The General Secretariat (International Political Affairs Sector - Department of Arms Control and Disarmament) convened the 61st meeting of the Committee of Senior Arab Officials on Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction at its headquarters from 28 to 30 January. The meeting was chaired by the Republic of Yemen, in its capacity as President of the current session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the ministerial level.
The opening address was delivered by His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Khaled bin Mohamed Manzalawi, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the International Political Affairs Sector. In his speech, he underscored the significance of the Senior Officials Committee as the sole technical body within the framework of the League of Arab States dedicated to matters concerning weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons. He highlighted the Committee's vital role, since its establishment in the mid-1990s, in monitoring and addressing Israeli nuclear capabilities, as well as in formulating unified Arab positions in international disarmament and non-proliferation fora.
His Excellency stressed that the meeting would address several critical issues of interest to Arab states in the realm of arms control and disarmament. These include the preparation and coordination of Arab positions for participation in major international events, such as the 69th session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the Review Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and the Conference on the Establishment of a Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East.
