3rd Preparatory Committee for Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty Review Conference 2026

Ambassador Harold Agyeman
Ghana’s Representative to the United Nations
Chair of the Third Session of the Preparatory Committee
for the 2026 NPT Review Conference
United Nations, New York
April 28 2025

Your Excellency, Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Japan
Excellencies
High Representative for Disarmament
Director-General of IAEA
Distinguished Participants
Ladies and Gentlemen

I would like to begin by thanking all States parties for the confidence you have reposed in me to chair this third and final session of the Preparatory Committee meeting, ahead of next year’s NPT review conference.

It is both an honour and a solemn responsibility bestowed upon my modest person, and I would want to assure you of my commitment in being faithful to the demands of the Chair for the process, in an open, inclusive and transparent manner.

To this end, I seek the support of all States parties to deliver on the mandate of the third session, especially in addressing all the procedural and organisational aspects of the Review Conference, and, as we are able to muster the will, in making recommendations for the consideration of the review conference.

In this regard, I would also like to once again thank my predecessors who chaired the first and second sessions, for their able leadership, and for steering, in their respective sessions, the discussions of States parties in such a manner as today enables this final session to build upon their progress.

I would also want to indicate my appreciation to the Secretariat, comprising the officials of UNODA and IAEA, for all the support they have provided for my role and continue to provide.

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
It has often been repeated that we live in fragile and uncertain times, driven by deepening geopolitical tensions and the erosion of trust among States. This situation impacts our Treaty, its operations and international peace and security.

While the present adverse state of global affairs may not be one of our choosing, its reversal to a situation of stability should be our common responsibility.

At every turn in history, the world has faced challenging times, and where leadership was provided, the world steered itself off the treacherous and turbulent waters of disaster.

Today, we stand at a crossroads, and the credibility of the Treaty, which for 50 decades has served as the cornerstone of global non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament efforts, is challenged, within a context where predictability is required more than ever.

Progress towards nuclear disarmament has stalled and the risks over existing and emerging concerns over proliferation have sharpened. The bargain of non-nuclear-weapon States for peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology is also yet to be fully realised.

It is important for me to underscore that a weakened NPT regime serves no States parties interest, whether nuclear-weapon or non-nuclear weapon. The risk of disorder and global instability would not differentiate in its impact.

As we therefore complete the final lap towards the 2026 Review Conference my appeal to States parties is simple – time is running out on us and we must be ready to see the bigger picture, to put aside our national differences and work collectively towards the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons that preserves the human civilisation.

It is a reality of life that differences would always exist among States, but as parties to this treaty, what is important is not whether we have such differences but more importantly how we manage those differences and find the common ground to move in the direction of our shared goal. Indeed, our methods may differ, but our goal should not.

As custodians of a shared vision of a world safeguarded from the dangers of nuclear proliferation, we must find the common space to address the matters of interest to all of us, such as – (a) how we restore credibility around the fulfilment of article VI obligations and disarmament commitments and undertakings; (b) how we mobilise our collective clarity on non-proliferation concerns; (c) what we can do to advance the needs of non-nuclear-weapon States on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and applications; and (d) finally, what practical and concrete steps we can take to strengthen the review process as a platform for mutual accountability over the implementation of our respective commitments under the Treaty.

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates
The external challenges and internal difficulties that the NPT regime faces are not unsurmountable – they are the manifestation of our own dynamics.

I believe that if we harness our collective will, we can make much-needed progress through the steps we take to promote disarmament, address the concerns of non-compliance, expand peaceful uses, and strengthen international cooperation to rebuild trust, whether among nuclear-weapon States or between them and non-nuclear-weapon States.

As Chair, I remain available to all delegations and would work with you to see how we can realise our common ambition for meaningful progress at this Preparatory Committee session.

I thank you.