FOURTH COMMITTEE BEGINS CONSIDERATION OF EFFECTS OF ATOMIC RADIATION

Press Release
GA/SPD/138

FOURTH COMMITTEE BEGINS CONSIDERATION OF EFFECTS OF ATOMIC RADIATION

Sixty-seven nuclear-weapon tests were carried out in the Marshall Islands over 12 years without the population knowing the true extent of personal injuries and environmental damage caused by the nuclear blasts, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) was told this afternoon as it began its consideration of the effects of atomic radiation.

The bombs tested had a total yield 7,200 times as powerful as the two atomic weapons used during the Second World War, the representative of the Marshall Islands also reported to the Committee. Recently, declassified information had shown that the damage caused by the testing programs was much more extensive than previously thought. There was, however, a new spirit of partnership due to the willingness of the United States to deal with all issues relating to the testing and to discuss all the concerns of the Marshall Islands. Resettlement of communities affected by nuclear testing would be costly, but the greatest efforts would be made within the limited means available.

The representative of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, speaking on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said it was vital to reduce, and eventually eliminate, the serious threat posed by atomic radiation. The most effective way of diminishing the potential ill-effects of atomic radiation was through the control or removal of undesirable sources. Nonetheless, he said that while every effort must be made to save mankind and the habitat from nuclear radiation, humanity should not be denied the benefits of nuclear energy. It was incumbent upon the developed nations to extend all possible assistance to developing countries so that atomic energy could be harnessed for the betterment of their peoples.

The representative of Sweden introduced the report of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, noting a draft related to today's discussion would be available tomorrow.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Austria, on behalf of the European Union; and China.

The Fourth Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. on Monday 19 October, to continue its consideration of the effects of atomic radiation.

Committee Work Programme

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) met this afternoon to begin considering the effects of atomic radiation. It had before it the report of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

According to the report of the Scientific Committee (document A/53/46), it was decided at the 1998 session in Vienna from 25 to 29 May 1998, that because of the questions that had arisen concerning local and regional exposures from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident and the high incidence of thyroid cancer in those exposed as children, that the Scientific Committee would produce a review of all the information available 12 to 14 years after the accident. That review would form a major component of the Committee's year 2000 report.

The current report states that the assessment of risks to human health from Chernobyl exposures would serve to complement the estimates made from the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. At the time of the most recent evaluation of mortality in those survivors, in 1990, nearly 50 per cent were still alive. The Scientific Committee intended to continue to assess the cancer mortality and incidence data and to validate the risk estimates derived with those from studies of medically or occupationally exposed groups.

With continuing concern over the possibility of harm in the offspring of exposed persons, and the Committee is reviewing all available data to establish the degree of risk. The report states that the world population is exposed to radiation from a number of sources, of which the principal ones occur naturally. Artificial radionuclides in the environment arise from civil and military nuclear programmes and from the use of radiopharmaceuticals in medicine.

According to the report, the Scientific Committee provides a continuing evaluation of the transfer of radionuclides through the environment to the world population. In the future, the decommissioning of power plants and defence installations will lead to disposal of radioactive wastes and residues and the release of previously contaminated land. Moreover, the Committee comments on the global trend in diagnostic X-ray examinations and the use of radiopharmaceuticals, assesses global practices in radiotherapy, and draws attention to accidents with medical sources.

In addition to the year 2000 report, the Scientific Committee intends to produce other reports including comprehensive assessments of the levels of exposure to which the world population is exposed and a continuing re-evaluation of current knowledge on the effects of ionizing radiation. Those publications will continue to be the basis on which international and

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national agencies will develop further appropriate protection standards for workers, patients and the general public.

According to the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (document A/53/478), the Scientific Committee's activities have expanded to cover the collection and evaluation of information on levels of ionizing radiation in general, including radiation from sources other than nuclear- weapons tests. The sources of exposure to ionizing radiation currently assessed by the Committee include: the natural background consisting of cosmic rays and terrestrial radionuclides in the environment; human activities and practices; medical and industrial applications of radiation; nuclear power production; and the radioactive residues from past nuclear-weapons testing and radiation accidents.

The IAEA recommends that the Scientific Committee should continue to perform its present functions and role. Should the General Assembly decide to alter its institutional arrangements, the Committee should be attached to the IAEA, since it is the United Nations organization that benefits most from the Committee's expertise and contributes most to its activities. Such an alternative arrangement would ensure the maintenance of the Committee's authority and independence.

Statements

Ulf Lindell (Sweden), introduced the report of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. He said that in the mid-1950s, when the General Assembly initiated the work of the Scientific Committee, the principal concern was the hazards of radionuclides in the environment as a result of the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. Over the succeeding 43 years there had been a cessation of atmospheric testing of weapons, although underground testing had continued.

He said that man-made radionuclides continued to be released into the environment due to the large growth of civil nuclear power programmes and the use of radionuclides in medicine, agriculture and industry. There were heightened exposures to patients due to increasing access to medical procedures and to the use of new techniques such as computed tomography (CT) and interventional radiology. People were also exposed by their work in industry and health care and subject to elevated radiation levels through air travel. There had also been a growing awareness of the extent to which mankind was exposed to natural sources of ionizing radiation.

For the past 43 years, the method of operation and quality of Scientific Committee's reports had made an important contribution to the quest for a safe radiation environment, he said. The Committee had become the primary international scientific body reviewing and assessing the health risks of exposure to ionizing radiation. Its estimates were used by major international bodies, including the International Commission on Radiological

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Protection (ICRP) and such United Nations agencies as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as well as the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

He said in context, the draft resolution on the report of the Scientific Committee would be available tomorrow. It was hoped that, as in previous years, it would be adopted by consensus. The texts, in large part, followed the wording of previous years. This year's text took note of the evaluation of the Scientific Committee's report by the WHO and the IAEA.

