Assahafa.com
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, called on Monday in Geneva for a renewed and results-driven commitment to multilateralism and disarmament in an international context marked by escalating geopolitical tensions, protracted armed conflicts, and a growing erosion of trust among international stakeholders.
In remarks delivered on his behalf by Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Omar Zniber, at the opening of the high-level segment of the Conference on Disarmament, currently chaired by Morocco, Bourita emphasized that these developments are weakening the multilateral disarmament system and complicating consensus-building efforts, even as they make enhanced dialogue and effective cooperation more urgent than ever.
Reaffirming the central role of the conference as the sole permanent multilateral negotiating forum on disarmament, the minister stressed the need for a substantive revitalization of its work to better respond to today’s complex and evolving security challenges.
Bourita underscored that nuclear disarmament remains both a political necessity and a moral imperative. He called for the full, balanced, and effective implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), describing it as the cornerstone of the international non-proliferation regime and a key pillar of global stability.
The upcoming NPT Review Conference, scheduled for May in New York, he noted, must represent a critical opportunity to restore confidence among States Parties, reinforce the credibility of the non-proliferation regime, and produce tangible outcomes capable of renewing hope within the international community, the official said.
Morocco, he added, looks forward to balanced progress at the NPT Conference, particularly through the establishment of legally binding negative security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon states and the transparent, measurable implementation of commitments undertaken at previous review conferences.
The minister reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to the inalienable right of States Parties to develop research, production, and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, in accordance with Article IV of the NPT. He stressed that this right must be exercised within a strengthened framework of international cooperation and under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Addressing the persistent threat of nuclear terrorism, Bourita welcomed the second plenary meeting of the Global Forum for the Prevention of Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism (Global FTPRNT), held in Rabat from February 3 to 5, 2026. He highlighted the importance of strengthening international coordination to prevent non-state actors from accessing sensitive nuclear and radiological materials.
Turning to emerging challenges, including artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons systems, the minister called for the development of an international normative framework to ensure meaningful human control over such technologies. He also advocated for enhanced multilateral dialogue to prevent the militarization of outer space.
Morocco remains firmly committed to the universalization of international disarmament instruments, particularly the Biological Weapons Convention. In partnership with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the Kingdom continues to organize regional workshops in Rabat aimed at sharing best practices and promoting universal adherence to this critical instrument.
Bourita also called for “a substantive revitalization of the work of the Conference on Disarmament to address the essential and multiple challenges facing the United Nations, whose fundamental pillar remains the maintenance of international peace and security for the benefit of all.”
Morocco, represented by Zniber, will hold the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva until March 13, 2026. This presidency underscores the Kingdom’s standing as a credible and proactive actor committed to advancing multilateralism, dialogue, and collective security.
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