February 04, 2026 07:44 am (IST)
Follow us:
UN urges ratification of chemical weapons convention
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): Marking the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President John Ashe on Tuesday urged the six reticent Member States to sign and/or ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention which aims to eliminate an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.
“Until membership is universal and the last stockpiles of chemical weapons are destroyed, our work will not be done,” Ban said in reference to Angola, Egypt, Israel, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Myanmar and South Sudan.
Ashe echoed Ban’s tribute to the victims, adding that chemical weapons “have no place in our world.”
He added that the international community’s commitment to eliminating the threat of chemical weapons strengthens one of the core missions of the UN: the promotion of peace, security and stability worldwide.
Observed annually on 29 April, the Day commemorates the date in 1997 on which the Convention entered into force. The treaty prohibits the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, transfer or use of chemical weapons by States parties.
Seeing first-hand the “horrific use” of chemical weapons in Syria in 2013, Ban called their use “a deplorable offense against humanity.”
This year’s observance comes just days after the Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN announced that 92.5 per cent of Syria’s chemical weapons programme has been either removed or destroyed.
“The multinational effort to rid Syria of its chemical weapons programme shows what can be done when the international community comes together,” Ban said.
In the past year, Syria and Somalia joined the Convention, raising its membership to 190 States.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Epstein Files: Images show Prince Andrew crouching over woman, spark fresh embarrassment
Sun, Feb 01 2026
Burkina Faso’s military junta bans political parties: What triggered the move and what lies ahead
Sat, Jan 31 2026
Trump threatens 50% tariff on 'all Canadian aircraft', stoking fresh tensions with Ottawa
Fri, Jan 30 2026
EU labels Iran's Revolutionary Guards as 'terrorist organisation' amid deadly crackdown on protests
Fri, Jan 30 2026
EU set to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as terror organisation alongside Al Qaeda, Hamas
Thu, Jan 29 2026
Civilian train hit as Russian strikes leave 12 dead in Ukraine
Wed, Jan 28 2026