In addition, Pfirter's proposal to erect a monument at the Hague commemorating all victims of chemical warfare was approved.

April 29 was chosen as the date for the event's celebration because the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force on that day in 1997.

Four of these, Egypt, Israel, South Sudan and North Korea, have not ratified the convention and are suspected to possess chemical weapons.

[6][7] Syria is also known to possess a sizeable stockpile and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted this in his 2013 speech, condemning the nation for its alleged exploitation of chemical weapons in its ongoing civil war.

[8] On September 14, 2013, the United States and Russia announced in Geneva that they reached a deal whereby Syria would ratify the treaty and give up its chemical weapons.