United Nations A/68/ PV.66 General Assembly Official Records asdfSixty-eighth session 66th plenary meeting Thursday, 12 December 2013, 3 p.m. New York President: Mr. Ashe . (Antigua and Barbuda) The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m. Assistance to survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, particularly orphans, widows and victims Agenda items 70 and 71 of sexual violence Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian Report of the Secretary-General (A/68/497) and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, The President: I now give the floor to the including special economic assistance representative of Ukraine, who will introduce draft Report of the Secretary-General (A/68/489) resolution A/68/L.21. Draft resolution (A/68/L.24) Mr. Sergeyev (Ukraine): I have the pleasure of introducing draft resolution A/68/L.21, on Chernobyl, (a) Strengthening of the coordination of emergency on behalf of the initiators of the draft resolution, namely, humanitarian assistance of the United Nations Belarus, the Russian Federation and my own delegation, Reports of the Secretary-General (A/68/84, I would like to thank the respective delegations for their A/68/87 and A/68/89) active and substantive discussions on the text, as well as for their valuable support as sponsors of the draft Draft resolutions (A/68/L.25 and A/68/L.27) resolution. (b) Assistance to the Palestinian people This year we mark the twenty-seventh anniversary Report of the Secretary-General (A/68/76) of the Chernobyl disaster, and we honour the emergency workers who risked their lives in responding to the Draft resolution (A/68/L.22) accident. More than 300,000 people had to abandon (c) Special economic assistance to individual their homes, and millions of people have been living in countries or regions contaminated areas, traumatized by lingering fears for their health and livelihoods. (d) Strengthening of international cooperation and coordination of efforts to study, mitigate and In order to deal with the changes brought on by the minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl accident and mitigate its consequences, Member States disaster decided to bring the issue to the General Assembly as a major example of how the international community Report of the Secretary-General (A/68/498) should address a man-made disaster that was unknown Draft resolution (A/68/L.21) in the past. Furthermore, the General Assembly proclaimed 2006-2016 the Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions. The 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 U-506. Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum. 13-61569 (E) *1361569* A/68/PV.66 12/12/2013 United Nations action plan on Chernobyl for the Decade the application of experiences and lessons learned in reflects the full commitment of the international tackling the human consequences of nuclear accidents community to achieve the aims of the Decade by and in managing in other nuclear disaster situations. focusing on social and economic development, the The President: I now call on the representative of promotion of healthy lifestyles and self-reliance on the Lithuania to introduce draft resolutions A/68/L.22 and part of the community. A/68/L.24. The international community has learned a number Ms. Murmokaitė (Lithuania): It is my pleasure of important lessons from dealing with the human to introduce draft resolution A/68/L.22, entitled consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. In “Assistance to the Palestinian people”, submitted by 2004, the Secretary-General announced the transfer of the 28 members of the European Union. The draft responsibility for coordination of Chernobyl activities resolution was shared with Member States generally. from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian As in previous years, the European Union expects the Affairs to the United Nations Development Programme draft resolution to be adopted by consensus. (UNDP). Since then, we have been cooperating closely with UNDP by drawing conclusions and preparing The European Union reaffirms its commitment outcomes that can be applied to potential other nuclear to providing assistance to the Palestinian people. disaster situations worldwide. The Secretary-General Sustained support from international donors is essential has called for a follow-up to the recommendations of in order to assist the Palestinian State-building efforts, those studies. strengthen the Palestinian economy and meet the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people. Today’s The numerous sources of relevant information also draft resolution on assistance to the Palestinian people include reports of the Secretary-General on optimizing embodies the wish of the European Union and the international efforts to study, mitigate and minimize international community as a whole to help them. the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. The most recent one (A/68/498) was officially released in The draft resolution has several provisions. First, November this year, and it contributes significantly to it stresses the importance of the work done by the the draft resolution. United Nations and its agencies, notably in providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. Twenty-seven years after the Chernobyl tragedy, the Secondly, it urges all international actors to provide Secretary-General has again reiterated the commitment economic and social assistance to the Palestinians. of the United Nations system to stand by those affected Thirdly, it also urges Member States to open their by the Chernobyl disaster and to work for greater markets to exports of Palestinian products on the most nuclear safety and sustainable energy worldwide. favourable terms. Fourthly, it stresses two points, While fully supporting the United Nations approach to namely, the importance of the work carried out by the Chernobyl, particularly the focus on the rehabilitation humanitarian personnel and organizations in providing and recovery of the affected communities, we would assistance to the Palestinian people, and the importance like to emphasize that Chernobyl is becoming a of free humanitarian access to the Palestinian people. multidimensional issue. The European Union thanks the delegations that In our view, the issue of Chernobyl is relevant requested to be included in the list of sponsors of the globally as a vivid example of international teamwork, draft text. especially when a new safety confinement element is built over the demolished fourth unit of the Chernobyl On behalf of the European Union and its Member nuclear power plant and the old shelter around it. States, I also have the honour to introduce draft However, we need a new approach for future drafts resolution A/68/L.24, entitled “Safety and security of resolutions on this topic, and we have already of humanitarian personnel and protection of United foreseen certain measures in that connection; before Nations personnel”. This year marks the tenth the upcoming thirtieth anniversary of the accident, anniversary of the tragic Baghdad bombing in 2003, in we should, for instance, elaborate a more focused which the Secretary-General’s Special Representative vision of international cooperation on Chernobyl after Sergio Vieira de Mello and 20 of his staff lost their lives. 2016. Furthermore, that could involve a survey and Such deliberate attacks against the United Nations are, 2/27 13-61569 12/12/2013 A/68/PV.66 unfortunately, continuing. The number of casualties The President: I now give the floor to the and injuries, as well as the rising number of abductions, representative of Sweden, who will introduce draft continue to cause concern. resolution A/68/L.25. United Nations personnel and other humanitarian Ms. Burgstaller (Sweden): It is my great pleasure workers often put their lives at risk to assist those most to introduce this year’s draft humanitarian omnibus in need. We believe that we should both recognize their resolution, entitled “Strengthening of the coordination commitment and also support their work and improve of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United their safety and security. The draft resolution submitted Nations”, contained in document A/68/L.25. After I for adoption today demonstrates that that concern is have introduced the draft resolution, I will have the shared by all Member States. We stand united on the honour to deliver a joint statement on behalf of India safety, security and protection of United Nations and and Sweden. humanitarian personnel. The annual adoption of this draft resolution by the This year’s draft resolution notably commends General Assembly reaffirms the unique and leading role the approach adopted by the United Nations and other of the United Nations in coordinating and responding to humanitarians to stay and deliver their most critical the growing global humanitarian needs. This year, some programmes, even in high-risk environments. The draft new elements have been introduced, and several others resolution further acknowledges that close cooperation have been reinforced in the draft resolution, making it with host Governments, which have the primary even more relevant and reflective of today’s reality. One responsibility for the safety and security of humanitarian new element recognizes that protection is a component workers, as well as increased acceptance by the local of humanitarian response when addressing the affected population, are integral parts of humanitarian risk- populations’ needs. Another element reinforced in this management strategies. year’s draft resolution is the renewed pledge to respect and protect humanitarian personnel, including medical We welcome the fact that this year’s draft resolution personnel, facilities, transports and activities, and to is also further strengthened in other important aspects.