Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention’s Entry into Force

You are subscribed to Collected Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention's Entry into Force 04/29/2022 12:09 PM EDT Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).  For a quarter of a century, the United States has worked with its Allies and partners to help rid the world of chemical weapons and deter their use by anyone, anywhere, and under any circumstances.  Our collective goal is to exclude completely the possibility of the use of chemical weapons, which are abhorrent tools of war.  On this anniversary, we renew our commitment to upholding the CWC and note the Convention's important role in contributing to U.S. national security.  Unfortunately, this anniversary reminds us that the world continues to be threatened by the specter of these weapons. In recent years, the world has witnessed chemical weapons use that challenges the CWC's core prohibitions: by the Assad regime and ISIS in Syria, by Russian government operatives against the Skripals in the UK and Aleksey Navalny in Russia, and by the DPRK against Kim Jong Nam in Malaysia.  Syria remains in noncompliance with the CWC, and we will continue to work to hold the Assad regime accountable for its repeated use of chemical weapons against its own people.  We will also continue our efforts to hold the Kremlin accountable for its noncompliance with the CWC, repeated use of chemical weapons, and ongoing efforts to shield the Assad regime from accountability for its CW use.  Further, we have made very clear that the Russian government would face profound consequences were it to use chemical weapons in Ukraine. Despite these challenges, the Convention, which President Biden has championed since his time in the U.S. Senate, has shown time and again its utility, demonstrated by the commitment of the majority of States Parties to compliance and their willingness to take actions to uphold it and hold accountable those who violate it. Stay connected with the State Department: External links found in this content or on Department of State websites that go to other non-Department websites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.    Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This email was sent to ignoble.experiment@arconati.us using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: U.S. Department of State · 2201 C Street NW · Washington, DC 20520