diplomatic leadership and its constructive approach to multilateral arms control and disarmament diplomacy. This move places Pakistan at the forefront of the global conversation on arms control, disarmament, and international peace and security.