Delivered by Ambassador Fernando Arias, OPCW Director-General

THE HAGUE, Netherlands–28 June 2025–It is an honour for me to address you today on this solemn occasion.

On this day, 28 June, 38 years ago, the people of Sardasht were exposed to an attack of unimaginable brutality. The large-scale use of mustard gas killed over 100 people, many of them children.

It also blighted the lives of thousands of people who continue to live with life-changing injuries and trauma.  

Today, and every year, the OPCW stands in solidarity with the people of Sardasht in commemorating the victims of this criminal attack.

On behalf of the OPCW, I wish to convey our sincere sympathies to the victims, to their families, and to all those who continue to suffer as a result of this atrocity. Remembering the tragedy of Sardasht is an opportunity to reflect on why our collective efforts to rid the world of chemical weapons are so vital.

It was in the aftermath of such atrocities that the international community, united by a common purpose, took decisive and collective action. The Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force in 1997 banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction, and its implementing body, the OPCW was created in the same year.

Since then, we have seen significant progress in fulfilling the purpose of the Convention. In July 2023, we completed the destruction of all chemical weapons stockpiles declared by possessor states. This was done under strict international verification as set out in the Convention. This accomplishment provides assurances to the international community that such weapons could not be used again.

Despite our success, however, the threat of reemergence of chemical weapons is real – and growing.   Recent years have seen use and threats of use of chemical weapons in a number of countries, including by non-state actors.

The rapid advancement of science and technology presents new risks that the drafters of the Convention could not have foreseen.

In these circumstances, we must redouble our efforts to ensure that we never again witness such barbaric and illegal methods of warfare or acts of terrorism.

On 17 June we commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Geneva Protocol. That protocol, which bans the use of biological and chemical weapons in war, was a major breakthrough back in 1925.

Tragically, however, Sardasht is a stark reminder that laws themselves are not always enough. Only concerted global action through strong international institutions will safeguard the global norm.

It is in memory of the victims, and in honour of the survivors of these chemical attacks, that we strengthen our resolve to achieve – permanently – a world free of chemical weapons.  

The attack by Israel (which is not a party to any of the international disarmament treaties) on nuclear facilities of Iran (which is a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and adheres to its provisions) as well as targeting residential areas and killing civilian is a clear violation of the United Nations Charter and international law and is undoubtedly a war crime. The continuation of these attacks, supported by some countries claiming human rights and the silence of international bodies against such war crimes, is also evidence of the statement made by the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Ms. Spoljaric, who stated a few days ago in an interview: International humanitarian law (IHL) is being emptied of content...

The Tehran Peace Museum, while condemning these attacks by a regime that has proven to have no respect for international law and ethics, calls for immediate international action to stop these atrocities

The Tehran Peace Museum wishes prosperity for our beloved homeland of Iran. Hoping that life in peace and tranquility will soon return to the country.

Tehran Peace Museum – 17 June 2025

The third edition of the familiarization with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was held at the Tehran Peace Museum on Monday, 26 May 2025.

At first, Mr. Shahriar Khatri, former senior officer of the OPCW talked about the history, structure and the work of the organization Then, Mr. Nabi Azadi, representative of the National Authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gave a speech on how the convention is implemented in Iran, as well as the structure, actions and performance of the National Authority in recent years. Then, in a live video connection with the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Ms. Elizabeth Wachter, Head of Public Affairs and Spokesperson of the organization, gave a speech on the role of NGOs and academics in advancing the organization’s goals and the organization’s engagement with civil society in recent years, and then a question and answer session was held with her presence and one of the young interns of this department.

Given that the audience of this series of meetings is the younger generation, the organization's job and internship opportunities were also reviewed, and Ms. Mohaddeseh Jahangiri spoke about her one-year internship experience then Ms. Sahar Tafreshi, as the representative of the Tehran Peace Museum at the two recent OPCW annual conferences in The Hague, also spoke about her experience in organizing a side event and presenting a statement at the conference, accompanied by the wife of a chemical weapons veteran. Short videos related to the topics were shown during the program breaks.

At the end, participants were awarded a bilingual certificate of attendance.

The Tehran Peace Museum, Association for Protecting Children’s Right and the In Flanders Fields Museum (Ieper, Belgium) jointly organize a Training Course on Peace Education for Child Facilitators

The course which will be thought by a team of international instructors will be conducted in January / February 2025, Every Thursday, from 09:30 to 14:30 IST at the Tehran Peace Museum.

Simultaneous interpretation service will be provided during the course and participants who complete the training successfully will be receiving a bilingual certificate.

