Paths Toward a Safer Middle East

From November 17 to 21, 2025, representatives of governments and international organizations will gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the Sixth Session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. This annual meeting reviews progress toward the objective of reducing the risks associated with weapons of mass destruction in the region and provides a forum for states to discuss practical steps forward.

The Sixth Session of the Conference invites the international community to examine the conditions required for regional stability and shared responsibility. Conducted under the presidency of H.E. Omar Hilale, president of the Sixth Session of the Conference, and mandated by the UN General Assembly, the meeting contributes to global efforts to strengthen cooperation among states. Its agenda on non-proliferation, civilian protection, and transparent governance aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 16 on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Urgency this year arises from the ceasefire in Gaza, which took effect on October 10, 2025, amid ongoing diplomatic initiatives focused on de-escalation, highlighting assessments by international organizations that the ceasefire remains fragile and requires sustained monitoring by the international community. The outcomes of this session may also inform preparations for the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, where regional WMD-free zones are expected to remain a concern, with analysts noting the interdependence of the Middle East Zone process and global non-proliferation frameworks.

Preparatory discussions surrounding the conference have highlighted how regional initiatives can inform the 2026 NPT Review and reinforce broader multilateral efforts. This perspective aligns with discussions held at the UPF World Summit 2025 in Seoul from April 10 to 13, where participants examined challenges to world order and approaches to sustainable peace.

UPF considers this moment an opportunity to underline the principles advanced by its founders, Dr. Hak Ja Han and the late Dr. Sun Myung Moon, who emphasized mutual respect and shared responsibility. These ideals shaped the development of the Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI).The Middle East Peace Initiative was launched in early 2003 by the Universal Peace Federation’s predecessor (the Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace) as a long-term track-two diplomacy effort to complement official peace processes in the Middle East. Its inaugural consultation, convened in Washington D.C. on Feb. 27–Mar. 2, 2003, brought together religious leaders, scholars and policymakers to chart a “new culture of peace” for the region.

That same year, MEPI organized its first interfaith peace mission to Jerusalem, inviting 135 American Christian clergy to meet with an equal number of Israeli rabbis – alongside local imams – for grassroots reconciliation amid the ongoing violence. On May 18, 2003, these leaders signed a historic Jerusalem Declaration, a joint statement in which the clergy and rabbis repented “for the dark parts of our past” and pledged to build “a bright future together.”

Over the ensuing years, MEPI has convened dozens of peace missions, fact-finding tours, interfaith conferences and cultural exchanges across Israel, the Palestinian territories and neighboring states. Notable programs ranged from a December 2003 peace rally in Jerusalem that drew some 20,000 multi-faith participants, to a 2004 “Women of Peace” mission in which 500 women leaders from 40+ nations fostered dialogue with Israeli and Palestinian counterparts, to grassroots projects like the “Play Football, Make Peace” tournament that united Israeli and Palestinian youth teams. MEPI has included track-two dialogues on the future of Syria and interreligious visits that brought together leaders from Israel, Palestine, and Jordan for discussions in neutral settings.

These dialogue platforms represent expressions of the UPF vision of One Family under God, which seeks to build peace by recognizing shared humanity and fostering cooperation across cultural and national lines reflecting the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs’ view of civil society as vital in raising awareness and capturing the public conscience in support of disarmament.

These activities complement UN agency work in the region, including programs of UNDP and FAO that address drivers of vulnerability and reflect the peacebuilding priorities noted in the 2024 UN Disarmament Yearbook. This approach aligns with ongoing United Nations deliberations on future peacekeeping models that are politically focused and people-centered, consistent with the Secretary-General’s 2023 policy brief, A New Agenda for Peace. 

As the international community meets in New York to advance the aspiration of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, UPF reaffirms its commitment to supporting environments in which trust can deepen and cooperation can emerge. UPF encourages its partners to contribute to track-two peacebuilding efforts in the region, supporting spaces for dialogue and practical cooperation.

This commitment aligns with the United Nations Pact for the Future adopted in September 2024, which calls for enhanced multilateral cooperation to address shared security challenges, including disarmament. This emphasis is particularly relevant amid continuing humanitarian and security concerns in the region, which underline the value of multilateral cooperation and sustained engagement by civil society. The conference in New York highlights that security depends not only on diplomatic processes but also on the work of civil society institutions and individuals who choose cooperation over division.

Dr. Tageldin Hamad, President, UPF International November 17, 2025