Before Nuclear States, Indonesian Foreign Minister Stresses Importance of Disarmament

Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono affirmed the importance of disarmament as a critical pillar for global security and peace. According to him, the global disarmament agenda is not only stagnant but has actually regressed.

Sugiono made the remarks in a national statement at the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland (23 February 2026). He assessed that the increasingly uncertain global geopolitical situation has placed severe pressure on multilateralism and international law, heightening the risk of escalation.

He then raised the expiry of the New START Treaty, which has left no binding arms control framework between the world’s two largest nuclear weapons holders. This was seen as weakening global arms control and amplifying strategic uncertainty.

“Amid this situation, the risk of miscalculation is growing,” Sugiono said.

In his address, Sugiono also stressed the need to address the imbalance between non-proliferation obligations and the sluggish progress on disarmament.

“Nuclear disarmament appears to be treated as optional, even as non-nuclear weapon states work diligently on non-proliferation,” he stated.

To that end, Sugiono called for urgent strengthening of political commitment and substantive progress so the Conference on Disarmament can restore its credibility as the primary negotiating forum.

“True security is built on mutual trust and dialogue,” the Foreign Minister said.

Closing his address, Sugiono encouraged the Conference on Disarmament to demonstrate dynamic resilience. The conference, he said, must be capable of maintaining its integrity and core objectives amid geopolitical tensions.

“Disarmament is not merely a legal obligation but also a moral imperative for a safer and more peaceful future,” Sugiono affirmed.

The Conference on Disarmament is the sole multilateral global negotiating forum on disarmament. Based in Geneva, it has 65 member states, including the five nuclear weapon states.

Operating on the basis of consensus and under the mandate of the United Nations General Assembly, the forum has produced a number of significant agreements such as the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. As a member of the Conference on Disarmament, Indonesia has consistently advocated for comprehensive, transparent, and non-discriminatory disarmament.