Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare, observed on 30 November:
The Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare is a solemn occasion to pay tribute to those killed or injured by these horrific weapons.
This year marks 10 years since the deadly chemical weapons attack in the Ghouta district of Damascus that resulted in numerous civilian casualties, including many children. Today, we remember this horrible incident and others in the Syrian Arab Republic, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
This day of remembrance must also be a day of resolve to end the use of these repugnant weapons, once and for all.
Ending this scourge means living up to the Chemical Weapons Convention’s call to prevent the use of any chemical weapons, and ending impunity for those who use them, especially against civilians.
In the name and memory of all who have suffered, let’s consign chemical weapons to history.