JOHANNES WIMMER (Austria), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the Scientific Committee had, in 43 years, carried out the essential task of collecting, structuring, and making available radiological information from all over the world.

He said the European Union wished to take this opportunity to commend the fruitful cooperation between the Scientific Committee and other parts of the WHO, the IAEA, UNEP, the ILO, and the FAO. The European Union strongly supported the continuation of such cooperation. It also recognized the recommendation made by the IAEA and WHO that the Scientific Committee's current functions and independent role be maintained.

The European Union noted that the Committee's latest comprehensive scientific reports had been published in 1993, 1994 and 1996. He said he was confident that those publications, along with the Committee's upcoming year 2000 report and new information on the Chernobyl accident, would continue to serve as a basis for national and international standards for protection against the harmful effects of radiation.

JACKEO A. RELANG (Marshall Islands) said that between 1946 and 1957, the Marshall Islands had been the site of 67 nuclear weapons tests. The bombs tested had a total yield of 108,496 kilotons, or 7,200 times the power of the two atomic weapons used during the Second World War. The 12-year nuclear test programme had occurred without the Marshallese people knowing the true extent of the personal injuries or the environmental damage caused by the 67 nuclear blasts. However, current declassified information had shown that the effects and damage were alarming and much more extensive than previously thought.

He said many more islands and groups of people had been exposed to radiation. The effects of that exposure were long-lasting and would affect the lives of people today and for generations to come. The number of people getting sick from radiation-related illnesses was growing at an alarming rate, particularly the incidence of cancers. That complicated even further the task of the Marshall Islands to provide adequate social, health and economic services to its people.

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Although welcoming the Scientific Committee's report, he said the scope of its work must be further extended to studies that could assist those populations suffering from the effects of atomic radiation. The Government of the Marshall Islands was more than willing to assist the Committee in obtaining the more than 4,000 pages of declassified documents in its possession. It was currently trying to put those documents into a computerized record to make it more accessible to students, scholars, researchers and interested governments and agencies.

He said his delegation was not trying to cast blame, which had already been accepted. There was a new spirit of partnership due to the willingness of the United States to deal with all issues relating to the testing, and to discuss all the concerns of the Marshall Islands.

Plans to resettle communities affected by the nuclear testing would be costly, but the greatest efforts would be made with the limited means available, he said. Due to concern for the well-being of workers or pioneering nationals seeking to resettle the affected areas, assistance was requested from any organization, agency or country with the requisite expertise to help the Marshall Islands Government in studying the dangers, options and possibilities for resettlement of the affected areas and to consider giving such assistance as may be required for the clean-up, disposal or containment of radioactive contaminants.

ALOUNKEO KITTIKHOUN (Lao People's Democratic Republic) speaking on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said he welcomed the results of the recent session. The ASEAN welcomed the Committee decision to put greater emphasis on the assessment of information on the combined effects of radiation on living organisms.

He said the ASEAN acknowledged and commended the cooperation between the Scientific Committee and United Nations bodies and other international organizations. Furthermore, ASEAN welcomed the participation of the WHO and the IAEA in the Committee work this year.

While every effort should be made to save mankind and its habitat from nuclear radiation, humanity should not be denied the benefit of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, he said. Many developing countries did not have the means or capacity to explore the valuable resources to their own advantage. Therefore, it was incumbent upon the developed nations to extend all possible assistance, including the transfer of technology for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, to developing countries.

The ASEAN believed international cooperation was needed to reduce and eventually eliminate the serious threat posed to man and the environment by atomic radiation, he said. The safe management of sources of atomic energy should be guaranteed, he said urging the countries possessing nuclear technology to cooperate in the development and application of nuclear

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technology for peaceful purposes. Steps should be taken to guarantee all existing internationally accepted safety standards were enforced in the operation of all nuclear power plants, as well as in the transportation and disposal of nuclear waste and materials.

Discussing the issue of nuclear weapons, he said the ASEAN supported all efforts aimed at the total elimination of nuclear weapons in compliance with the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The ASEAN called upon all nuclear weapons States to accede to the treaty establishing the South-East Asian nuclear-weapons-free zone. If the political will existed, the world could be freed from the catastrophic effects of man-made atomic radiation.

DONG GUILAN (China) said her delegation was pleased to note that the Scientific Committee, with a sense of responsibility, had reviewed its functions and role and discussed in depth its present and future programme. According to that programme, the Committee would review all available information on the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, and continue to assess the cancer mortality and incidence data and to validate the risk estimates derived from studies of medically or occupationally exposed groups. Applying molecular biology techniques, the Committee would study the mechanism of how radiation induced cancer by damaging DNA in human cells.

She said the Committee's present and future programme was closely related to the health and living environment of mankind. The research findings of the programme would surely increase knowledge of the effects of atomic radiation by mankind, and enhance awareness as well as necessary measures against radiation, thus improving the protection of human health and environment. The Scientific Committee's work was of extreme importance as it benefited not only the present generation, but also those to come.

The Chinese delegation believed that maintaining the present functions and role of the Scientific Committee would be conducive to improving efficiency and would give full play to the initiative of the Committee. Chinese national standards on protection against radiation were being prepared and the Chinese Government would strengthen its cooperation with the Scientific Committee and continue to advance the study of the effects of atomic radiation.

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