Pakistan takes helm of UN disarmament conference, vows to push consensus

Tahir Andrabi, Pakistan’s representative, has arrived in Geneva to take charge of the presidency and will chair important sessions of the Conference during

GENEVA: Pakistan is set to assume the presidency of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament on Monday, taking on a key diplomatic role in international efforts to advance arms control and global security.

Tahir Andrabi, Pakistan’s representative, has arrived in Geneva to take charge of the presidency and will chair important sessions of the Conference during his tenure. He will continue performing his responsibilities as spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs alongside his new assignment.

As president, Andrabi will be responsible for steering the Conference’s proceedings in an organised, balanced and consensus-driven manner. Pakistan is expected to focus on facilitating dialogue among member states and helping move discussions forward on key disarmament issues.

During his tenure, Andrabi will also oversee the preparation of the Conference’s annual report, which will be presented to member states for consideration and approval.

Diplomatic sources said Pakistan will subsequently engage in negotiations aimed at securing agreement on a resolution based on the annual report. The resolution is expected to be taken up by the UN General Assembly for approval in November.

Pakistan’s presidency provides Islamabad with an opportunity to play a prominent role in international discussions on disarmament while promoting dialogue, consensus and multilateral cooperation on global security challenges.