ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has assumed the presidency of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, marking its final presidency of the conference’s 2026 session, the Foreign Office said.
Additional Secretary for Arms Control and Disarmament and Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi is chairing the conference’s meetings and has begun consultations with representatives of regional groups.
The Foreign Office said Pakistan would guide the conference through the conclusion of its 2026 proceedings.
Under Pakistan’s presidency, discussions will advance on the conference’s annual report and a related resolution to be considered by the UN General Assembly’s First Committee.
Andrabi also chaired a meeting of former presidents of the conference’s 2026 session and held consultations with representatives of regional groups.
The Conference on Disarmament is the world’s sole multilateral forum dedicated to negotiating treaties and agreements on disarmament and arms control, the Foreign Office said.
Based at the UN Office in Geneva, the conference has 65 member states, including all nuclear-armed states.
Its agenda includes ending the nuclear arms race, preventing nuclear war and preventing an arms race in outer space, among other issues.
The conference and its predecessor bodies have contributed to the development of major international security agreements, including the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
The Foreign Office said Pakistan’s assumption of the presidency at a time of heightened global challenges reflected international confidence in the country’s diplomatic leadership and its constructive role in multilateral arms control and disarmament diplomacy.
It said the presidency would give Pakistan an important role at the center of international discussions on arms control, disarmament, global peace and security.
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Pakistan’s leadership of the conference also reaffirmed its commitment to multilateral diplomacy aimed at promoting international peace and security, the Foreign Office said.
