NPT Review Conference Rescheduled To Take Place In January 2022 - President

UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2021) President-designate of the 2020 Review Conference for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Gustavo Zlauvinen said in a letter on Friday that the tenth session was rescheduled and will be held in January 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Having considered all available options, I have reached the conclusion that the initial set of dates of 4-28 January 2022 is the most feasible one for the convening of the Review Conference," Zlauvinen said in the letter seen by Sputnik. "I will therefore request the Secretariat to book the necessary facilities and conference services for those dates."

The conference was initially scheduled to take place in April of 2020 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, but was postponed until August this year over pandemic-related concerns.

Zlauvinen said in the letter that after extensive consultations with state parties, it was decided the current coronavirus restrictions on access cannot ensure the holding of the conference in August.

In addition, Zaluvinen noted that in early October this year, he will convene informal consultations with all state parties to evaluate the situation and confirm the dates of the conference considering the "unpredictability" of the coronavirus pandemic.