Australia will snub negotiations for a treaty to ban nuclear weapons at the United Nations.
The global summit will take place on March 27.
"The Australian government's longstanding position is that the proposed treaty to ban nuclear weapons does not offer a practical path to effective disarmament or enhanced security," a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman told AAP.
Australia, the United States, Russia, Israel, France and the UK were among the countries last year who voted against a resolution to hold a conference.
A total of 123 nations voted in favour of the resolution while 38 opposed it and 16 abstained.
The conference aims to negotiate a "legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination".
Australia relies on the deterrent protection from the US's nuclear weapons arsenal.
Anti-nuclear weapons campaign group ICAN Australia spokeswoman Gem Romuld said the government's decision was bitterly disappointing and out of step with the stance of neighbouring countries in the region.
"This is an unprecedented move for Australia to not participate in multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations," she told AAP.
Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said prohibiting and eliminating nuclear weapons is a humanitarian imperative.
"It's disappointing that yet again the government has chosen not to have Australia's voice heard," Senator Wong told AAP.
Labor senator Lisa Singh was on a secondment to the United Nations when the resolution was passed last year.
"I'm astonished at Australia's position," she told AAP.
"It is short-sighted for Australia to refuse to even have a seat at the table."
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