The 13th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Meeting on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (ISM on NPD) was held on 5 April 2022 via videoconference, hosted by Thailand and co-chaired with the United States of America and Sri Lanka. During the opening remarks, Ms. Usana Berananda, Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, highlighted ASEAN’s central strategic role in working with its external partners to build trust and confidence.

DG Usana identified Thailand’s priorities at the ARF, including (1) giving equal importance to all the three pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) (2) full and effective implementation of the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (Bangkok Treaty) (3) the compatibility and complementarity of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to the NPT (4) peaceful uses of nuclear energy while ensuring safety, security and safeguards measures and (5) confidence-building efforts and cooperation in technological innovations and emerging technologies.

The Meeting also discussed and exchanged views on regional response to the challenges in advancing the global non-proliferation and disarmament regime as well as promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The discussions covered issues such as the preparation for the 10th NPT Review Conference, early accession of the Nuclear Weapon States to the Bangkok Treaty, the situations in Ukraine and on the Korean Peninsula, nuclear technology for sustainable development, and role of youth in disarmament.

ARF is an important ASEAN-led mechanism for security dialogue in the Asia-Pacific region. It provides a forum for the 27 Participants to foster constructive dialogue and consultation towards promoting confidence building measures and preventive diplomacy in the region. The 5 main areas of cooperation under the ARF include Disaster Relief, Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime, Maritime Security, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament and Security of and in the Use of ICTs, all of which corresponds to Thailand’s security interests. Thailand will be co-chairing the ARF ISM on NPD with the United States of America and Sri Lanka for the term 2022-2024.