Disarmament: Morocco Concludes Its Presidency of the UN Conference

The Moroccan Presidency of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva officially came to an end on Thursday, after a month marked by frank, open, and constructive exchanges.

The Moroccan Presidency organized thematic plenary meetings focused on the cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament, providing delegations with a privileged framework to examine these crucial issues for international peace and security.

During Tuesday’s session, Ambassador Omar Zniber, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the UN in Geneva, in his capacity as President of the Conference, explained the rationale behind the choice of these themes, emphasizing their relevance in the current global strategic context marked by regional tensions, nuclear rivalries, and programs to modernize arsenals.

He recalled the historical and institutional role of the Conference on Disarmament, which has always placed the nuclear issue at the heart of its mandate, and stressed the timeliness of these discussions just weeks before the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non‑Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in New York.

According to him, these preliminary exchanges help identify areas of convergence, clarify positions, and positively feed into the upcoming multilateral process.

In his closing remarks on Thursday, Mr. Zniber described the Conference as “a key pillar of the international disarmament architecture” and stressed that, even in the absence of an adopted program of work, the discussions held remain valuable in preparing future negotiations.

He recalled that “political will remains the true driving force” of the Conference and expressed his confidence in its ability to overcome the current impasse with perseverance and patience.

Throughout its mandate, the Moroccan Presidency worked in a volatile international context marked by new hostilities in the Middle East and the resurgence of rhetoric based on military deterrence, promoting dialogue, bringing positions closer together, and fostering a climate of trust conducive to substantive exchanges.

The commitment and leadership of the Moroccan Presidency were widely praised by the disarmament community in Geneva. This recognition reflects Morocco’s significant contribution to multilateral efforts aimed at promoting disarmament and strengthening international security, thereby consolidating its place on the global diplomatic stage of disarmament.