Ulaanbaatar, January 23, 2026 /MONTSAME/. As the first President of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) for 2026, Mongolia convened the Conference’s first public plenary on January 20 at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The meeting was chaired by the Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the United Nations in Geneva, Gerelmaa Davaasuren.

In her opening remarks, the Permanent Representative expressed gratitude to member states for the trust placed in Mongolia and affirmed that the presidency would be exercised in a fair, transparent, and cooperative manner. She underscored that 2026 is a particularly significant year for international disarmament negotiations, noting the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the intensifying discussions on emerging weapons systems.

As a country with nuclear-weapon-free status and a consistent supporter of peaceful, rules-based international cooperation, Mongolia reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the Conference’s mandate. She also emphasized that amid growing strategic mistrust, the Conference remains a vital forum for dialogue, diplomacy, and the strengthening of shared responsibility.

The 2026 session of the Conference on Disarmament will be divided into three successive parts, from 19 January to 27 March, from 11 May to 26 June, and from 27 July to 11 September. During its presidency, Mongolia aims to promote result-oriented discussions on key issues, including nuclear disarmament, negative security assurances, the prevention of an arms race in outer space, and the regulation of emerging military technologies.

Participants in the opening meeting wished Mongolia success, noting that the role of the Conference on Disarmament is becoming increasingly important in the current geopolitical environment. They stressed that renewed political will is required to overcome the long-standing stalemate in the Conference’s work.

During the meeting, the agenda for the 2026 session of the Conference on Disarmament was adopted, outlining the main framework for the year’s activities.

The Conference on Disarmament is the world's single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum. The Presidency of the Conference rotates among its Member States, with each President holding office for four working weeks. After Mongolia’s Presidency (19 January to 1 February), the following countries will also take the Presidency during 2026: Morocco (16 February to 13 March), the Netherlands (16 to 27 March and 11 to 22 May), Nigeria (25 May to 19 June), Norway (22 to 26 June and 27 July to 14 August), and Pakistan (17 August to 11 September).

In accordance with Rule 27 of its Rules of Procedure, the Conference on Disarmament shall adopt its agenda for the year at the beginning of each annual session.  “In doing so, the Conference shall take into account the recommendations made to it by the United Nations General Assembly, the proposals presented by Member States of the Conference, and the decisions of the Conference.” The Rules of Procedure of the Conference also provide that, based on its agenda, the Conference, “at the beginning of its annual session, shall establish its programme of work, which will include a schedule of its activities for that session, taking also into account the recommendations, proposals and decisions referred to in rule 27.”

The Conference on Disarmament and its predecessors have negotiated such major multilateral arms limitation and disarmament agreements as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, the Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil thereof, the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.