Egyptian Foreign Ministry Headquarters building. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The conference, held in New York from 27 April to 22 May, ended without consensus despite what Egypt described as intensive efforts by participating states and the conference president to bridge differences and reach an agreement.
In a statement, Egypt stressed that the outcomes of previous NPT review conferences remain valid, particularly the 1995 resolution calling for the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
Cairo said the resolution formed “a central part” of the agreement that enabled the indefinite extension of the treaty in 1995.
Egypt also underscored the importance of the NPT in maintaining and strengthening international security since its adoption in 1968, calling for universal adherence to the treaty through the accession of non-signatory states, especially in the Middle East, as non-nuclear-weapon states.
The statement noted that the issue received broad backing from participating countries during the latest review conference.
Egypt reiterated its call on nuclear-weapon states to take “serious and practical” steps toward fulfilling their obligations under the treaty on nuclear disarmament, saying the implementation of the NPT would remain incomplete without achieving that objective.
It added that achieving nuclear disarmament would help spare humanity the “catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences” of the use of nuclear weapons.
Cairo also stressed the need to respect the “inalienable rights” of states parties to peacefully use nuclear energy for development purposes in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Egypt has long positioned itself as one of the leading advocates for establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, arguing that the issue is central to the credibility of the global non-proliferation regime.
In recent months, Cairo has repeatedly renewed calls for universal adherence to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), particularly in the Middle East, and for all nuclear facilities in the region to be placed under IAEA safeguards.
Egypt considers the 1995 resolution on establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction a “binding international commitment” and a core component of the agreement that enabled the indefinite extension of the NPT.
It first proposed the idea of a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East at the United Nations in 1974, and the initiative has since been endorsed annually by the UN General Assembly.
Cairo has also repeatedly argued that Israel’s refusal to join the NPT or place its nuclear facilities under IAEA oversight remains the main obstacle to establishing the zone.
The latest NPT Review Conference took place amid growing international concerns over nuclear proliferation risks, stalled disarmament efforts, and rising regional tensions in the Middle East.
The conference ultimately failed to reach consensus on a final document, extending a pattern of deadlock that has affected several previous review conferences.
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