United Nations A/60/PV.77 General Assembly Official Records Sixtieth session 77th plenary meeting Friday, 28 April 2006, 10 a.m. New York President: Mr. Eliasson ........................................... (Sweden) In the absence of the President, Mr. Hamidon (c) Strengthening of international cooperation and (Malaysia), Vice-President, took the Chair. coordination of efforts to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl The meeting was called to order at 10.20 a.m. disaster: special commemorative meeting in observance of the twentieth anniversary of the Agenda item 128 (continued) Chernobyl catastrophe The Acting President: This morning the General Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the Assembly, in accordance with Assembly resolution expenses of the United Nations (A/60/650/Add.8 and 60/14 of 14 November 2005, will hold a special A/60/650/Add.9) commemorative meeting in observance of the The Acting President: I would like to invite the twentieth anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe. attention of the General Assembly to documents Members will recall that the Assembly concluded A/60/650/Add.8 and A/60/650/Add.9, in which the its consideration of sub-item (c) of agenda item 73 at Secretary-General informs the President of the General its 52nd plenary meeting, held on 14 November 2005. Assembly that, since the issuance of his In order for the General Assembly to hold the communications contained in document A/60/650 and commemorative meeting today, it will be necessary to addenda 1 to 7, Papua New Guinea and Seychelles reopen consideration of the sub-item. May I take it that have made the necessary payments to reduce their it is the wish of the General Assembly to reopen arrears below the amount specified in Article 19 of the consideration of sub-item (c) of agenda item 73? Charter. It was so decided. May I take it that the General Assembly duly takes note of the information contained in those The Acting President: May I further take it that documents? the Assembly agrees to proceed immediately to hold the special commemorative meeting under sub-item (c) It was so decided. of agenda item 73? Agenda item 73 (continued) In the absence of objection, we shall proceed accordingly. Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian On behalf of the President of the General and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, Assembly, it is my honour to welcome all participants including special economic assistance to this special commemorative meeting of the General This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-154A. Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum. 06-33162 (E) *0633162* A/60/PV.77 Assembly to observe the twentieth anniversary of the system and other international actors to reflect on Chernobyl catastrophe. On 26 April 1986, the worst lessons learned and to make proposals on future nuclear accident in history occurred at the Chernobyl actions in response to the disaster. May today’s event nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Since then, Chernobyl also serve to remind us of the need for international has become a symbol of shattering human tragedy and solidarity whenever and wherever international devastating environmental damage. disasters occur. In today’s world, the crucial challenges are borderless. Today we have gathered here to honour the memory of the victims of the Chernobyl catastrophe. It Before proceeding further, I should like to consult is also an occasion to remember the heroism of the Member States about inviting Mr. Kemal Derviş, emergency workers who responded in the days Administrator of the United Nations Development following the disaster, the deprivation of more than Programme and United Nations Coordinator of 330,000 residents of the area who were evacuated from International Cooperation on Chernobyl, and Mrs. Ann contaminated regions and the suffering of millions of Veneman, Executive Director of the United Nations people living in affected areas, who over the past two Children’s Fund, to make statements on this occasion. decades have had to cope with the physical and If there is no objection, may I take it that it is the psychological effects of the accident. wish of the General Assembly, without setting a Alongside Governments, non-governmental precedent, to invite Mr. Kemal Derviş, Administrator organizations and other international organizations, the of the United Nations Development Programme and United Nations and its funds, programmes and United Nations Coordinator of International agencies have been involved in Chernobyl relief and Cooperation on Chernobyl, and Mrs. Ann Veneman, recovery efforts from the very beginning. In the Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s aftermath of the catastrophe, the assistance efforts of Fund, to make statements at this special the United Nations family were, naturally, targeted to commemorative meeting? meet the large-scale humanitarian needs. Over time the It was so decided. emphasis of those efforts has shifted, and the United Nations family has, since 2002, focused on promoting The Acting President: In accordance with the the social and economic development of the affected decision just taken, and without setting a precedent, I communities. now give the floor to Mr. Kemal Derviş, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and The legacy of the Chernobyl catastrophe remains United Nations Coordinator of International strong. The effects of radioactive contamination are Cooperation on Chernobyl. still being felt 20 years later in the affected region. There are ongoing international efforts to study, Mr. Derviş (United Nations Development mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Programme): It is an honour to have this opportunity to Chernobyl disaster. Here, I would like to recognize the address this body today, as we mark 20 years since the important contributions of the Chernobyl Forum, a world’s worst nuclear accident occurred at the collective effort by eight organizations within the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. United Nations system and the Governments of the As the United Nations Coordinator of most affected countries — Belarus, the Russian International Cooperation on Chernobyl, I am pleased Federation and Ukraine — to analyse the health, that the United Nations has been able to play a environmental and socio-economic impacts of the prominent role in the many commemorative events that nuclear accident. have been held to mark this solemn twentieth On this solemn occasion, as we observe the anniversary. It is an occasion both to remember the twentieth anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe, we enormous human costs of the Chernobyl disaster and to should also look forward and pay attention to the take stock of the many problems that linger two continuing needs of the affected region. In the past 10 decades later. It is also time to look ahead and seek days, two major international conferences on solutions that hold the promise of hope and recovery Chernobyl, held in Minsk and in Kiev, have gathered for the 5 million residents of the Chernobyl-affected representatives of Governments and the United Nations areas. 2 06-33162 A/60/PV.77 Chernobyl was a devastating tragedy. Hundreds Atomic Radiation, UNICEF, the United Nations of emergency workers risked their lives in responding Environment Programme, the Office for the to the accident, and some, sadly, perished. Hundreds of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United thousands laboured to build a shelter around the Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the damaged reactor. More than 330,000 people were World Bank. uprooted from their towns and villages. Five thousand United Nations Member States — particularly people who were children at the time of the accident Canada, the European Union, Japan, Switzerland and have contracted thyroid cancer. Millions in the region the United States — have also been generous were left traumatized by lingering fears about their contributors to Chernobyl recovery efforts. I would health. We should never forget the loss and pain caused like to express my deep gratitude for their invaluable by the disaster. support. The impact of the accident and the policies However, much more remains to be done to adopted to mitigate its consequences were compounded promote the region’s recovery. Renewed efforts should by the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The region’s gain new impetus from the findings of the United mostly rural economy was devastated. Livelihoods lost Nations Chernobyl Forum. The Forum, an authoritative 20 years ago have not yet been recovered. Farming body composed of representatives of eight United villages have struggled to overcome the stigma of Nations agencies and the three most affected living in a contaminated region. Many communities Governments, recently concluded that most of the have sunk into resignation and apathy. 5 million people who live in Chernobyl-affected areas In recounting the enormous human costs of the need not live in fear of radiation. Many of the areas Chernobyl tragedy, however, it is important to previously designated as contaminated are now suitable remember that, while this is undoubtedly a for habitation and cultivation, although precautions are tremendously sad commemoration, it is not a hopeless still necessary in some areas. Those findings mean that one. Much has been done to cope with the legacy of many affected communities can regain the confidence Chernobyl. Granted, the initial silence on the accident they need to return to a normal life. Copies of the was reprehensible, and most Soviet citizens — as well Chernobyl Forum report are available at the side of the as the international community — remained unaware General Assembly Hall.