Advancing a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction

Thursday 20 March 2025 - 10:37

By: Zahouani Ilham

Advancing a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction

In a recent address in New York, Morocco’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, emphasized the urgent need for a Middle East free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. Speaking at the 6th Conference on the Establishment of a Zone Free of Nuclear and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East, Hilale expressed that the region faces an increasingly critical moment in global disarmament efforts.

During his opening remarks at the second working committee of the conference, Hilale pointed to the accelerated erosion of disarmament and non-proliferation, which is driven by rising geopolitical shocks, disregard for existing multilateral instruments, and a lack of concrete commitments to nuclear disarmament. He warned that the absence of tangible progress on nuclear disarmament brings the international community closer to catastrophic consequences. The ambassador highlighted that the world is at a crossroads, with the window of opportunity for securing a stable and prosperous world free of nuclear weapons narrowing.

Hilale reaffirmed the importance of open, transparent, and inclusive discussions at the conference, which could help overcome the challenges ahead and reaffirm the commitment to the long-sought goal of creating a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction. The success of these efforts, he said, depends on rallying international support and fully implementing past commitments.

The second working committee of the conference, which lasts three days, stands out this year due to the participation of all Middle Eastern countries, including Iran. Israel, regularly invited, continues to boycott the event. The conference is supported by high-level experts, academics, diplomats, and professionals with extensive experience in non-proliferation, coming from regions such as Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

The Middle East Conference was established in 2018 by the UN General Assembly and derives its mandate from the 1995 resolution on the Middle East adopted by the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), tasked with reviewing the indefinite extension of the NPT. The goal is to negotiate a legally binding treaty to eliminate weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.