Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2025; November 30th.

FORUM: “Let’s Keep the memory of the victims alive.” Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare 2025. The global community must speak with one voice and reaffirm commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention, end impunity, and live up to the Pact for the Future’s pledge to a world free of these weapons. Last year, we achieved an important milestone: the destruction of the last chemical weapon from the stockpiles declared by countries that are part of the Chemical Weapons Convention. But the last decade has seen the reemergence of these weapons. Combined with rapid developments in science and technology, the threat grows greater still. This commemoration will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) which consist to eliminate the threat of chemical weapons, thereby promote the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #VictimsofChemicalwarfare, #30November,#ChemicalWarfareDay, #Chemicalweaponsconvention.

 

EVENTS: 100th anniversary of the 1925 Geneva Protocol and 28th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

 On November 30th, a homage to the memory of the victims and to uphold the dignity of survivors will be held by the United Nations General assembly first committee to commemorate the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2025. This year; The OPCW member states, on November 29th will marked the 28th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention. With 193 States Parties, the Convention today embodies the international norm against the use of chemical weapons and remains the most successful disarmament treaty in the world.

Statement of the Secretary-General on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Chemical Warfare 2025; November 30th.

Today, we pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare over the decades.

We also remember the global efforts to end the use of these abhorrent tactics.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Geneva Protocol. A century ago, after witnessing the terrible impact of chemical weapons during World War I, the international community came together to ban their use in war.

The following decades saw remarkable success, including the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention — which now has nearly universal adherence.

Yet our work is not finished. The appalling use of chemical weapons has continued, and rapid developments in science and technology threaten to make their acquisition and use even easier. We cannot allow this to continue.

In the name of all victims of chemical warfare, I urge States to reaffirm their commitment to a world free of these repugnant weapons.

António Guterres; Secretary-General of the United Nations.

PLIGHT: Join the plight ''For a word “free from the threat of chemical weapons”.

PUBLICATION: The Future of the Chemical Weapons Convention. from the ARMS CONTROL  ASSOCIATION.

Research & Reports


In July 2023, the world reached a landmark achievement in the history of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs): the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed the verified and irreversible destruction of all known chemical weapons stockpiles. 26 years after the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) entered into force, it had achieved one of its major goals, becoming the first multilateral disarmament treaty to effectively eliminate an entire class of weapons.

This was not the first time that the CWC led the way in disarmament. With 193 member states, the CWC is the most universal of multilateral disarmament treaties. In 2013, the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its “extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.”

The CWC was opened for signature in January 1993 and officially entered into force on 29 April 1997, after the 65th state party adhered to the convention. The treaty is thorough in its attempt to rid the world of chemical weapons: it outlaws the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, and retention of chemical weapons. The goal of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to create a word “free from the threat of chemical weapons” is one step closer now that all declared stockpiles have been destroyed. This latest achievement offered a glimmer of hope in the arms control world amidst rising tensions among nuclear armed powers.

LIVESTREAM: CWC at 28.

Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2023, November 30th.

FORUM: “Promoting the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism.” Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare 2023. This commemoration will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) which consist to eliminate the threat of chemical weapons, thereby promote the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #VictimsofChemicalwarfare, #30November,#ChemicalWarfareDay, #Chemicalweaponsconvention.

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2023; November 30th.

 

 The Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare is a solemn occasion to pay tribute to those killed or injured by these horrific weapons.

This year marks ten years since the deadly chemical weapons attack in the Ghouta district of Damascus that resulted in numerous civilian casualties, including many children. Today, we remember this horrible incident and others in the Syrian Arab Republic, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

This day of remembrance must also be a day of resolve to end the use of these repugnant weapons, once and for all.

Ending this scourge means living up to the Chemical Weapons Convention’s call to prevent the use of any chemical weapons, and ending impunity for those who use them, especially against civilians.

In the name and memory of all who have suffered, let’s consign chemical weapons to history.

United Nations Secretary-General.

EVENTS: On November 30th, a homage to the memory of the victims and to uphold the dignity of survivors will be held by the United Nations General assembly first committee to commemorate the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2023. This year; The OPCW member states, on November 29th have marked the 26th anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention. With 193 States Parties, the Convention today embodies the international norm against the use of chemical weapons and remains the most successful disarmament treaty in the world.

5th Review Conference of the State parties: RC-5 Side events & Exhibits. From 15 – 19 May 2023 at the World Forum in The Hague; The Conference of the States Parties convenes in a special session called the Review Conference (RC) every five years to examine the CWC’s operation. The RC evaluates the Convention’s implementation status and sets out priorities for the OPCW for the upcoming years. The Topics focus on the role of the OPCW and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in strengthening international peace and security, including preventing chemical weapons re-emergence; on how to Maintain readiness to respond to use or threats of use of chemical weapons; the importance of Science and technology developments relevant to the Convention’s implementation; The Promotion of peaceful applications of chemistry, their safe use and production, and the importance of Promoting universality of the CWC. The Review conference provides strategic direction for the Organisation and ensures that it has adequate resources to de

liver on all its core objectives. Watch the live webcast of RC-5.

OPCW Director-General's Opening Statement to the 5th Review Conference (RC-5)

STATEMENTS: Read the statement of U.N. Secretary-General's on the Day of Remembrance for All victims of Chemical Warfare 2023; November 30th.

Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare - 29 April

Secretary-General's Message for 2012

Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare - 29 April

The Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare is an occasion to mourn those who have suffered from these inhumane arms and to renew our resolve to eradicate them from our world.
When we remind the world of the agony inflicted by chemical weapons, we present the most compelling case for permanently outlawing them and establishing and verifying, through the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), a comprehensive and legally binding ban.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the entry into force of the CWC. Today, with 188 State Parties representing 98 per cent of the world’s population, the Convention is standing strong. I call on the eight States remaining outside the Convention to join at the earliest possible date. There is no excuse for delays in ridding our planet of these instruments of suffering and death.

Through strong provisions, the Convention provides an effective international regime to verify the destruction of all chemical weapons stockpiles and to prevent their re-emergence. This will reduce the threat of chemical weapons terrorism and strengthen the work of the United Nations to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists.

The extended deadline for States parties to complete the destruction of chemical weapons is 29 April. Almost three quarters of all declared stockpiles have been destroyed. I welcome efforts by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to ensure that all chemical weapons are destroyed as soon as possible.

The OPCW is also continuously monitoring the chemical industry in an effort to prevent the re-emergence of chemical weapons. So far, the Organisation has conducted 2200 inspections in 82 countries.
As we welcome the Convention’s achievements, we never let the memory of the victims fade. This Day is a time to remember them in the most meaningful way possible: by pledging to ensure that future generations never endure the scourge that these human beings suffered.

Ban Ki-moon