The United Nations (UN’s) Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare is annually observed across the globe on 30th November to honor and remember victims who lost their lives or endured suffering due to chemical warfare.
- The day reaffirms the dedication of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to eradicating the threat of chemical weapons and advancing the principles of peace, security, and international cooperation.
Background:
i.During its 10th Session in November 2005 in The Hague, Netherlands, the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) resolved to observe a Day of Remembrance for all victims of chemical warfare every year on 29 April.
ii.Since 2005, the UN has officially recognized and observed the Day of Remembrance for all victims of chemical warfare, based on the recommendation of Rogelio Pfirter, the Director-General of OPCW.
iii.At its 20th Session in 2015, the Conference of the States Parties to the CWC the Day of Remembrance for all victims of chemical welfare was changed to 30th November.
- April 29 was designated as the International Day for the Foundation of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, known as “OPCW Day”.
iv.The first-ever Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Welfare was observed on 30th November 2016.
Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC):
i.The CWC consists of a Preamble, 24 Articles, and 3 Annexes: The Annex on Chemicals, the Verification Annex, and the Confidentiality Annex.
ii.In 1993, the CWC was adopted and came into effect on 29th April 1997 and currently has 193 states-parties.
2024 Events
i.The Twenty-Ninth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the CWC (CSP-29) was held in The Hague, Netherlands, on 25 November 2024.
- The Conference is chaired by the Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the OPCW, H.E. Mr Almir Šahović.
ii.OPCW-The Hague Award 2024 ceremony was held, and it honored two recipients this year:
1.Indian Chemical Council (ICC)
2.Algeria’s National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology of the National Gendarmerie (NICC/NG)
The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)’s efforts in chemical weapons disarmament and nonproliferation.
About the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW):
Director General – Ambassador Fernando Arias
Headquarters – The Hague, Netherlands
Established – 1997
