#remembering victims

[elisabethloxx]

Reet Jurvetson in a family photo, 1960s

[chemicalwarefareremembranceday]

The global norm against chemical weapons is not only a legal agreement, but also a moral declaration about the dignity of humanity.

Just the mention of certain cities–Ieper, Halabja, Sardasht and Ghouta–evokes painful images of suffering and death. The OPCW honours the memory of the victims of these attacks through its mission to eliminate these weapons from the world. Our commitment to victims offers them hope that they will be the last to experience the horror of chemical warfare.

To secure a future without chemical weapons, we must protect, strengthen and extend the norm of their abhorrence enshrined in the Chemical Weapons Convention. The global norm against chemical weapons is not only a legal agreement, but also a moral declaration about the dignity of humanity.

At the same time, the OPCW recognises that survivors are not mere symbols of suffering. They are fellow humans who deserve our active support and assistance.

This is why the OPCW lends strong support to a number of endeavours that pay homage to the memory of the victims and to uphold the dignity of survivors.

The shadow cast by chemical weapons over modern history has claimed countless victims, both civilians and soldiers across the globe.