The working committee held three meetings in the intersessional period between November 2023 (the fourth session) and November 2024 (the fifth session of the conference) to address the topics that were assigned to it by the fourth session of the Conference. These topics covered: (a) peaceful uses and technical cooperation; (b) nuclear verification; and (c) an index of an indicative list of topics that could be addressed by future sessions of the Conference. The President of the fourth session (Libya) and the President-designate of the fifth session (Mauritania) chaired the meetings as co-facilitators.

At its first meeting, held on 20 February 2024, the working committee discussed the organizational aspects of its work. It was decided that two subsequent substantive meetings would be held in May and July 2024, respectively.

The second meeting was held from 30 April to 2 May to discuss the two identified topics by the fifth session: peaceful uses and technical cooperation. Prior to the meeting, the President circulated a discussion paper on the topic among participating states. Member states heard presentations from representatives of international organisations and regional experts on existing cooperation and technical assistance mechanisms. Invited experts also provided an overview of the different approaches by other NWFZ to the promotion of and cooperation in peaceful uses. The approaches included establishing a specialised body, concluding agreements with specialized international organisations, and ad hoc arrangements on a wide range of peaceful activities.  For more details, see the President’s Summary of the work of the Working Committee. 

At its third meeting, held from 1 to 2 July, the Working Committee discussed one of the topics identified by the Fourth Session: nuclear verification. It also heard presentations by invited international and regional experts, including presentations from the IAEA experts and the Chair of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Nuclear Disarmament Verification. The presentations discussed universal safeguards agreements, the Additional Protocol, and the main outcomes of the GGE work on nuclear disarmament verification. The meeting also discussed the draft proposal of the “index of indicative list of topics that could be addressed by future sessions of the Conference.” The preliminary topics included in the index:

• Terms and definitions

• Obligations and prohibitions

• Joining WMD-related multilateral legal instruments

• Prohibitions applicable to states parties

• Verification

• Promoting peaceful uses and removing obstacles to it realization

• Cooperation, consultation, and clarification and dispute settlement

• Institutional arrangements

• Entry into force

• Declarations

• Protocols

• Object and purpose

• Geographic scope

• Duration

• Relationship with other agreements

A summary of the work of the working committee is annexed to the report of the fifth session, including information about the meetings, the invited experts, and highlights of the discussions.