Pakistan assumes presidency of UN disarmament conference: FO

Pakistan has assumed the presidency of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament (CD), the Foreign Office (FO) announced on Monday, with FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi to chair conference meetings.

According to a statement via FO, the CD is the world’s single multilateral forum for negotiating disarmament and arms control treaties. Based at the United Nations Office at Geneva, it brings together 65 member states, including all states possessing nuclear weapons.

FO added that the conference’s agenda included key issues such as the cessation of the nuclear arms race, the prevention of nuclear war, and preventing the weaponisation of outer space, among other issues.

The statement noted that this would be the conference’s final presidency for the 2026 session and would, therefore, conclude its proceedings for the year.

“During its presidency, Pakistan will steer negotiations on the Annual Report of the CD and the corresponding resolution in the First Committee of the UN General Assembly,” the statement read.

“Pakistan has initiated consultations in its role as President of the CD. Today, Ambassador Tahir Hussain Andrabi chaired a meeting of the previous presidents of the Conference for the 2026 session and held consultations with representatives of the regional groups.”

The FO added that the CD and its predecessor bodies negotiated some of the most consequential agreements in international security, 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 critical juncture reaffirms the trust placed by the international community in Pakistan’s diplomatic leadership and its constructive role in multilateral arms control and disarmament diplomacy,” the FO said.

“It places Pakistan at the centre of the global discourse on arms control, disarmament, and international peace and security.”