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

Three representatives of the Tehran Peace Museum (TPM) attended the 5^th Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention – CWC – which was held from 15 to 19 May 2023 in the Hague, The Netherlands.

Delegations from 193 States Parties to the conventions as well as representatives of over 50 Non-governmental organizations attended this event which convenes every five years to examine the CWC's operation, it evaluates the Convention's implementation status and sets out priorities for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons -OPCW- for the upcoming years .

TPM which was invited to the conference as a member of the CWC-NGO coalition, hold an exhibition in the margin of the conference on the chronic health effects of exposure to chemical warfare agents. TPM also co-organized a side event on the “victims of chemical weapons, their health needs and rights”.

During the conference, the TPM representatives met with the OPCW officials including the Director General Ambassador Arias to discuss the role of the OPCW in providing assistance to the CW victims as well as on how the NGOs can support the Technical Secretariate of the OPCW in achieving the coals of the convention.

The conference in the Hague was also an opportunity for representatives various NGOs active in the field of CWC, disarmament and related issues to share experience and discuss possible avenues of cooperation in this field.

Come and join us for an experience of how we can use Theatre as a means of communication!

In this 3 hours long hybrid workshop, we will share as a group, explore our senses and enter into dialogue with images that we create with our bodies. We will also learn about the Indian way of working with emotions in Theatre. The methods we will use will be Image Theatre, Games, and Exercises to relate to one another, ourselves, and action and reflection.

Prior experience is not required. 

Please bring yourself and comfortable clothes!

The event aligns with the “Art for Peace” program of the Tehran Peace Museum and is intended to promote a culture of peace among various audiences.

Dr. Birgit Fritz is a theatre pedagogue and drama therapist, she lives in Austria and works internationally with different groups and communities (Basque Country, Germany, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan….). She is also the author of the Theater handbook, called InExActArt. 

For registration, please click here. 

A training session on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) was held at the Tehran Peace Museum (TPM) on Saturday 4 March 2023. The training which was jointly organized by the Tehran Peace Museum and the National Committee for Humanitarian Law was attended by 30 participants, mostly M.sc and Ph.D students of International Law from various universities.

There will be more training sessions and workshops on IHL at the Peace Museum in the coming months.

Tehran Peace Museum wishes you all a peaceful year ahead, full of health, understanding and happiness. 

May you be blessed this new year, with inner peace, prosperity and tranquility!

The OPCW-The Hague Award ceremony was held on Monday, 28 November, 12:15-13:00 CET, on the sidelines of the Twenty-Seventh Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CSP-27).

“The OPCW’s mission to rid the world of chemical weapons is as relevant now as it was then. The Hague congratulates this year’s winners for their dedication to making our world a safer place. Future generations will be grateful,”  said Mr Jan van Zanen, the Mayor of the Municipality of The Hague.  

The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Fernando Arias, and the Mayor of the Municipality of The Hague, Mr Jan van Zanen, present the OPCW-The Hague Award to honour three organisations for outstanding contributions to achieving a world free of chemical weapons:

• Special Risks Brigade of the Federal Police of Argentina;

• Chemical Weapons Convention Coalition, representing more than 150 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from around the globe; and

• Population Protection Institute, Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic.

To watch the 2022 OPCW-The Hague Award Presentation Cermony, Please click here.