By our correspondent 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has achieved a significant diplomatic success by securing consensus on the annual report of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament (CD) under the chairmanship of Pakistani diplomat Tahir Hussain Andrabi, diplomatic sources said.


The annual report was adopted by the Conference on Disarmament by consensus under Andrabi’s presidency and will now be forwarded to the UN General Assembly for consideration, the sources said.


According to diplomatic sources, Pakistan succeeded in finalising and securing agreement on the report three days before the conclusion of the Conference’s 2026 session, despite deep divisions among major powers, a persistent trust deficit and ongoing conflicts around the world.


The sources said the consensus on the annual report was particularly significant as the Conference was unable during the current year to reach agreement on its programme of work or the establishment of subsidiary bodies.


“In these circumstances, the adoption of the annual report represents the most important consensus-based outcome achieved by the Conference in 2026,” the sources said.


They said the Pakistani presidency, under Andrabi’s leadership, worked extensively and with considerable attention to detail to build consensus around a meaningful and comprehensive report.


During Pakistan’s four-week presidency, open informal consultations were held alongside extensive bilateral engagements with delegations representing all regional and political groups, including major powers. Their views, concerns and areas of flexibility on various proposals were assessed before the text was finalised.


Rather than imposing a text, Andrabi developed compromise language and informally tested it with relevant delegations before formally presenting it, the sources said. Points where consensus appeared possible were incorporated into revised drafts, while the presidency avoided advancing issues where agreement remained out of reach.


The Pakistani presidency also dealt with some of the most difficult issues confronting the Conference, including the participation of observer states and the inability to make progress on substantive negotiations. Member states remained sharply divided on these matters.


Despite pressure from different sides, Pakistan maintained a balanced approach and ensured that the broader consensus within the Conference was preserved, diplomatic sources said.


The sources described the adoption of the annual report as evidence that progress remains possible in the disarmament arena when sufficient political will and diplomatic engagement are available.


The Conference on Disarmament, which is mandated to prepare an annual report for submission to the UN General Assembly, comprises 65 member states. The membership includes all nuclear-weapon states as well as major militarily significant countries, making consensus on its annual report a diplomatically sensitive exercise.


Pakistan’s presidency was the sixth and final presidency of the Conference’s 2026 session. The successful adoption of the report was achieved three days before the session’s conclusion.


The report will next be transmitted to the UN General Assembly, where it will be considered by the First Committee. Pakistan will also be required to lead negotiations in October on the General Assembly resolution concerning the Conference’s annual report.