Egypt Regrets Failure of the 11th NPT Review Conference to Adopt a Consensus Outcome Document
Author : Mahmoud Hatem El Shafaey Published at : May 22, 2026
Mahmoud Hatem El Shafaey
On 22 May 2026, Egypt delivered its national statement during the closing session of the Eleventh Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), aligning itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the African Group, the Arab Group and the New Agenda Coalition.
Reflecting on the final stages of the negotiations, Egypt indicated that it had been prepared to join consensus on Rev.4 of the draft outcome document. In particular, it welcomed the reaffirmation of the commitment to the implementation of the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East and the acknowledgment of the progress achieved within the framework of the annual United Nations Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. Egypt also welcomed the emphasis placed on the urgency of achieving the universality of the Treaty.
Egypt nevertheless expressed regret that the final version of the text no longer contained references to concrete measures aimed at the full implementation of the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East, nor did it retain the specific commitment to achieving the universality of the Treaty in the Middle East.
Turning to nuclear disarmament, Egypt expressed disappointment at what it described as the absence of a genuine political will among nuclear-weapon States to advance the implementation of the obligations and commitments they have undertaken since the inception of the Treaty and throughout successive review cycles, particularly with regard to Article VI of the NPT – which commits States Parties to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to nuclear disarmament and the cessation of the nuclear arms race.
Egypt stressed that, despite the shortcomings of Rev.4 from the perspective of a non-nuclear-weapon State, it had nevertheless been prepared to join consensus in order to restore confidence in the review process and preserve the credibility of the Treaty.
In its concluding remarks, Egypt underscored that the repeated inability of Review Conferences to adopt consensus outcome documents should neither be accepted nor normalized as the new standard. It emphasized that the 2026 Review Conference had not suffered from a lack of engagement, commitment or leadership. Rather, in Egypt's view, the Conference had once again exposed a profound absence of political will and an unwillingness on the part of certain actors to recognize and fulfil the potential of the Treaty as an indispensable instrument for maintaining international peace and security and contributing to development. Egypt stressed that such a situation should not be allowed to recur.
Finally, Egypt reaffirmed the importance of safeguarding the viability, integrity and credibility of the NPT and preserving the effectiveness of the review process, emphasizing that multilateral diplomacy remains indispensable to strengthening international peace and security and advancing the objectives of the Treaty.
**For a comprehensive overview of Egypt's and the Arab Group's positions throughout the Eleventh NPT Review Conference, see the related posts covering their interventions during the General Debate session, Main Committee I, Main Committee II, Main Committee III and the Plenary discussions.