Statement of the Secretary-General on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Chemical Warfare 2025.

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.