ISLAMABAD (Zeeshan Yousafzai) – Pakistan has achieved another major diplomatic milestone as it is set to assume the Presidency of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament today (August 17).
Foreign Office Spokesperson and Additional Foreign Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Tahir Andrabi will serve as the new president of the Conference on Disarmament. Andrabi has already arrived in Geneva and will chair the Conference's key meetings in the coming days.
According to diplomatic sources, Pakistan's primary responsibility during its presidency will be to steer the Conference's proceedings in an organized, balanced, and consensus-based manner. As President Tahir Andrabi will also prepare the Conference's annual report, which will be presented to member states for adoption. The report will cover the Conference's work throughout the year including discussions, negotiations, and progress on its agenda.
Based on the annual report, Pakistan will facilitate negotiations on a draft resolution to be submitted to the UN General Assembly, where it is expected to be adopted in November. During its presidency Pakistan will also facilitate consultations and negotiations on the Conference's 2027 agenda.
As president, Pakistan will convene an important debate this week on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS). The positions of the United States and European countries on PAROS differ significantly from those of China and Russia. Diplomatic sources say that Pakistan's role in bridging these differences will be one of the key challenges of its presidency.
The Conference will also discuss nuclear disarmament, prevention of nuclear war, negative security assurances, the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), and emerging technologies. Discussions will further cover the military use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), international and regional peace and strategic stability.
Pakistan's presidency comes at a time of heightened global strategic tensions. The Russia-Ukraine war, US-China strategic rivalry, nuclear weapons modernization, the weaponization of outer space, and the growing use of AI in military affairs have made the Conference on Disarmament more important than ever. In this environment, Pakistan's presidency provides an opportunity to play a significant diplomatic role in global security.
Recently 41 countries called at the Conference for a requirement to provide at least 24 hours' advance notification of long-range ballistic missile and space launch activities.
The UN Conference on Disarmament is the world's only permanent multilateral negotiating forum dedicated to disarmament agreements and arms control. It comprises 65 member states.