Oman chaired a meeting in preparation for the Seventh Session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, scheduled for November 2026. This meeting was led by Oman in its capacity as President of the forthcoming Seventh Session, and held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Conference’s Member States, as well as experts from relevant international organisations. Discussions focused on a number of technical issues that constitute key pillars of the future treaty on the establishment of the Zone. These included obligations and prohibitions relating to chemical and biological weapons, as well as declaration requirements. They aim to promote transparency and confidence building among the countries of the region and supports efforts to develop a comprehensive legal framework for the establishment of the proposed Zone.

The meeting, organised by Oman’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, included specialised sessions delivered by experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Implementation Support Unit of the Biological Weapons Convention. The sessions reviewed international experience and best practice in implementation and verification, contributing to the technical discussions and drawing on relevant international expertise.

Ambassador Omar Said Al Kathiri, Permanent Representative of Oman to the United Nations and President of the Conference, underlined the importance of continuing constructive dialogue among all member states and strengthening the consensus based approach that characterises the Conference’s work. He noted that the Conference remains the only regional platform that brings together Middle East countries to discuss the establishment of a Zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

This contributes to achieving practical and gradual progress towards this objective, enhances regional security and stability, and supports the disarmament and non proliferation regime at both the regional and international levels, he added.

The meeting forms part of a series of regular Working Committee meetings held by the Conference to continue technical discussions between its annual sessions. This ensures the continuity of the negotiating process and the gradual development of consensus among member states in preparation for completing negotiations on a legally binding treaty establishing the Zone, in implementation of the United Nations General Assembly resolution establishing the Conference.