Sri Lanka co-chairs the 15th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum on Non–Proliferation and Disarmament

Sri Lanka, Thailand and USA co-chaired the 15th Inter-Sessional Meeting (ISM) of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on Non –Proliferation and Disarmament (NPD), held from 29 April – 01 May 2024 in Hawaii, USA. The meeting followed Sri Lanka’s hosting of the 14th ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on Non Proliferation and Disarmament in Colombo last year.  

The discussion focused on areas of contemporary importance and non-proliferation including peaceful uses of nuclear energy, new and emerging technologies, dialogue and  cooperation, in reducing strategic risks and promoting security and stability in the South East Asia region, the importance of irreversibility, verification and transparency in non-proliferation and disarmament and the role of gender and the participation of youth in the disarmament discourse.

Delegates from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, The Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, the United States and Vietnam participated in the forum and engaged in lively discussions over the course of the two day meeting.

Additional Secretary, Multilateral Affairs Mohammed Jauhar participating virtually as a panelist in the session on the Importance of Irreversibility, Verification and Transparency in Non Proliferation and Disarmament highlighted Sri Lanka’s contribution to the global disarmament agenda over the years and the relevance of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in this regard. Dayani Mendis, Director General of the United Nations Division of the Foreign Ministry co-chaired the meeting and Maxwell Keegel, Director of the Foreign Ministry moderated the Panel Discussion on Gender and Youth in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.

As a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum since 2007, Sri Lanka has hosted ARF meetings, which provide an important platform for strategic dialogue, cooperation and building trust among the members.