November 30th is the International Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Weapons

This day, which was unanimously named by the member states of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and is included in the calendar of the United Nations' global events, is an opportunity to recall the danger of chemical weapons and the need to completely destroy the arsenals of these weapons, as well as a call to 4 non-member states to join immediately without condition to the convention on the prohibiting of the production, development, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons.

Also, this day is an opportunity to commemorate those who lost their lives as a result of such prohibited weapons, as well as those who suffered long-term illnesses and complications due to exposure to chemical weapons, including the victims of chemical weapons in Iran.

It should be remembered that despite the global ban on the use of chemical weapons, which were first used in the First World War, in the war imposed by Iraq against Iran (1980-1988), Saddam's regime used more than 3 thousand tons of deadly and highly toxic chemical weapons against the combatants and the defenseless people of the border areas of Iran, as a result of these attacks, nearly one million people were exposed to chemical agents, and more than one hundred thousand people were treated for serious chemical injuries, and thousands of people lost their lives.

Today, more than three decades have passed since the end of the war, nearly 65,000 chemical warfare survivors in Iran are still suffering from chronic diseases caused by chemical weapons, and many of them need continuous medical treatment.

Mass killing of civilians and targeting medical facilities and hospitals in Gaza which is an inhumane and criminal act as well as clear violation of international humanitarian law ( IHL)  must be stopped immediately.

The Tehran Peace Museum as one of the IHL promoting NGOs, along with many other international NGOs and millions of people around the world, while condemning such horrible war crimes, calls upon the international community and responsible international organizations to do all they can to stop the ongoing tragedies in Gaza and reminds them that silence in the face of these crimes makes criminals continue killing and committing genocide with impunity….

The international day of Peace will be observed at the Tehran Peace Museum on Tuesday 19 September 2023 from 3 to 5 pm.

Each year the International Day of Peace (IDP) is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. Never has our world needed peace more.

This year’s theme is Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals. It is a call to action that recognizes our individual and collective responsibility to foster peace. Fostering peace contributes to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will create a culture of peace for all.

Representatives of relevant international organizations, NGOs are invited to attend the ceremony.

The event is open for public.

A training session on “Introduction to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - OPCW -" was held on Wednesday, August 9 at the Tehran Peace Museum. This half-day, hybrid (in person/virtual) meeting was attended by over 40 participants, with the aim of increasing public awareness about The objectives, structure and performance of the OPCW, as well as familiarization with job opportunities and internship program in this international organization..

 The program started with a video message from the Head of Public Affairs and Spokesperson of the OPCW, Ms. Elizabeth Vaechter who provided brief information about the OPCW, its priorities and the role of civil society in promoting its goals, then Dr. Shahriar Khatari, the former OPCW senior officer, delivered a presentation regarding the history and structure of the OPCW, as well as the use of chemistry in wars and the importance of its peaceful use, followed by a presentation by the representative of the National Authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention -CWC - , Ministry of Foreign Affairs on technical and political aspects of the CWC and its national implementation. Then, Mehrdad Habibi, former OPCW inspector explained about the organization's verification / inspection system and the life of an OPCW inspector and then Ms. M. Jahangiri, a former OPCW intern, spoke about her experience regarding this internship and how to apply for internship in the organization, finally Mr. Hojat Barna, who is currently doing an internship in the OPCW in The Hague provided valuable information about his internship experience in a video.

 At the end, certificates of attendance were presented to the participants.

 To know the next program of this series of meetings in the near future, regularly check the website of the Peace Museum...

The Tehran Peace Museum in line with its education & outreach program has recently started a series of training sessions to introduce peace-related international organizations.

The next event which will be held on Wednesday 09 August (14:00 to 16:00 Tehran time) is dedicated to introduce the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in general and the structure/function of its Technical Secretariat.

The event is intended to raise public awareness about the important role of the OPCW in international peace, disarmament as well as on peaceful use of chemistry.

The main audience of the events are university students, youth activists, journalists and other interested people.

Several volunteer members of the Tehran Peace Museum as well as the survivors of chemical warfare are also among the audience of such events.

The following people are invited to deliver presentations during the upcoming  event:

•    An official of the OPCW Technical Secretariat
•    A former OPCW inspector
•    A former OPCW/ICA staff member
•    A former OPCW intern

The session is open to all interested individuals. To register for the event, click here