Guterres warns of easy access to chemical weapons; Iran reminds of silent victims.
Every year, on November 30, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Chemical Weapons Attacks is observed to honor the victims of these attacks and to emphasize the need for the total elimination of the use of such deadly weapons.
In a message on the occasion, UN Secretary-General António Guterres wrote: “We pay tribute to all the victims of chemical warfare over the decades. We also remember the global efforts to end the use of these heinous and abhorrent tactics.”
This year marks the centenary of the 1925 Protocol. A century ago, after the world witnessed the devastating effects of the use of chemical weapons during World War I, the international community agreed to prohibit the use of these weapons in warfare.
In the decades since, the world has seen significant successes in this regard, including the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which has now become a nearly universal commitment.
The UN Secretary-General said in his message: “Our work is not done yet, the horrific use of chemical weapons continues, and rapid developments in science and technology threaten their availability and even easier use. We cannot allow this trend to continue.”
Guterres said: “With respect to all victims of chemical warfare, I call on States to reaffirm their commitment to a world free of these abhorrent weapons.”
The UN website wrote in a report about the day: “The Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, at its twentieth session, decided to observe the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Chemical Warfare on 30 November of each year, or, as appropriate, on the first day of an ordinary session of the Conference.”
This commemoration is an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare and to reaffirm the commitment of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to eliminate the threat of chemical weapons and, thereby, to advance the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism.
The Third Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, held in The Hague, the Netherlands, from 8 to 19 April 2013, adopted by consensus a political declaration that reaffirmed the “unwavering commitment” of States Parties to the global prohibition of chemical weapons.
The conference also provided a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention since the last Review Conference in 2008, which also outlined the priorities of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for the next five years.
A Century of Efforts for a World Free of Chemical Weapons
The history of global efforts to achieve chemical disarmament, culminating in the signing of the Chemical Weapons Convention, dates back more than a century.