For registration and further details please visit: www.tpm.ir

The 29th Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) was held in The Hague, The Netherlands from 25 to 29 November 2024. Diplomatic delegations and high-ranking officials from 193 member states of the organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) were present at the conference. Representatives of the Tehran Peace Museum and the Chemical Weapons Victims Association, while attending the conference, held a side event, read a statement, and met with diplomatic delegations and members of other NGOs from different countries around the world during the conference. The Tehran Peace Museum, as a members of the CWC NGO Coalition, has had close ties with the OPCW in recent years, and has been actively involved in supporting victims of chemical weapons and raising awareness about the effects and consequences of these weapons on human health and the environment.

On the occasion of the International Day of Peace, an event called " The role of museums in promoting a culture of peace" was held at Tehran Peace Museum (TPM) on 22 September 2024.

The event which was attended by volunteers, social activists, experts in the field of museums as well as a group of survivors and veterans of 1980’s war, jointly organized by TPM, National Committee of Museums and the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ieper, Belgium.

Following the message of the Secretary General of the United Nations a number of experts including Mr. Seyyed Ahmad Mohit Tabatabai, Secretary of the National Committee of Museums of Iran, Ms. Mona Badamchizadeh, senior museology expert Mr. Ismail Babaei, senior expert in museum management. As well as Mr. Filip Deheegher and Mr. Wouter Sinaeve from the city of Ieper in Belgium shared their experiences with the participants in the event.

Monday 21 Aug 2024: A special ceremony was held at the Tehran Peace Museum in collaboration with the Bolivian Embassy on the occasion of the 199th anniversary of the independence of Bolivia in which a large number of ambassadors and foreign representatives in Tehran, officials of related organizations as well as volunteers of the Tehran Peace Museum attended ​​. In this event, in addition to commemorating Tupac Katari, the national hero of the fight against colonialism and unveiling the bust of this prominent figure in the history of Latin America, an exhibition was opened on this occasion in the Art Gallery of the Peace Museum. This exhibition, which includes pictures and posters from the ancient history of Bolivia and Latin America and the independence movement in this continent and the role of fighters such as Tupac Katari, is open to visitors until the 20th of September at the Art for Peace Gallery.

The 2^nd training session on “ introduction to Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons – OPCW – “ was held on Monday 10 June 2024 at the Tehran Peace Museum.

The event was attended by over 30 participants mostly postgraduate students of law, international relations as well as chemistry and biology.

A number of former OPCW staff members from inspectorate, International Cooperation and Assistance Division as well as two former OPCW Interns were among the speakers of this training session.

Ms Elisabeth Waechter, Head of Public Relations and Spokesperson of the OPCW was one of the speakers of the event who joind the training session via a live video call.

In her remarks, Mr Waechter provided brief information regarding the current and future activities of the OPCW and the role of civil society in promoting the goals of the OPCW and the Chemical Weapons Convention then she answered a number of questions from the audience.

Participants were also given chance to learn on how to use personal protective equipment in chemical incidents in a practical training.

The Tehran Peace Museum organizes such training sessions in regular basis to raise awareness among university students and young generation on the role of international organizations in promoting global peace/disarmament.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition "Let Me Breathe" took place on February 26, 2024, drawing a crowd of notable figures, including the ambassador of Japan and representatives for the UN. This exhibition pays tribute to five pioneering women scientists and artists who made significant contributions in Europe in the early 20th century. Dr. Clara Immerwahr from Germany, Dr. Gertrud Woker from Switzerland, Dr. Naima Sahlbom from Sweden, as well as Frida Perlen and Käthe Kollwitz from Germany, are being celebrated for their efforts to raise awareness about the dire consequences of using chemical weapons.
The ceremony commenced with the reading of a message from Professor Van Den Dungen, a well-known peace historian and the founder of the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP). Following this, Seyyed Ahmad Mohit Tabatabai, president of ICOM Iran, delivered a speech highlighting the pivotal role of women in Iranian history and emphasizing their significance in the economic and social spheres.
After the formal ceremony, attendees were invited to visit the exhibition at the Tehran Peace Museum’s Gallery. For this exhibition, the efforts of these pioneering women have been showcased through posters and a collection of unique books and documents generously donated by Professor Peter van den Dungen, the founder of the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP).

The exhibition will remain open to the public until March 11th at the Tehran Peace Museum, providing an opportunity for visitors to learn more about inspiring stories of these women and their enduring legacy in the fight against chemical weapons.

Tehran Peace Museum will hold an exhibition introducing and honoring five pioneering women from the early 20th century. Through the stories of Dr. Gertrud Woker, Dr. Naima Sahlbom, Frida Perlen, and Käthe Kollwitz, who were preceded by Clara Immerwahr’s dramatic and tragic protest, the exhibition sheds light on their efforts to raise awareness about the horrors of chemical weapons and showcases the misuse of science in war. For this exhibition, a collection of rare materials including books and pamphlets will be put of public display.

Opening ceremony: February 26^th, at 11:00                    

Venue: Tehran Peace Museum