Sri Lanka co-chairs ASEAN meet

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.