On the occasion of the World Day of Remembrance of All Victims of Chemical Warfare, the head of the organization urged the world community to “speak with one voice and reaffirm its commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention.”

According to the veteran diplomat, despite the progress in this regard, a resurgence of this threat has been perceived in the last decade.

This, together with the rapid advances in science and technology, has made the risk even greater, he said in his message for the date.

Guterres urged to fulfill the promise of the Pact for the Future, approved last September, which called for a world free of chemical weapons.

“The United Nations will continue to do its part to keep the memory of the victims alive and support all efforts to ensure that these weapons are never used, anywhere or at any time,” he concluded.

The International Day was established to coincide with the first day of the ordinary session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention.

The date was approved as a solemn occasion to honor the victims as well as a stark reminder of the devastating human cost of these weapons and the collective responsibility to ensure that they are never used again.

According to estimates by the organization, chemical weapons caused catastrophic destruction during the First World War, with a death toll of more than 100,000 and a million wounded.

Although they were not used on the European battlefields during the Second World War, growing awareness of their devastating effects led to calls for comprehensive disarmament. The Chemical Weapons Convention prohibits the development, production, stockpiling and use of this threat and mandates the destruction of existing stockpiles and production facilities.

The instrument also led to the creation of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to monitor compliance, provide verification and facilitate international cooperation among member states.

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