The Conference for the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East has just elected, by acclamation, the ambassador permanent representative of Morocco to the UN, Omar Hilale, president of the 6th Conference for the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East for the year 2025.
The election of Mr. Hilale comes at a pivotal moment in the Conference marked by the sharp escalation of tensions in the Middle East, the proliferation of risks of a large-scale nuclear war, the rise of the arms race, and non-compliance with commitments made on disarmament and non-proliferation.
The Middle East Conference is held pursuant to a decision of the General Assembly in 2018, and draws its mandate from the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the 1995 Conference of the Parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty ( NPT) on nuclear weapons, which was tasked with examining the NPT and the question of its extension. The ultimate goal of this Conference is to negotiate a legally binding treaty eliminating nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East region.
The appointment of Mr. Hilale represents a testimony to the trust that Morocco enjoys within the United Nations, and among Middle Eastern countries, in particular. Great expectations rest on the Moroccan presidency with a view to instilling a new ambitious dynamic, capable of allowing this vital process to carry out its work in a transparent, open, inclusive and action-oriented manner.
Following his election, the ambassador said that the upcoming sessions of the Middle East Conference represent a glimmer of hope and a new opportunity to continue discussions on many pillars that could accelerate the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.
He specified that the laudable efforts of the member and observer states of the Conference must be reinforced by acts of “good faith” aimed at strengthening confidence-building measures and the resolution of common technical challenges, so that actions are operational and effective, particularly with regard to the preservation of the gains made and the strengthening of regional cooperation between Member States following the ratification, in the coming years, of the Treaty decreeing a zone free of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.
The UN Secretary-General, through his spokesperson, congratulated Morocco on its election and sent it his best wishes for success in its appointment as president of the 6th session of the Conference.
Mr. Hilale has over 30 years of direct experience within the United Nations. He chaired the first Commission of the General Assembly responsible for disarmament and international security in 2021. He chaired the Conference on Disarmament in 2004, in Geneva.
He also represented Morocco within the International Committee of Legal Experts responsible for the application of the Convention Prohibiting the Use of Chemical Weapons in 1993.
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